Assessment of chitosan-coated zinc cobalt ferrite nanoparticle as a multifunctional theranostic platform facilitating pH-sensitive drug delivery and OCT image contrast enhancement

Colorectal cancer (CC) is one of the most predominant malignancies in the world, with the current treatment regimen consisting of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic drugs, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), have gained popularity as first-line antineoplastic agents against CC but have several drawbacks, including variable absorption through the gastrointestinal tract, inconsistent liver metabolism, short half-life, toxicological reactions in several organ systems, and others. Therefore, herein, we develop chitosan-coated zinc-substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CZCFNPs) for the pH-sensitive (triggered by chitosan degradation within acidic organelles of cells) and sustained delivery of 5-FU in CC cells in vitro. Additionally, the developed nanoplatform served as an excellent exogenous optical coherence tomography (OCT) contrast agent, enabling a significant improvement in the OCT image contrast in a CC tissue phantom model with a biomimetic microvasculature. Further, this study opens up new possibilities for using OCT for the non-invasive monitoring and/or optimization of magnetic targeting capabilities, as well as real-time tracking of magnetic nanoparticle-based therapeutic platforms for biomedical applications. Overall, the current study demonstrates the development of a CZCFNP-based theranostic platform capable of serving as a reliable drug delivery system as well as a superior OCT exogenous contrast agent for tissue imaging.

Electric field-mediated adhesive dynamics of cells inside bio-functionalised microchannels offers important cues for active control of cell-substrate adhesion

Adhesive dynamics of cells plays a critical role in determining different biophysical processes orchestrating health and disease in living systems. While the rolling of cells on functionalised substrates having similarity with biophysical pathways appears to be extensively discussed in the literature, the effect of an external stimulus in the form of an electric field on the same remains underemphasized. Here, we bring out the interplay of fluid shear and electric field on the rolling dynamics of adhesive cells in biofunctionalised micro-confinements. Our experimental results portray that an electric field, even restricted to low strengths within the physiologically relevant regimes, can significantly influence the cell adhesion dynamics. We quantify the electric field-mediated adhesive dynamics of the cells in terms of two key parameters, namely, the voltage-altered rolling velocity and the frequency of adhesion. The effect of the directionality of the electric field with respect to the flow direction is also analysed by studying cellular migration with electrical effects acting both along and against the flow. Our experiment, on one hand, demonstrates the importance of collagen functionalisation in the adhesive dynamics of cells through micro channels, while on the other hand, it reveals how the presence of an axial electric field can lead to significant alteration in the kinetic rate of bond breakage, thereby modifying the degree of cell-substrate adhesion and quantifying in terms of the adhesion frequency of the cells. Proceeding further forward, we offer a simple theoretical explanation towards deriving the kinetics of cellular bonding in the presence of an electric field, which corroborates favourably with our experimental outcome. These findings are likely to offer fundamental insights into the possibilities of local control of cellular adhesion via electric field mediated interactions, bearing critical implications in a wide variety of medical conditions ranging from wound healing to cancer metastasis.

Modulation of Biophysical Cues in Nature Inspired Patterning of Porous Silk Fibroin Scaffold for Replenishable Controlled Drug Delivery

While a sticking plasteris enough for healing of most of the minor cuts they may get routinely, critical situations like surgical, gunshot, accidental or diabetic wounds;lacarations and other cutaneous deep cuts may require implants and simultaneous medications for healing. From the biophysical standpoint, an internal force-based physical surface stimulusis crucial for cellular sensing during wound repair. In this paper, the authors report the fabrication of a porous, biomimmetically patterned silk fibroin scaffold loaded with ampicillin, which exhibits controlled release of the drug along with possible replenishment of the same. In vitro swelling study reveals that the scaffolds with hierarchical surface patterns exhibit lower swelling and degradation than other types of scaffolds. The scaffolds, that show remarkable broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy, exhibit Korsemeyer-Peppas model for the ampicillin release patterns due to the structural hydrophobicity imparted by the patterns. Four distinct cell-matrix adhesion regimes are investigated for the fibroblasts to eventually form cell sheets all over the hierarchical surface structures. 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and Fluorescein Diacetate (FDA) fluorescent staining clearly demonstrate the superiority of patterned surface over its other variants. A comparative immunofluorescence study among collagen I, vinculin, and vimentin expressions substantiated the patterned surface to be superior to others.

