Multimodal method for the identification of multiphoton cancer biomarkers using 3D tumor spheroids (Conference Presentation)

Endoscopes and other optical, non-invasive diagnostic instruments require measurable parameters (biomarkers) that reliably represent early signs of cancer. These biomarkers are challenging to identify in complex tissues due to their dependence on environmental and disease specific influences. In Multiphoton Microscopy (MPM), signals are commonly separated into channels using optical filters. The choice of channels typically relies on generalized prior knowledge. In order to establish more disease specific biomarkers, a reliable cancer model is desired. We present a method to study biomarkers using spheroids as a cancer model. The spheroid development and harvesting are monitored using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). We further introduce a hyperspectral MPM system to investigate biomarkers in the autofluorescence of cancerous and normal cell lines. To improve the detection of the selected biomarkers, an algorithm suggests corresponding filters for diagnostic or research purposes.