Changes in the microenvironment of invading melanoma and carcinoma cells identified by FTIR imaging

Tumor microenvironment (TME) has become an important target for studying cancer progression in recent times. Disorientation of the collagen fiber network is a common phenomenon during cancer invasion process. In this study, using in vitro myoma organotypic model with invading melanoma and oral tongue carcinoma cell lines, we identified the influence of the cancer cells in the TME by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) imaging. We found major changes in the relative intensities of the collagen bands. Principal component analysis was performed to explore feasibility of classification between spectra extracted from different regions. A submolecular justification of the classification model was sought using a curve fitting analysis. Our preliminary results suggest that the features present in the amide and collagen triplet regions could serve as spectral markers for cancer-induced modifications in the TME. We suggest that FTIR method, combined with myoma invasion model, could be used to analyze various tumor cells interactions with TME during invasion processes.