Energy Efficient All-Electric-Field-Controlled Multiferroic Magnetic Domain-Wall Logic

Magnetic domain wall (DW)-based logic devices offer numerous opportunities for emerging electronics applications allowing superior performance characteristics such as fast motion, high density, and nonvolatility to process information. However, these devices rely on an external magnetic field, which limits their implementation; this is particularly problematic in large-scale applications. Multiferroic systems consisting of a piezoelectric substrate coupled with ferromagnets provide a potential solution that provides the possibility of controlling magnetization through an electric field via magnetoelastic coupling. Strain-induced magnetization anisotropy tilting can influence the DW motion in a controllable way. We demonstrate a method to perform all-electrical logic operations using such a system. Ferromagnetic coupling between neighboring magnetic domains induced by the electric-field-controlled strain has been exploited to promote noncollinear spin alignment, which is used for realizing essential building blocks, including DW generation, propagation, and pinning, in all implementations of Boolean logic, which will pave the way for scalable memory-in-logic applications.

Collaboration between the military and a charity: delivering care to patients, training to defence medical staff and defence engagement overseas

The Royal College of Anaesthetists Military Anaesthesia higher training module was approved in 2008. The opportunities for trainee deployments to operational environments are limited, and while the need to ensure training and demonstrate the unique military skill set remains, these may not be consistently attainable within NHS posts. This paper proposes a template for the successful integration of military training with a charity mission by describing experiences in Addis Ababa over the two weeks of Project Harar's 2020 Complex Surgery Mission. This model not only benefits patients and military trainees by providing opportunities to gain the skills and attributes required by the Armed Services Consultant Appointment Board, but also by projecting the Defence Medical Services on the global stage.

Deep Learning based Skin-layer Segmentation for Characterizing Cutaneous Wounds from Optical Coherence Tomography Images

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a medical imaging modality that allows us to probe deeper sub-structures of skin. The state-of-the-art wound care prediction and monitoring methods are based on visual evaluation and focus on surface information. However, research studies have shown that sub-surface information of the wound is critical for understanding the wound healing progression. This work demonstrated the use of OCT as an effective imaging tool for objective and non-invasive assessments of wound severity, the potential for healing, and healing progress by measuring the optical characteristics of skin components. We have demonstrated the efficacy of OCT in studying wound healing progress in vivo small animal models. Automated analysis of OCT datasets poses multiple challenges, such as limitations in the training dataset size, variation in data distribution induced by uncertainties in sample quality and experiment conditions. We have employed a U-Net-based model for segmentation of skin layers based on OCT images and to study epithelial and regenerated tissue thickness wound closure dynamics and thus quantify the progression of wound healing. In the experimental evaluation of the OCT skin image datasets, we achieved the objective of skin layer segmentation with an average intersection over union (IOU) of 0.9234. The results have been corroborated using gold-standard histology images and co-validated using inputs from pathologists.Clinical Relevance-To monitor wound healing progression without disrupting the healing procedure by superficial, non-invasive means via the identification of pixel characteristics of individual layers.

Chitosan-collagen-fibrinogen uncrosslinked scaffolds possessing skin regeneration and vascularization potential

Clinical success of regenerative medicine for treating deep-tissue skin injuries depends on the availability of skin grafts. Though bioengineered constructs are tested clinically, lack of neovascularization provide only superficial healing. Thus constructs, which promotes wound healing and supports vascularization has gained priority in tissue engineering. In this study, chitosan-collagen-fibrinogen (CCF) scaffold was fabricated using freeze-drying method without using any chemical crosslinkers. CCF scaffolds proved cytocompatibility and faster healing in in vitro scratch assay of primary human adult dermal fibroblasts cells with progressively increasing vascular endothelial growth factor-A and reducing vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 expressions. Skin regeneration evaluated on in vivo full thickness wound model confirmed faster remodeling with angiogenic signatures in CCF scaffold-implanted mice. Histopathological observations corroborated with stereo-zoom and SS-optical coherence tomography images of wound sites to prove the maturation of healing-bed, after 12 days of CCF implantation. Therefore, it is concluded that CCF scaffolds are promising for skin tissue regeneration and demonstrates pro-angiogenic potential.

