Noninvasive discrimination of prostate healthy and cancer cells by quantitative phase and Raman imaging

In this study, we utilized polarization-sensitive holotomography and Raman imaging to analyze prostate healthy (PNT2) and cancer (PC3) cells treated with glucose. After 48-hour incubation, distinct morphological differences were observed in cancer cells, including changes in volume, number, and refractive index of lipid droplets (LDs). Raman imaging confirmed the glucose uptake of these LDs. Cancer cells exhibited larger and more numerous LDs, with higher mean refractive-index and birefringence, compared to healthy cells. The study achieved over 90% accuracy in discriminating between cell types, highlighting its potential in cancer diagnostics. The research contributes to biomedical spectroscopy, offering a valuable tool for understanding cancer cell morphology and enabling early and precise cancer detection.