Vibrational spectroscopy fingerprinting in medicine: From molecular to clinical practice

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 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.