Regenerative repair of full thickness skin wound assisted by dual crosslinking percolative gel casting maneuvered alginate hydrogel embedded with honey ghee blend resembles standard cutaneous properties

We report synergism in scarless cutaneous wound repair by alginate hydrogel (HGSAG) embedded with an optimized blend of characterized Jamun honey and characterized indigenously prepared ghee. Thorough screening and characterization of honey and ghee are carried out followed by obtaining a novel dual crosslinking percolative gel casting fabrication method to come up with HGSAG showing superior chemical stability, and mechanical strength (Nanoindentation study; lowest stiffness: 0.71 ± 0.19 μN/nm), and surface morphology (SEM; highest roughness: 0.13 ± 0.04 μm) to other variants. In vitro swelling study and degradation behavior study show intermediate swelling (swelling index: 0.59 ± 0.008 in 98 h) and required restricted degradation (PBS: 73.38 ± 0.55%, DMEM: 83.48 ± 0.69% in 10 days) for HGSAG which is necessary for providing nutrients to cells and in vivo therapeutic efficacy. We observe the remarkable antibacterial efficacy of HGSAG against Staphylococcus mutans and Escherichia coli. This particular substrate also shows decent 3T3 fibroblasts viability, cell-cell communication followed by cell-matrix interaction, and proliferation compared to other variants. Molecular gene expression studies by quantitative RT-PCR technique reveal strong upregulation of collagen I, CD26, and TGF-β3 while downregulation in the case of TGF-β1 which eventually substantiates scarless wound healing potential of HGSAG. Wound closure kinetics is most rapidly and successfully underpinned by HGSAG while compared to other alternatives including marketed healing patches. Regular close monitoring using histopathological studies and real-time imaging by Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography of in vivo wound model treated with HGSAG come up with the fascinating result of scarless healing (HGSAG treated epithelial thickness: 62.96 ± 0.67 μm, unwounded akin epithelial thickness: 62.56 ± 0.34 μm) within 12 days of wounding. Thus, the work highlights modified and stabilized alginate hydrogel embedded with honey and ghee blend as a potential scarless full-thickness cutaneous wound healing bio-scaffold.

Amyloids Formed by Nonaromatic Amino Acid Methionine and Its Cross with Phenylalanine Significantly Affects Phospholipid Vesicle Membrane: An Insight into Hypermethioninemia Disorder

The incorrect metabolic breakdown of the nonaromatic amino acid methionine (Met) leads to the disorder called hypermethioninemia via an unknown mechanism. To understand the molecular level pathogenesis of this disorder, we prepared a DMPC lipid membrane, the mimicking setup of the cell membrane, and explored the effect of the millimolar level of Met on it. We found that Met forms toxic fibrillar aggregates that disrupt the rigidity of the membrane bilayer, and increases the dynamic response of water molecules surrounding the membrane as well as the heterogeneity of the membrane. Such aggregates strongly deform red blood cells. This opens the requirement to consider therapeutic antagonists either to resist or to inhibit the toxic amyloid aggregates against hypermethioninemia. Moreover, such disrupting effect on membrane bilayer and cytotoxicity along with deformation effect on RBC by the cross amyloids of Met and Phenylalanine (Phe) was found to be most virulent. This exclusive observation of the enhanced virulent effect of the cross amyloids is expected to be an informative asset to explain the coexistence of two amyloid disorders.

Spectropathologic endorsement of ocular carotenoids for early detection of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common health concern. Unfortunately, the metabolic pathway causing DR is yet to be understood. The carotenoid level in the human body is known to protect the health of the eyes. In this work, resonance Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis of the spectral data of human serum are reported as next-generation spectropathologic tools to detect retinal degeneration efficiently. The proposed technique shows promise by endorsing ocular carotenoids as a critical biomarker for such pathosis. Furthermore, the multivariate analysis of the spectral data distinguishes between two different stages of the disease. The machine learning algorithm is used to estimate a significant accuracy of 94% of the proposed model for the classification. As the carotenoid level can be controlled by dietary intake, we believe that the reported results also indicate a therapeutic role of the same in DR.

