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Updated: Feb 17, 2026
A Multimodal Imaging Framework to Advance Phenotyping of Living Label-free Breast Cancer Cells
Published on: August 22, 2025
Intracellular investigation on the differential effects of 4 polyphenols on MCF-7 breast cancer cells by Raman
A Mignolet1, B R Wood, E Goormaghtigh
1Center for Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Laboratory for the Structure and Function of Biological Membranes; Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, Bld du Triomphe 2, CP206/2, B1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
The past decades have seen significant interest in the study of polyphenolic compounds as potential therapeutic agents in medicine because they display a vast array of cellular effects beneficial to treat or manage a plethora of chronic diseases including inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular abnormalities and several types of cancer. These compounds act at different stages of carcinogenesis but deciphering their mode of action is a complex task. Live MCF-7 breast cancer cells were investigated using Raman imaging to evaluate the perturbations induced after incubating cells with four different polyphenols: EGCG, gallic acid, resveratrol and tannic acid. First, clear spectral changes could be observed between the spectra of the cytoplasm and the nucleus of live MCF-7 cancer cells demonstrating a difference in their respective global chemical composition. The treatments induced significant modifications in the cells but no clear common pattern of modifications from the 4 drugs could be observed in the cell spectra in the 1800-600 cm-1 region. The high spatial resolution of Raman confocal microscopy enabled both the nucleus and cytoplasm to be independently targeted to study the impact of the polyphenols on the cell line. Positive spectral variations at 2851 cm-1 and 2920 cm-1 as well as in the 1460-1420 cm-1 and 1660-1650 cm-1 spectral regions inside cell cytoplasm reflected an increase of the lipid content after exposure to polyphenols. Lipid accumulation appears to be an early biomarker of drug-induced cell stress and subsequent apoptosis. Interestingly an increase of cytochrome c into the cytosol was also induced by EGCG. These multiple events are possibly associated with cell apoptosis. In conclusion, Raman micro-spectroscopy provides a complementary spectroscopic method to realize biological investigations on live cancer cells and to evaluate the effects of polyphenols at the subcellular level.
Insights
Polyphenols like EGCG show potential in cancer therapy by altering lipid content and cytochrome c levels in breast cancer cells, indicating cell stress and apoptosis. Raman imaging reveals these subcellular changes, offering insights into polyphenol mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Polyphenolic compounds are extensively studied for therapeutic potential against chronic diseases, including cancer.
- Their precise mechanisms of action in carcinogenesis are complex and require further elucidation.
- Live cell imaging offers a dynamic approach to understanding cellular responses to therapeutic agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the subcellular effects of four polyphenols (EGCG, gallic acid, resveratrol, tannic acid) on live MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
- To evaluate the utility of Raman imaging in assessing polyphenol-induced cellular perturbations.
- To identify potential early biomarkers of drug-induced cellular stress and apoptosis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Raman confocal microscopy for high-resolution imaging of live MCF-7 cells.
- Acquired and analyzed Raman spectra from cellular cytoplasm and nucleus.
- Incubated cells with EGCG, gallic acid, resveratrol, and tannic acid to observe spectral changes.
Main Results:
- Distinct spectral differences were observed between the nucleus and cytoplasm of untreated MCF-7 cells.
- Polyphenol treatments induced significant cellular modifications, with notable increases in lipid content in the cytoplasm.
- Specific spectral variations indicated lipid accumulation and increased cytochrome c levels (induced by EGCG), suggesting early signs of cell stress and apoptosis.
Conclusions:
- Raman micro-spectroscopy is a valuable tool for subcellular biological investigations on live cancer cells.
- Lipid accumulation serves as a potential early biomarker for drug-induced cellular stress and apoptosis.
- Polyphenols induce distinct subcellular changes, offering insights into their therapeutic potential and mechanisms of action in cancer cells.
