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Spectroscopy
Volume 24 (2010), Issue 1-2, Pages 73-78
doi:10.3233/SPE-2010-0419

FTIR microspectroscopy of stained cells and tissues. Application in cancer diagnosis

Jacek K. Pijanka,1 Nicholas Stone,2 Gianfelice Cinque,3 Ying Yang,1 Achim Kohler,4,5 Katia Wehbe,3 Mark Frogley,3 Gary Parkes,6 Joanne Parkes,6 Paul Dumas,7 Christophe Sandt,7 Daniel G. van Pittius,6 Gillian Douce,6 Ganesh D. Sockalingum,8 and Josep Sulé-Suso1,9,10

1Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Guy Hilton Research Centre, Keele University, Stoke on Trent, UK
2Biophotonics Research Unit, Leadon House, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester, UK
3Diamond Light Source, Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
4Centre for Biospectroscopy and Data Modeling, Nofima-Matt Food, Ås, Osloveien, Norway
5CIGENE, Centre for Integrative Genetics, IMT, University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
6Department of Histopathology, Central Pathology Laboratory, University Hospital of North Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, UK
7SOLEIL Synchrotron, BP48, L'Orme des Merisiers, Gif sur Yvette, France
8MéDIAN-Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, CNRS UMR6237-MEDyC, UFR de Pharmacie, IFR 53, Reims, France
9Cancer Centre, University Hospital of North Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, UK
10Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Guy Hilton Research Centre, Keele University, Thornburrow Drive, Stoke on Trent ST4 7QB, UK.

Copyright © 2010 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

It is widely accepted that FTIR spectroscopy has a huge potential in cancer diagnosis. However further work is required to bring this technique into pathology departments. One of the areas where big efforts will be required is the development of cell spectra databases to be used in the diagnosis of cancer. Presently, unstained cytology and tissue samples are studied with FTIR spectroscopy. However, it is not always possible to identify in unstained samples the types of cells present. In order to achieve this, samples need staining after FTIR spectra have been obtained. We have recently shown it is possible to obtain FTIR spectra of stained cells using a synchrotron source (10.1038/labinvest.2010.8). This allows recording FTIR spectra from cells already characterized by pathologists. In order to further this work, we have now obtained FTIR spectra from stained (Papanicolau or Haematoxylin & Eosin) single cells using a benchtop spectrometer. This would be the logical step towards a clinical application in cancer diagnosis. The data here presented show that staining caused a decreased intensity of the peaks at 2920 cm−1 and 2850 cm−1, and the appearance of stronger peaks at 1374 cm−1 and 1040 cm−1. The clinical applications are discussed.