Raman spectroscopy/SERS based immunoassays for cancer diagnostics

Abstract Rapid innovations in nanotechnology have allowed for the successful combination of many detection methods for cancer prognosis and diagnosis. The detection and analysis of cancer biomarkers are being investigated to develop reliable, cost-effective, powerful detection, and monitoring strategies for cancer risk indication, early detection, tumor classification, and recurrence. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is one of the detection systems that has significantly improved the diagnostic approach for rapid trace-level cancer biomarker analysis because of its multiplexing capability, high sensitivity, high specificity, and barcoding effect. More efficient and convenient SERS-detecting systems have been realized due to the advancement in fabrication technology which has miniaturized the devices by combining well-designed assays/channels and SERS substrates. These immunoassays are being explored to find huge application toward healthcare application like early tumor cell detection, tumor cell imaging, intercellular interrogation of tissue, drug-delivery monitoring, etc. We further discuss the state-of-the-art technologies to highlight the significant advancement in cancer research diagnostics using Raman-based systems.