Sensing nitriles with THz spectroscopy of urine vapours from cancers patients subject to chemotherapy

Abstract

A THz nonstationary high-resolution spectrometer based on semiconductor superlattice multipliers is applied to investigate the dynamics of urine composition for cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. The molecular urine composition of healthy volunteers and cancer patients was compared and contrasted. We have found a set of nitriles that either appeared after chemotherapy or increased in content, which are expected as a result of bio-chemical damage to the liver. While no damage can be detected at this stage by existing clinical methods, the identified nitriles are candidates for further large-scale systematic testing towards markers for nephrotoxicity of chemotherapy at an early stage of the treatment, when conventional diagnostics cannot identify substantial organ damage. Comparing the metabolite concentration dynamics with side effects during chemotherapy might then help individuate patients prone to severe complications and correct the treatment. Our devices are game-changers for THz spectroscopy of liquids: they allow spanning four different frequency ranges for a general evaluation of most substances found in the liquid and selecting a spectral interval that bypasses the strong absorption lines from substances such as water and ammonia, which may otherwise mask the detection of the target metabolites.

Pillar[5]arene-based dually crosslinked supramolecular gel as a sensor for the detection of adiponitrile

“…43,44 ), or medicine ( e.g. , as biomarkers of chemotherapy-related kidney damage in cancer patients 45 ). In the field of chemical industry adiponitrile is one of the key members of the nitrile family.…”

“…Nitriles comprise a chemical substance family which is of high importance in various areas such as chemical industry (where they are extensively used as precursors for plastics, fibers, etc. 43,44 ), or medicine (e.g., as biomarkers of chemotherapy-related kidney damage in cancer patients 45 ). In the field of chemical industry adiponitrile is one of the key members of the nitrile family.…”

Impact of 3MeV Energy Proton Particles on Mid-IR QCLs

“…The rapid development of QCLs contributed to their widespread use for spectroscopic applications in the mid-IR and THz spectral range, targeting atmosphere constituents’ studies, the measurement of planetary gases composition, astronomy, astrophysics, astrochemistry and spaceborne instrumentation [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. The competing sources for this range are superlattice multipliers, which have a far lower output power but can cover the 0.1-to-1 THz range [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ], which has a strong potential for medical diagnostics [ 18 ]. For this purpose, prior to the space mission, the degradation evaluation of materials, components and systems under various irradiation conditions is mandatory [ 19 ].…”

Simulation of the impact of the cell interference on the THz gas absorption spectrum meashured by nonstationar spectroscopy methods

“…Приложения спектроскопии, направленные на анализ химического состава многокомпонентных смесей, широко применяются для решения задач медицинской диагностики [10][11][12][13][14][15][16], а также контроля качества продуктов питания [17,18], лекарственных препаратов [19,20] и сельскохозяйственной продукции.…”

“…Чтобы выделить «быструю» часть спектра на обусловленном интерференцией «фоне», применяются методы модуляционной [23] и нестационарной [13,14]…”