Cervical cancer: an innovative technique for early diagnosis
A multidisciplinary pilot study coordinated by Sapienza University tested an innovative technique for examining a particular type of cancer cell. In addition to observing the shape of the cells under a microscope, as is usually done, the researchers used an optical technique called Raman spectroscopy, which allows the molecular composition of tissues, i.e. proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, to be analysed.
This approach enables the linking of molecular-level changes with physical observations of tissue structure. Indeed, the molecular signatures associated with tumours are consistent and recognisable, even when morphological differences are not immediately apparent. Healthy and tumour tissue are not always distinguishable by cell shape alone.
In particular, in the case of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, a very common disease, diagnosis is still heavily based on invasive techniques and visual interpretation by pathologists. Understanding whether reliable molecular signatures exist could help improve tissue characterisation in the future.
The study, published in the scientific journal Plos One, was made possible thanks to the combination of different skills (engineering, clinical and pathological) and access to advanced equipment in the Sapienza laboratories.
In the past, many studies focused on only one technique at a time. This study, however, made it possible to combine molecular and structural data in a coordinated manner.
The work is the result of interdisciplinary collaboration between various departments of Sapienza University, the Gynaecological Oncology and Pathological Anatomy departments at Umberto I General Hospital, and the Centro di ricerca per le Nanotecnologie applicate all’Ingegneria (CNIS).
The optical technique of Raman spectroscopy is based on the phenomenon of inelastic scattering of electromagnetic radiation due to interaction with the vibrational and rotational motions of a molecule (Raman effect).
The analysis was conducted on histological samples of cervical tissue fixed and embedded in paraffin, analysed using Raman spectroscopy to identify biochemical differences between healthy and tumour regions, including stroma, glands, nerve tissue, blood vessels, inflammatory infiltrate and necrotic areas. Spectral analysis revealed distinctive molecular fingerprints associated with variations in the composition of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids in pathological areas.
The study directly correlates molecular information from Raman spectroscopy with high-resolution morphological images obtained using electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) on the same samples and in the same tissue areas. This approach makes it possible to link changes at the molecular level with what is physically observed in the tissue structure, strengthening the interpretation of Raman signals.
Research shows that tumour tissues exhibit clearly recognisable molecular alterations compared to healthy tissues. These alterations are consistent with the structural changes observed at the micro and nanometric scale. Furthermore, it was established that Raman spectroscopy is also sensitive to differences that are not always immediately visible with traditional imaging techniques.
Although this is a pilot study, the results suggest that Raman spectroscopy may be a promising technique to support the characterisation of cervical tumour tissues, laying the foundations for future studies on fresh samples and for possible integration into clinically relevant diagnostic contexts.
References: Anacleto Proietti, Emanuele De Angelis, Luca Buccini, Martina Leopizzi,
Angelina Pernazza, Francesco Mura, Angelica Accorinti, Gianluca Sbardella, Giancarlo La Penna, Roberta Maria Arseni, Giorgia Perniola, Daniele Passeri, Carlo Della Rocca, Marco Rossi, Violante Di Donato, A Pilot Multimodal Study of Cervical Cancer: Raman Spectroscopy as a Molecular Fingerprint Tool. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327286
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0327286
Further Information
Marco Rossi – Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI)
T (+39) 3272350175
Violante Di Donato, Gynaecological Oncology, Umberto I General Hospital
Anacleto Proietti, Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI)
Emanuele De Angelis, Gynaecological Oncology, Umberto I General Hospital
emanuele.deangelis@uniroma1.it
Carlo Della Rocca, Pathological Anatomy, Umberto I General Hospital