Spectroscopy and Molecular Changes in Cancer Cells - Vibrational Spectroscopy for Tissue Analysis - page 17

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Spectroscopy and Molecular
Changes in Cancer Cells
Introduction
The general features of neoplastic cells exhibit specific changes in nucleic
acid, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate quantities and/or conformations [1].
Proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids are the marker molecules, which may be
indicative of neoplasia, and changes in these molecules might be expected.
Not surprisingly, both the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman
spectroscopies, due to their fingerprint character, can be used to describe
and recognise the changes that take place in cancer cells. Several studies
elucidate the spectral features of cancer cells and their various components
such as collagen. The Raman spectrum of a sample corresponds to the
characteristic molecular groups in the sample, and the technique can give
detailed information on changes in structure and composition of the cellular
molecules [2] and can provide important diagnostic information. These fea-
tures can potentially be used as diagnostic parameters to identify malignant
tumours. This chapter provides a summary of the changes that different
researchers have found at the molecular level of cancer cells using FTIR and
Raman spectroscopy.
Understanding Cancer
To understand chemical structural properties of cancer and associated
changes with the progression of disease, it is important to understand the
biology and chemistry of the cancer. The term neoplasia , which literally
means new growth , is used clinically to describe pathologic tissue masses,
which grow independent of and faster than normal tissues. Most of the
body cells repair and reproduce themselves similarly in spite of their dif-
ferent functioning and appearance. As long as this process takes place in
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