Spectral analysis of delayed luminescence as a tool to discriminate between normal and cancer skin cells

摘要

Photobiological research in the last decades has shown the existence of Delayed Luminescence in biological tissue, which presents an excitation spectrum with a peak within the UVA region and can be detected with sophisticated photomultiplier systems. Based on these findings, a new and powerful tool able to measure the UV-A-laser-induced Delayed Luminescence emission of cultured cells was developed, with the intention to detect biophysical changes between carcinogenic and normal cells. Indeed noticeable differences have been found in the time resolved emission spectrum of delayed luminescence of cell cultures of human fibroblast and human melanoma. This new, powerful and non-invasive technique, in principle, could be applied in all fields of skin research, such as the investigation of skin abnormalities and to test the effect of products involved in regeneration, anti-aging and UV-light protection in order to prevent skin cancer.