A review of recent advances in magnetic nanoparticle-based theranostics of glioblastoma

Rapid vascular growth, infiltrative cells and high tumor heterogenicity are some glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) characteristics, making it the most lethal form of brain cancer. Low efficacy of the conventional treatment modalities leads to rampant disease progression and a median survival of 15 months. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), due to their unique physical features/inherent abilities, have emerged as a suitable theranostic platform for targeted GBM treatment. Thus, new strategies are being designed to enhance the efficiency of existing therapeutic techniques such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and so on, using MNPs. Herein, the limitations of the current therapeutic strategies, the role of MNPs in mitigating those inadequacies, recent advances in the MNP-based theranostics of GBM and possible future directions are discussed.

Collagen deposition correlates with loss of E-cadherin and increased p63 expression in dysplastic conditions of oral submucous fibrosis

This paper focuses on the status of epithelial markers, E-cadherin, and p63 in the backdrop of an abnormal amount of collagen in the sub-mucosa of dysplastic and non-dysplastic grades of OSF. Histologically confirmed OSF and normal oral mucosa samples were procured. Samples were stained by Van Gieson's stain (VG) and immunohistochemistry. The captured images were analyzed by ImageJ software to quantify their grayscale intensities. There was a gradual increase in the intensity of VG stain from normal to non-dysplastic and dysplastic OSF and the differences in their mean grayscale values were found to be significant (p < 0.00001). The intensity of E-cadherin was found to be the highest in non-dysplastic conditions and lowest in dysplastic conditions. The intensity difference of E-cadherin between normal and non-dysplastic OSF was found to be significant (p < 0.00001). The grayscale scale intensity values for p63 in whole epithelium depicted significant differences between normal and diseased conditions but for its intensity, in basal cells, significant differences were found between non-dysplastic and other classes of tissues. There was a positive correlation observed between VG and p63 staining intensity. The diseased oral epithelium demonstrated greater deposition of sub-epithelial collagen fibers along with subsequent loss of E-cadherin and an increased p63 expression.

Arecanut-induced fibrosis display dual phases of reorganising glycans and amides in skin extracellular matrix

The habit of chewing arecanut leads to fibrosis in the oral tissues, which can lead to cancer. Despite high mortality, fibrosis has limited clinical success owing to organ-specific variations, genetic predispositions, and slow progression. Fibrosis is a progressive condition that is unresponsive to medications in the severe phase. To understand underlying macromolecular changes we studied the extracellular matrix's (ECM) key molecular modifications in the early and late phase of arecanut-induced fibrosis in skin. To study the fibrosis, we topically applied arecanut extract on the mice skin. We observed that the matrix changes observe early and late phases based on ECM characteristics including the matrix proteins and the glycans. A spike in the levels of proteoglycans and β-sheet structures are noted in the early phase. A significant drop in the proteoglycans and strengthening of amide covalent interactions is observed in the late phase. Although, almost no physical changes are noticeable only in the early phase; the late phase observes thick collagen bundling and a 4-fold stiffening of the skin tissue. The study indicates that the temporal interplay of proteins and glycans determine the matrix's severity state while opening avenues to research directed towards the phase-specific clinical discovery.

Comprehensive Evaluation of PAXgene Fixation on Oral Cancer Tissues Using Routine Histology, Immunohistochemistry, and FTIR Microspectroscopy

The choice of tissue fixation is critical for preserving the morphology and biochemical information of tissues. Fragile oral tissues with lower tensile strength are challenging to process for histological applications as they are prone to processing damage, such as tissue tear, wrinkling, and tissue fall-off from slides. This leads to loss of morphological information and unnecessary delay in experimentation. In this study, we have characterized the new PAXgene tissue fixation system on oral buccal mucosal tissue of cancerous and normal pathology for routine histological and immunohistochemical applications. We aimed to minimize the processing damage of tissues and improve the quality of histological experiments. We also examined the preservation of biomolecules by PAXgene fixation using FTIR microspectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that the PAXgene-fixed tissues showed significantly less tissue fall-off from slides. Hematoxylin and Eosin staining showed comparable morphology between formalin-fixed and PAXgene-fixed tissues. Good quality and slightly superior immunostaining for cancer-associated proteins p53 and CK5/6 were observed in PAXgene-fixed tissues without antigen retrieval than formalin-fixed tissues. Further, FTIR measurements revealed superior preservation of glycogen, fatty acids, and amide III protein secondary structures in PAXgene-fixed tissues. Overall, we present the first comprehensive evaluation of the PAXgene tissue fixation system in oral tissues. This study concludes that the PAXgene tissue fixation system can be applied to oral tissues to perform diagnostic molecular pathology experiments without compromising the quality of the morphology or biochemistry of biomolecules.

