Sensing Biomolecules\nAssociated with Cells’\nRadiosusceptibility by Advanced Micro- and Nanospectroscopy Techniques

Radiotherapy is one\nof the most common approaches for\ncancer treatment,\nespecially in the case of peripheral nervous system tumors. As it\nrequires exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation, it is important\nto look for substances that support efficient reduction of the tumor\nvolume with simultaneous prevention of the surrounding noncancerous\ncells. Cannabidiol (CBD), which exhibits both anticancer and neuroprotective\nproperties, was applied as a potential modulator of radiological response;\nhowever, its influence on cells undergoing irradiation remains elusive.\nHere, we have applied high-resolution optical spectroscopy techniques\nto capture biomolecules associated with CBD shielding of normal and\ndamaging cancerous cells upon X-ray exposure. Conventional Raman (RS)\nand Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies provided semiquantitative\ninformation mainly about changes in the concentration of total lipids,\nDNA, cholesteryl esters, and phospholipids in cells. A through assessment\nof the single cells by atomic force microscopy coupled with infrared\nspectroscopy (AFM-IR) allowed us to determine not only the alterations\nin DNA content but also in its conformation due to cell treatment.\nPronounced nanoscale changes in cholesteryl ester metabolites, associated\nwith CBD treatment and radiation, were also observed. AFM-IR chemoselective\nmaps of the single cells indicate the modified distribution of cholesteryl\nesters with 40 nm spatial resolution. Based on the obtained results,\nwe propose a label-free and fast analytical method engaging optical\nspectroscopy to assess the mechanism of normal and cancerous cell\nsusceptibility to ionizing radiation when pretreated with CBD.