Raman Imaging - A Valuable Tool for Tracking Fatty Acid Metabolism - Normal and Cancer Human Colon Single-Cell Study

Sep 22, 2026

Altered lipid metabolism is a key driver in many diseases, including cancer, making fatty-acid (FA) regulation central to understanding disease development. This study uses Raman imaging and spectroscopy to examine the effects of palmitic (PA), linoleic (LA), and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids on normal colon cells (CCD-18 Co) and cancer cells (Caco-2). Label-free Raman enables FA dynamics readout without altering endogenous metabolism, mapping chemical changes across ER, mitochondria, lipid droplets, and nucleus, and linking organelle-specific responses to CRC-relevant biomarkers. XTT viability testing shows LA and EPA reduce Caco-2 viability, while PA increases normal-cell growth with opposite effects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Fatty-acid metabolism and lipidomics in cancer

Colorectal cancer background and genetic drivers

Lipid metabolic reprogramming and Warburg-related concepts

Lipid classifications and PUFA biosynthesis

Article Raman Imaging—A Valuable Tool for Tracking Fatty Acid Metabolism—Normal and Cancer Human Colon Single-Cell Study Karolina Beton-Mysur , Monika Kopec and Beata Brozek-Pluska * Citation: Beton-Mysur, K.; Kopec, M.; Brozek-Pluska, B. Raman Imaging—A Valuable Tool for Tracking Fatty Acid Metabolism—Normal and Cancer Human Colon Single-Cell Study. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 4508 . [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)ijms25084508 Academic Editor: Gabriella Calviello Received: 27 March 2024 Revised: 14 April 2024 Accepted: 17 April 2024 Published: 19 April 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . Laboratory of Laser Molecular Spectroscopy, Institute of Applied Radiation Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Wroblewskiego 15, 93-590 Lodz, Poland; [karolina.beton@dokt.p.lodz.pl](karolina.beton@dokt.p.lodz.pl) (K.B.-M.); [monika.kopec@p.lodz.pl](monika.kopec@p.lodz.pl) (M.K.) * Correspondence: beata.brozek-pluska@p.lodz.pl; Tel.: +48-42-631-31-92 Abstract: Altered metabolism of lipids is a key factor in many diseases including cancer. Therefore, investigations into the impact of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids (FAs) on human body homeostasis are crucial for understanding the development of lifestyle diseases. In this paper, we focus on the impact of palmitic (PA), linoleic (LA), and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids on human colon normal (CCD-18 Co) and cancer (Caco-2) single cells using Raman imaging and spectroscopy. The label-free nature of Raman imaging allowed us to evaluate FAs dynamics without modifying endogenous cellular metabolism. Thanks to the ability of Raman imaging to visualize single-cell substructures, we have analyzed the changes in chemical composition of endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, lipid droplets (LDs), and nucleus upon FA supplementation. Analysis of Raman band intensity ratios typical for lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids (I1656 /I1444, I1444 /I1256, I1444 /I750, I1304 /I1256 ) proved that, using Raman mapping, we can observe the metabolic pathways of FAs in ER, which is responsible for the uptake of exogenous FAs, de novo synthesis, elongation, and desaturation of FAs, in mitochondria responsible for energy production via FA oxidation, in LDs specialized in cellular fat storage, and in the nucleus, where FAs are transported via fatty-acid-binding proteins, biomarkers of human colon cancerogenesis. Analysis for membranes showed that the uptake of FAs effectively changed the chemical composition of this organelle, and the strongest effect was noticed for LA. The spectroscopy studies have been completed using XTT tests, which showed that the addition of LA or EPA for Caco-2 cells decreases their viability with a stronger effect observed for LA and the opposite effect observed for PA. For normal cells, CCD-18 Co supplementation using LA or EPA stimulated cells for growing, while PA had the opposite impact. Keywords: Raman spectroscopy; Raman imaging; fatty acids; colon cancer; metabolism; cancer biomarkers 1. Introduction Altered lipid metabolism is a key indicator of many diseases including cancer [1,2] . Therefore, this class of compounds is attracting growing interest as biomarkers in clinical applications, highlighting the role of lipidomics in cancer studies. In this paper, we focus on lipid metabolism with special emphasis on fatty acids (FAs)—saturated (palmitic acid (PA, 16:0)) and unsaturated (linoleic acid (LA, 18:2) andeicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5))—and their potential in diagnostics and therapies of colorectal cancer (CRC) . Most often, CRCs are adenoca

FAQs

Why are fatty acids important for studying cancer?

Altered lipid metabolism is a key feature in many diseases, including cancer. Understanding how different fatty acids affect cellular homeostasis helps clarify mechanisms of cancer development and potential diagnostics or therapies.

How does Raman imaging support the study of fatty-acid metabolism in single cells?

Raman imaging is label-free, allowing assessment of fatty-acid dynamics without modifying endogenous cellular metabolism. It also enables visualization of single-cell substructures and organelle-specific chemical composition changes.

What did the viability tests (XTT) show for LA, EPA, and PA in colon cancer and normal cells?

For Caco-2 cancer cells, adding LA or EPA decreased viability, with LA showing a stronger effect. For normal CCD-18 Co cells, LA or EPA stimulated growth, while PA had the opposite impact.

Sep 22, 2026

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