Vibrational spectroscopic analysis of saliva from smokers patients

• Grant number: 25/03886-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Luis Felipe das Chagas e Silva de Carvalho
• Grantee: Giovana dos Santos Toledo
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação. Universidade de Taubaté (UNITAU). Taubaté , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/21827-1 - Vibrational spectroscopic analysis of saliva: an innovative approach to real time investigation, AP.JP

Abstract

Biofluids, such as saliva, blood, and urine, hold great potential for early diagnosis and disease monitoring, including cancer. Techniques like high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with mass spectrometry are considered the gold standard but come with high costs and complex sample preparation. In this context, photonic approaches, such as vibrational spectroscopy (Raman and FT-IR), emerge as promising alternatives, enabling the detection of molecular patterns associated with diseases.Cancer, one of the leading causes of death worldwide, has a better chance of successful treatment when detected early. However, conventional diagnosis still relies on biopsies and histopathological exams, which often identify the disease at advanced stages. Therefore, the search for non-invasive, highly sensitive methods - like optical biopsy - has gained relevance.The proposed study aims to assess the effectiveness of FT-IR spectroscopy in analyzing saliva for the early detection of oral cancer, particularly in high-risk groups such as smokers and ex-smokers, divided according to smoking duration. Spectral analysis of these samples seeks to identify biomarkers that may indicate the onset or risk of developing oral cancer, contributing to faster and more accessible diagnostics. (AU)