Search

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is reliant upon bioprocessing approaches to generate the range of therapeutic products that are available today. The high cost of production, susceptibility to process failure, and requirement to achieve consistent, high-quality product means that process monitoring is paramount during manufacturing. Process analytic technologies (PAT) are key to ensuring high quality product is produced at all stages of development. Spectroscopy-based technologies are well suited as PAT approaches as they are non-destructive and require minimum sample preparation. This study explored the use of a novel attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy platform, which utilises disposable internal reflection elements (IREs), as a method of upstream bioprocess monitoring. The platform was used to characterise organism health and to quantify cellular metabolites in growth media using quantification models to predict glucose and lactic acid levels both singularly and combined. Separation of the healthy and nutrient deficient cells within PC space was clearly apparent, indicating this technique could be used to characterise these classes. For the metabolite quantification, the binary models yielded R2 values of 0.969 for glucose, 0.976 for lactic acid. When quantifying the metabolites in tandem using a multi-output partial least squares model, the corresponding R2 value was 0.980. This initial study highlights the suitability of the platform for bioprocess monitoring and paves the way for future in-line developments.

Abstract The advances in cancer research achieved in the last 50 years have been remarkable and have provided a deeper knowledge of this disease in many of its conceptual and biochemical aspects. From viewing a tumor as a ‘simple’ aggregate of mutant cells and focusing on detecting key cell changes leading to the tumorigenesis, the understanding of cancer has broadened to consider it as a complex organ interacting with its close and far surroundings through tumor and non-tumor cells, metabolic mechanisms, and immune processes. Metabolism and the immune system have been linked to tumorigenesis and malignancy progression along with cancer-specific genetic mutations. However, most technologies developed to overcome the barriers to earlier detection are focused solely on genetic information. The concept of cancer as a complex organ has led to research on other analytical techniques, with the quest of finding a more sensitive and cost-effective comprehensive approach. Furthermore, artificial intelligence has gained broader consensus in the oncology community as a powerful tool with the potential to revolutionize cancer diagnosis for physicians. We herein explore the relevance of the concept of cancer as a complex organ interacting with the bodily surroundings, and focus on promising emerging technologies seeking to diagnose cancer earlier, such as liquid biopsies. We highlight the importance of a comprehensive approach to encompass all the tumor and non-tumor derived information salient to earlier cancer detection.

Abstract Cancer is a worldwide pandemic. The burden it imposes grows steadily on a global scale causing emotional, physical, and financial strains on individuals, families, and health care systems. Despite being the second leading cause of death worldwide, many cancers do not have screening programs and many people with a high risk of developing cancer fail to follow the advised medical screening regime due to the nature of the available screening tests and other challenges with compliance. Moreover, many liquid biopsy strategies being developed for early detection of cancer lack the sensitivity required to detect early-stage cancers. Early detection is key for improved quality of life, survival, and to reduce the financial burden of cancer treatments which are greater at later stage detection. This review examines the current liquid biopsy market, focusing in particular on the strengths and drawbacks of techniques in achieving early cancer detection. We explore the clinical utility of liquid biopsy technologies for the earlier detection of solid cancers, with a focus on how a combination of various spectroscopic and -omic methodologies may pave the way for more efficient cancer diagnostics.

Diagnosing brain cancer is frequently difficult and requires specialist equipment. Here, the authors develop their previous attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method and incoporate the use of disposable silicon wafers for diagnosing brain cancer using serum samples.