Improved Mesenchymal Stem Cell Proliferation, Differentiation, Epithelial Transition, and Restrained Senescence on Hierarchically Patterned Porous Honey Silk Fibroin Scaffolds

We report a significant improvement of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells' (ADMSCs) biocompatibility and proliferation on hierarchically patterned porous honey-incorporated silk fibroin scaffolds fabricated using a combination of soft lithography and freeze-drying techniques. Parametric variations show enhanced surface roughness, swelling, and degradation rate with good pore interconnectivity, porosity, and mechanical strength for soft-lithographically fabricated biomimetic microdome arrays on the 2% honey silk fibroin scaffold (PHSF2) as compared to its other variants, which eventually made PHSF2 more comparable to the native environment required for stem cell adhesion and proliferation. PHSF2 also exhibits sustained honey release with remarkable antibacterial efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Honey incorporation (biochemical cue) influences microdome structural features, that is, biophysical cues (height, width, and periodicity), which further allows ADMSCs pseudopods (filopodia) to grasp the microdomes for efficient cell-cell communication and cell-matrix interaction and regulates ADMSCs behavior by altering their cytoskeletal rearrangement and thereby increases the cellular spreading area and cell sheet formation. The synergistic effect of biochemical (honey) and biophysical (patterns) cues on ADMSCs studied by the nitro blue tetrazolium assay and DCFDA fluorescence spectroscopy reveals limited free radical generation within cells. Molecular expression studies show a decrease in p53 and p21 expressions validating ADMSCs senescence inhibition, which is further correlated with a decrease in cellular senescence-associated β galactosidase activity. We also show that an increase in CDH1 and CK19 molecular expressions along with an increase in SOX9, RUNX2, and PPARγ molecular expressions supported by PHSF2 justify the substrate's efficacy of underpinning mesenchymal to epithelial transition and multilineage trans-differentiation. This work highlights the fabrication of a naturally healing nutraceutical (honey)-embedded patterned porous stand-alone tool with the potential to be used as smart stem cells delivering regenerative healing implant.

Association of nasopharyngeal viruses and pathogenic bacteria in children and their parents with and without HIV

BACKGROUND

Bacteria and respiratory viruses co-occur in the nasopharynx, and their interactions may impact pathogenesis of invasive disease. Associations of viruses and bacteria in the nasopharynx may be affected by HIV.

METHODS

We conducted a nested case-control study from a larger cohort study of banked nasopharyngeal swabs from families with and without HIV in West Bengal India, to look at the association of viruses and bacteria in the nasopharynx of parents and children when they are asymptomatic. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction for 4 bacteria and 21 respiratory viruses was run on 92 random nasopharyngeal swabs from children--49 from children living with HIV (CLH) and 43 from HIV uninfected children (HUC)-- and 77 swabs from their parents (44 parents of CLH and 33 parents of HUC).

RESULTS

Bacteria was found in 67% of children, viruses in 45%, and both in 27% of child samples. Staphylococcus aureus (53%) was the most common bacteria, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) (37%) in children and parents (53, 20%). Regardless of HIV status, viruses were detected in higher numbers (44%) in children than their parents (30%) (p = 0.049), particularly rhinovirus (p = 0.02). Human rhinovirus was the most frequently found virus in both CLH and HUC. Children with adenovirus were at six times increased risk of also having pneumococcus (Odds ratio OR 6, 95% CI 1.12-31.9) regardless of HIV status. In addition, the presence of rhinovirus in children was associated with increased pneumococcal density (Regression coeff 4.5, 1.14-7.9). In CLH the presence of rhinovirus increased the risk of pneumococcal colonization by nearly sixteen times (OR 15.6, 1.66-146.4), and, pneumococcus and S. aureus dual colonization by nearly nine times (OR 8.7).

