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Vibrational Spectroscopy for Biomedical Materials Analysis

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Materials Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 27649

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
CNR-IBF, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biofisica, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: Raman spectroscopy; plasmonics and scanning probe micrscopy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vibrational spectroscopy is a non-destructive identification method that measures the vibrational energy in a compound. As each chemical bond has a unique vibrational energy, depending on which other compounds the chemical bond of interest is bound to, and because of this unique vibrational energy, each compound will have a unique fingerprint or the output identifying the peak strengths at specific vibrations. This fingerprint can be used to determine the compound structures, identify and characterize compounds, and identify impurities.

Because of such features, vibrational spectroscopy is a rapidly growing field and it has found applications in industries including material science, pharmaceutical manufacture, food and drug safety, and process monitoring on production lines. Based on the non-invasive features, interest in clinical spectroscopy is analogously rising rapidly, as researchers recognize the potential of the vibrational spectroscopic techniques―infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy―as non-invasive tissue diagnosis tools and biomedical materials.

In clinical pathology, vibrational spectroscopy is widely employed in cancer detection and diagnosis, the pathology of microorganisms, in vivo spectroscopy, and imaging. Analogously, the materials to be used in biomedical applications can be satisfactorily analysed by making use of vibrational spectroscopy.

However, many questions remain open. For example, the details of the characteristic peak frequencies and their relationship to the specific functional groups present in the biological tissues have not been fully understood, requiring theoretical and modelling efforts.

The Special Issue is open to new advances in the application of vibrational spectroscopies (IR and Raman) to medical materials analysis, involving the following:

  • IR and Raman spectroscopy;
  • FTIR—Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy;
  • Synchrotron infrared spectroscopy
  • Medical materials;
  • Tissue engineering;
  • Clinical analysis and data processing;
  • Chemical fingerprints and clinical diagnostics;
  • Clinical applications and noninvasive spectroscopy;
  • Plasmonics and nanomedicine;
  • Theory and modeling

Dr. Mario D’Acunto
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • IR and Raman spectroscopy
  • FTIR—Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
  • Synchrotron infrared spectroscopy Medical materials
  • Tissue engineering
  • Clinical analysis and data processing
  • Chemical fingerprints and clinical diagnostics
  • Clinical applications and noninvasive spectroscopy
  • Plasmonics and nanomedicine
  • Theory and modeling

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2812 KiB  
Article
Application of FTIR Method for the Assessment of Immobilization of Active Substances in the Matrix of Biomedical Materials
by Dorota Kowalczuk and Monika Pitucha
Materials 2019, 12(18), 2972; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12182972 - 13 Sep 2019
Cited by 117 | Viewed by 8001
Abstract
Background: The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the usefulness of the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) method for the evaluation of the modification process of biomaterials with the participation of active substances. Methods: Modified catheter samples were prepared by activating the [...] Read more.
Background: The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the usefulness of the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) method for the evaluation of the modification process of biomaterials with the participation of active substances. Methods: Modified catheter samples were prepared by activating the matrix with an acid, iodine, or bromine, and then immobilizing the active molecules. To carry out the modification process, the Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) method was used. Results: FTIR analysis indicated the presence of the immobilized substances in the catheter matrix and site-specific reactions. Conclusion: We surmise that the infrared spectroscopic technique is an ideal tool for the assessment of the drug immobilization and the changes occurring in the course of the modification process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibrational Spectroscopy for Biomedical Materials Analysis)
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16 pages, 3168 KiB  
Article
In Situ Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Cellular Components: Theory and Experimental Results
by Mario D’Acunto
Materials 2019, 12(9), 1564; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12091564 - 13 May 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3189
Abstract
In the last decade, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) met increasing interest in the detection of chemical and biological agents due to its rapid performance and ultra-sensitive features. Being SERS a combination of Raman spectroscopy and nanotechnology, it includes the advantages of Raman spectroscopy, [...] Read more.
In the last decade, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) met increasing interest in the detection of chemical and biological agents due to its rapid performance and ultra-sensitive features. Being SERS a combination of Raman spectroscopy and nanotechnology, it includes the advantages of Raman spectroscopy, providing rapid spectra collection, small sample sizes, characteristic spectral fingerprints for specific analytes. In addition, SERS overcomes low sensitivity or fluorescence interference that represents two major drawbacks of traditional Raman spectroscopy. Nanoscale roughened metal surfaces tremendously enhance the weak Raman signal due to electromagnetic field enhancement generated by localized surface plasmon resonances. In this paper, we detected label-free SERS signals for arbitrarily configurations of dimers, trimers, etc., composed of gold nanoshells (AuNSs) and applied to the mapping of osteosarcoma intracellular components. The experimental results combined to a theoretical model computation of SERS signal of specific AuNSs configurations, based on open cavity plasmonics, give the possibility to quantify SERS enhancement for overcoming spectral fluctuations. The results show that the Raman signal is locally enhanced inside the cell by AuNSs uptake and correspondent geometrical configuration generating dimers are able to enhance locally electromagnetic fields. The SERS signals inside such regions permit the unequivocal identification of cancer-specific biochemical components such as hydroxyapatite, phenylalanine, and protein denaturation due to disulfide bonds breaking between cysteine links or proline. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibrational Spectroscopy for Biomedical Materials Analysis)
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Review

