Live cells detection in breast cell-line by FTIR micro-spectrometer

Infrared absorption for living cells in aqueous media has been measured for normal and cancer cells using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) point micro-spectrometer. IR characteristics of live cells were measured under cell culture conditions, while most of previous works were performed with dehydrated or fixed cells. In this paper, the infrared spectra of adhered cells were measured in transmission mode by point microscopy with spot sizes of 200 mum times 200 mum. Some remarkable differences are observed among normal (MCF10A), cancer(MCF7) and invasive cancer (MDAMB231) cells in breast cell line. Peaks at 3621 and 2873 cm^-1 appeared except for MCF10A, which shows the distinction between cancer and normal cell. At 3621 cm^-1 peak also, appeared in MCF10A after subculture over fifteen times, which seemed to be an evidence that normal cell was being transformed to cancer cell. These results show a potential of spectroscopic methodology instead of image analysis with fluorescence material in cell.