Unveiling Cancer Metabolism through Spontaneous and Coherent Raman Spectroscopy and Stable Isotope Probing

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Raman spectroscopy and imaging are label-free, non-destructive techniques to study cellular metabolism with subcellular spatial resolution. This review focuses on applications of Raman-based methods in a combination of stable isotope probing on cancer metabolism and cancer imaging. ABSTRACT: Metabolic reprogramming is a common hallmark in cancer. The high complexity and heterogeneity in cancer render it challenging for scientists to study cancer metabolism. Despite the recent advances in single-cell metabolomics based on mass spectrometry, the analysis of metabolites is still a destructive process, thus limiting in vivo investigations. Being label-free and nonperturbative, Raman spectroscopy offers intrinsic information for elucidating active biochemical processes at subcellular level. This review summarizes recent applications of Raman-based techniques, including spontaneous Raman spectroscopy and imaging, coherent Raman imaging, and Raman-stable isotope probing, in contribution to the molecular understanding of the complex biological processes in the disease. In addition, this review discusses possible future directions of Raman-based technologies in cancer research.