Battling Skin Cancer Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Melanin is the primary pigment in human skin, hair, and eyes. Its fluorescence in human tissue is exceedingly weak, but can be detected in vivo and ex vivo through an advanced laser spectroscopy technique called dermatofluoroscopy. This is a method developed by LTB Lasertechnik Berlin GmbH and Magnosco GmbH.
A publication by LTB scientists Dieter Leupold, Lutz Pfeifer, Dr. Lukasz Szyc, and scientists from Vivantes – Netzwerk für Gesundheit GmbH and The Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg discusses the potential of using the dermatofluoroscopy technique to gain insights into brain pathology, particularly in relation to Parkinson’s disease and melanoma. The paper is entitled, “New Aspects Regarding the Fluorescence Spectra of Melanin and Neuromelanin in Pigmented Human Tissue Concerning Hypoxia.”
The research reveals that the spectral behavior of neuromelanin fluorescence mirrors that of melanin in melanomas and that the main reason for the characteristic fluorescence red-shift observed in cutaneous malignancies are likely due to the local hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment.
The measurement technique used by the scientists involved detecting spectrally and spatially resolved fluorescence signals. One of LTBs customized spectrometer, optimized for high sensitivity and high throughput was used. Paired with a very sensitive CCD detector, this enabled the detailed analysis of these fluorescence spectra. The results were subsequently categorized into several groups, based on their spectral characteristics. This ultimately helped to differentiate between harmless nevi (benign moles) and cutaneous melanoma. This method has since been validated in clinical studies, further demonstrating its potential for melanoma diagnosis.
Magnosco GmbH, a sister company of LTB Lasertechnik Berlin, is now in the process of developing advanced tools for early detection of various types of skin cancer.
About LTB Lasertechnik Berlin
LTB Lasertechnik Berlin GmbH is an innovative developer and manufacturer of short-pulse UV-lasers, high resolution spectrometers and laser-based analyzers. LTB markets its products worldwide.
LTB’s core competencies include the development and production of:
- Nitrogen lasers with sealed gas system
- High resolution echelle spectrometers and monochromators from the VUV to NIR spectral range
- Analyzers based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
- Analyzers based on laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIF)
- Analyzers based on Raman spectroscopy
- Customized analyzers for scientific and industrial applications
For more information or a quotation for LTB products, contact IL Photonics.