Field-resolved infrared spectroscopy of human blood to tackle lung, prostate and breast cancer detection

Abstract

Broadband mid-infrared spectroscopy of biofluids carries great potential for biological and biomedical applications, as it provides fast, reliable and label-free access to the molecular composition of the sample [1]. When applied to human blood serum, a range of molecular contents can be quantified [2] and specific changes in the absorption spectra, driven by diseases (e.g. cancer) can be identified and used for diagnostic purposes [3]. One remaining challenge is the complexity of human serum: physiological phenotypes are driven by minor changes in concentration of thousands of different molecules. At the same time, although many low-abundance molecules are very informative for disease detection, these are often not detectable with conventional Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and quantum-cascade laser (QCL) based approaches due to a lack of sensitivity and specificity.