Using Raman spectroscopy of blood serum to help classify prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

What is it about?

This study explores whether micro‑Raman spectroscopy—a rapid, label‑free vibrational technique—can identify biochemical differences in the blood serum of patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and distinguish favorable from unfavorable prognostic categories. Serum samples from clinically classified CLL patients were analyzed, and their Raman spectra were processed using multivariate statistical methods, including Principal Component Analysis and Partial Least Squares. Specific spectral bands—such as those at 1652 and 1205 cm⁻¹, associated with protein conformation and amino acid composition, and the ratio between the 1003 cm⁻¹ (phenylalanine) and 1344 cm⁻¹ (collagen) peaks—were found to reflect metabolic variations correlated with prognosis

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Why is it important?

Traditional tools for CLL prognosis, such as morphology and immunophenotyping, provide only partial information. Raman spectroscopy offers a complementary and non‑destructive way to capture subtle biochemical changes in serum that may be linked to disease progression. Identifying a spectral “fingerprint” associated with prognosis could support earlier and more refined stratification of patients and offer new insights into the metabolic alterations underlying different disease trajectories.

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