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40 pages, 1468 KiB  
Review
Vibrational Spectroscopy Fingerprinting in Medicine: from Molecular to Clinical Practice
by Vera Balan, Cosmin-Teodor Mihai, Florina-Daniela Cojocaru, Cristina-Mariana Uritu, Gianina Dodi, Doru Botezat and Ioannis Gardikiotis
Materials 2019, 12(18), 2884; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12182884 - 6 Sep 2019
Cited by 226 | Viewed by 9420
Abstract
In the last two decades, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies turn out to be valuable tools, capable of providing fingerprint-type information on the composition and structural conformation of specific molecular species. Vibrational spectroscopy’s multiple features, namely highly sensitive to changes at [...] Read more.
In the last two decades, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies turn out to be valuable tools, capable of providing fingerprint-type information on the composition and structural conformation of specific molecular species. Vibrational spectroscopy’s multiple features, namely highly sensitive to changes at the molecular level, noninvasive, nondestructive, reagent-free, and waste-free analysis, illustrate the potential in biomedical field. In light of this, the current work features recent data and major trends in spectroscopic analyses going from in vivo measurements up to ex vivo extracted and processed materials. The ability to offer insights into the structural variations underpinning pathogenesis of diseases could provide a platform for disease diagnosis and therapy effectiveness evaluation as a future standard clinical tool. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibrational Spectroscopy for Biomedical Materials Analysis)
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16 pages, 808 KiB  
Review
Terahertz Spectroscopy and Imaging: A Cutting-Edge Method for Diagnosing Digestive Cancers
by Mihai Danciu, Teodora Alexa-Stratulat, Cipriana Stefanescu, Gianina Dodi, Bogdan Ionel Tamba, Cosmin Teodor Mihai, Gabriela Dumitrita Stanciu, Andrei Luca, Irene Alexandra Spiridon, Loredana Beatrice Ungureanu, Victor Ianole, Irina Ciortescu, Catalina Mihai, Gabriela Stefanescu, Ioan Chirilă, Romeo Ciobanu and Vasile Liviu Drug
Materials 2019, 12(9), 1519; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12091519 - 9 May 2019
Cited by 74 | Viewed by 6452
Abstract
The Terahertz’s wavelength is located between the microwave and the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because it is non-ionizing and non-invasive, Terahertz (THz)-based detection represents a very attractive tool for repeated assessments, patient monitoring, and follow-up. Cancer acts as the second leading [...] Read more.
The Terahertz’s wavelength is located between the microwave and the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because it is non-ionizing and non-invasive, Terahertz (THz)-based detection represents a very attractive tool for repeated assessments, patient monitoring, and follow-up. Cancer acts as the second leading cause of death in many regions, and current predictions estimate a continuous increasing trend. Of all types of tumors, digestive cancers represent an important percentage and their incidence is expected to increase more rapidly than other tumor types due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. Because it can precisely differentiate between different types of molecules, depending on water content, the information obtained through THz-based scanning could have several uses in the management of cancer patients and, more importantly, in the early detection of different solid tumors. The purpose of this manuscript is to offer a comprehensive overview of current data available on THz-based detection for digestive cancers. It summarizes the characteristics of THz waves and their interaction with tissues and subsequently presents available THz-based technologies (THz spectroscopy, THz-tomography, and THZ-endoscope) and their potential for future clinical use. The third part of the review is focused on highlighting current in vitro and in vivo research progress in the field, for identifying specific digestive cancers known as oral, esophageal, gastric, colonic, hepatic, and pancreatic tumors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibrational Spectroscopy for Biomedical Materials Analysis)
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