Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of biofluids: from nano-bio interactions to clinical applications

Alois BONIFACIO, Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Architettura, Università di Trieste

In recent times, clinicians started to follow with interest the advancements in nanotechnology and photonics, eagerly looking for a translation of these technologies into biomedicine. Fundamental issues about the interaction between nanomaterials and biological systems (“nano-bio interaction”) are being investigated, along with the development of clinical applications.
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), being based on the inelastic scattering of laser light by metal nanostructures, looks like a perfect match between nanotechnology and photonics. Minimal (or none) sample preparation, ease of use, quick data acquisition, availability of compact and portable instrumentation make SERS appealing for applications in clinical settings and for even for point-of-care tests. In fact, SERS can be used to analyze biofluids (e.g. blood or serum, urine, saliva), yielding biochemical information can be exploited for diagnostic purposes.
In spite of the complexity involved in the interaction between biofluids and metal nanostructures, recent results by our research group, within different projects in collaboration with clinicians of nearby hospitals (i.e. C.R.O. in Aviano and Burlo Garofolo in Trieste) show that SERS of blood serum or urine has the potential to be effectively used for cancer diagnosis, or as a quantitative analytical tool supporting therapeutic drug monitoring, avoiding heavy side effects by keeping plasmatic drug levels under control.

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