Studies of Cellular Biochemical Changes Induced in Human Cells by Sulfur Mustard

Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy using a synchrotron radiation source (SR-μFTIR) has great potential in the study of the ionizing radiation effects of human cells by analyzing the biochemical changes occurring in cell components. SR-μFTIR spectroscopy has been usefully employed in recent years in some seminal work devoted to shedding light on processes occurring in cells treated by hadron therapy, that is, radiotherapy with charged heavy particles (mainly protons and carbon ions), which is gaining popularity as a cancer treatment modality. These studies are particularly useful for increasing the effectiveness of radiotherapy cancer treatments with charged particles that can offer significant progress in the treatment of deep-seated and/or radioresistant tumors. In this paper, we present a concise revision of these studies together with the basic principles of μFTIR spectroscopy and a brief presentation of the main characteristics of infrared SR sources. From the analysis of the literature regarding the SR-μFTIR spectroscopy investigation on human cells exposed to proton beams, it is clearly shown that changes in DNA, protein, and lipid cell components are evident. In addition, this review points out that the potential offered by SR-μFTIR in investigating the effects induced by charged particle irradiation have not been completely explored. This is a crucial point for the continued improvement of hadron therapy strategies.

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Biochemical Changes in Human Cells Exposed to Low Concentrations of Gold Nanoparticles Detected by Raman Microspectroscopy

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s19102418 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 2418 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maria Lasalvia ◽

Giuseppe Perna ◽

Vito Capozzi

Keyword(s):

Gold Nanoparticles ◽

Principal Component ◽

Raman Microspectroscopy ◽

Human Cells ◽

Biochemical Changes ◽

Low Concentrations ◽

Model Cell ◽

Cellular Modifications ◽

Raman Spectral

The toxicological implications of nanoparticles deserve accurate scientific investigation for the protection of human health. Although toxic effects involve specific organs, the events that cause them have their origin from biochemical modifications of some cellular constituents. Therefore, a first analysis to evaluate the effects due to the action of nanoparticles is achieved by investigation of in vitro cells, which allows the identification of the cellular modifications caused by nanoparticles (NPs) even at much lower doses than the lethal ones. This work evaluated the Raman microspectroscopy capability to monitor biochemical changes occurring in human cells as a consequence of exposure to a suspension of gold nanoparticles with a non-cytotoxic concentration. Human keratinocyte cells were used as a model cell line, because they are mainly involved in environmental exposure. A trypan blue assay revealed that the investigated concentration, 650 ng/mL, is non-cytotoxic (about 5% of cells died after 48 h exposure). Specific Raman spectral markers to represent the cell response to nanoparticle exposure were found (at 1450 and 2865 cm−1) in the cytoplasm spectra, with the aid of ratiometric and principal component analysis.

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