Effect of photodynamic therapy on single cancer cells studied by integrated Raman and angular scattering microscopy

Using integrated Raman and angular scattering microscopy (IRAM), we follow the response of EMT6 cancer cells to photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment. The study combines two non-labelling light scattering techniques to extract chemical information and organelle sizes from single cells. Each cell is measured repeatedly over several hours to follow changes in these parameters as the cell responds to the PDT treatment. An automated algorithm identifies which parameters are changing in time. Size parameters extracted from angular scattering measurements show a decrease in the size of 1-micron-diameter scatterers in treated cells. Treated cells also exhibit trends in several Raman peaks, denoting changes in chemical concentrations of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Each of these parameters - acquired from both measurement modalities - can be monitored on a cell-by-cell basis. The ability to track these chemical and structural changes over time allows access to greater knowledge of biological processes.