Title:Understanding Prostate Cancer Cells Metabolome: A Spectroscopic Approach
VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 3
Author(s):Francisco Santos, Sandra Magalhães, Magda Carvalho Henriques, Beatriz Silva, Isabel Valença, Daniela Ribeiro, Margarida Fardilha and Alexandra Nunes*
Affiliation:iBiMED – Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, CICECO: Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Signal Transduction Laboratory, iBiMED – Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Organelle Dynamics in Infection and Disease Laboratory, iBiMED – Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Organelle Dynamics in Infection and Disease Laboratory, iBiMED – Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Organelle Dynamics in Infection and Disease Laboratory, iBiMED – Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Signal Transduction Laboratory, iBiMED – Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, iBiMED – Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro
Keywords:Prostate cancer, cell lines, metabolomics, FTIR, metabolic profile, principal component analysis.
Abstract:Introduction: Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the second most common neoplasia in men. Because
it is often diagnosed at a late stage, mortality rates remain high. Studying cancer metabolome, which
reflects early changes that occur in cells, has gained relevance and may contribute to the identification
of early diagnostic biomarkers and understanding tumor biology.
Methods: Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a metabolomics technique that probes the
biochemical composition of the analyzed samples and allows to discriminate samples with distinct
metabolic profiles, allowing the discrimination between cancerous and non-cancerous samples. In this
study, FTIR spectra were acquired from PCa and normal prostate cell lines and analyzed by Principal
Component Analysis (PCA).
Results & Conclusion: Our results indicate a clear discrimination between the different cell lines,
meaning at they exhibit distinct metabolic profiles. This discrimination can be attributed to an altered
lipid metabolism (3000-2800 cm-1, 1800-1700 cm-1 and 1500-1400 cm-1) and changes in protein conformation
(1700-1600 cm-1). These results suggest that studying cancer metabolome with FTIR spectroscopy
not only allows the understanding of tumor metabolic behavior and may be useful to the development
of new therapeutic targets.
