An early detection of different tumor subtypes is crucial for an effective guidance to personalized therapy. While much efforts focus on decoding the sequence of DNA basis to detect the genetic mutations related to cancer, it is becoming clear that physical properties, including structural conformation, stiffness, and shape, as well as biological processes, such as methylation, can be pivotal to recognize DNA modifications. Here we exploit the Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) platform, based on disordered silver coated--silicon nanowires, to investigate genomic DNA from subtypes of melanoma and colon cancers and to efficiently discriminate tumor and healthy cells, as well as the different tumor subtypes. The diagnostic information is obtained by performing label--free Raman maps of the dried drops of DNA solutions onto the Ag/NWs mat, and leveraging the classification ability of learning models to reveal the specific and distinct interaction of healthy and tumor DNA molecules with nanowires.

翻译：早期检测不同肿瘤亚型对于个性化治疗的有效指导至关重要。尽管大量研究致力于解码DNA碱基序列以检测与癌症相关的基因突变，但越来越清楚的是，物理性质（包括结构构象、刚度、形状）以及生物过程（如甲基化）对于识别DNA修饰可能至关重要。本文利用基于无序银包覆硅纳米线的表面增强拉曼散射平台，研究黑色素瘤和结肠癌亚型的基因组DNA，并有效区分肿瘤细胞与健康细胞，以及不同肿瘤亚型。诊断信息通过以下方式获得：对DNA溶液干燥液滴在Ag/NWs垫上进行无标记拉曼图谱分析，并利用学习模型的分类能力揭示健康与肿瘤DNA分子与纳米线之间的特异性差异相互作用。