CONCLUSIONS

Children more frequently carried viruses regardless of HIV status. In CLH the presence of rhinovirus, the most frequently detected virus, significantly increased co-colonization with pneumococcus and S. aureus.

Label-Free Method Development for Hydroxyproline PTM Mapping in Human Plasma Proteome

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) impart structural heterogeneities that can alter plasma proteins' functions in various pathophysiological processes. However, the identification and mapping of PTMs in untargeted plasma proteomics is still a challenge due to the presence of diverse components in blood. Here, we report a label-free method for identifying and mapping hydroxylated proteins using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in the human plasma sample. Our untargeted proteomics approach led us to identify 676 de novo sequenced peptides in human plasma that correspond to 201 proteins, out of which 11 plasma proteins were found to be hydroxylated. Among these hydroxylated proteins, Immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) heavy chain was found to be modified at residue 285 (Pro²⁸⁵ to Hyp²⁸⁵), which was further validated by MS/MS study. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis demonstrated that this proline hydroxylation in IgA1 caused both local and global structural changes. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the protein profile containing Hyp PTMs in human plasma and shows the future perspective of identifying and discriminating Hyp PTM in the normal and the diseased proteomes.

Attenuation corrected-optical coherence tomography for quantitative assessment of skin wound healing and scar morphology

Imaging the structural modifications of underlying tissues is vital to monitor wound healing. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) images high-resolution sub-surface information, but suffers a loss of intensity with depth, limiting quantification. Hence correcting the attenuation loss is important. We performed swept source-OCT of full-thickness excision wounds for 300 days in mice skin. We used single-scatter attenuation models to determine and correct the attenuation loss in the images. The phantom studies established the correspondence of corrected-OCT intensity (reflectivity) with matrix density and hydration. We histologically validated the corrected-OCT and measured the wound healing rate. We noted two distinct phases of healing-rapid and steady-state. We also detected two compartments in normal scars using corrected OCT that otherwise were not visible in the OCT scans. The OCT reflectivity in the scar compartments corresponded to distinct cell populations, mechanical properties and composition. OCT reflectivity has potential applications in evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of healing and characterizing scars.

Multifractal Alterations in Oral Sub-Epithelial Connective Tissue During Progression of Pre-Cancer and Cancer

Bright-field microscopy (BFM) encrypts the optical transillumination profile of the transmitted light attenuated by the complex micro-structural tissue convolutions, manifested by the dense and compact regions of the specimen under examination. The connotations of idiosyncratic tissue interaction dynamics with the onset of pre-cancerous activity are encoded in the BFM acquired oral mucosa histopathological images (OMHI). In the present study, our analysis is focused on the sub-epithelium region of the oral mucosa, which has high clinical significance but sparsely explored in the literature from the textural domain. Histopathology being the gold-standard technique till date, we have used the light microscopic histopathology images for tissue characterization. The tissue-index transmission patches (TITP) from the sub-epithelium region are cropped under the guidance of oral onco-pathologists. After that, the TITPs are characterized for its multi-scale spatial-deformation dynamics, while keeping the intrinsic anisotropic geometry, and local contour connectivity within tolerable limits. With recent studies exhibiting multifractal's potency in diverse biological system analysis, here, we exploit the 2D multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (2D-MFDFA) on TITPs for exploring a discriminative set of multifractal signatures for healthy, oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer tissue sample. The predictive model's competency is validated on an experimentally collected corpus of TITP samples and substantiated via confirmatory data statistics and analysis, showing its inter-class segregation efficacy. Moreover, the 2D-MFDFA analysis evinces the complex multifractal patterns in TITPs, which is due to the presence of composite long-range correlations in the oral mucosa tissue fabric.

Pathophysiological relationship between hypoxia associated oxidative stress, Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness acquisition and alteration of Shh/ Gli-1 axis during oral sub-mucous fibrosis and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral sub-mucous fibrosis (OSF) is a pathophysiological state of oral cavity or oropharynx having a high chance of conversion to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). It involves fibrotic transformation of sub-epithelial matrix along with epithelial abnormalities. The present work aims to unveil the mechanistic domain regarding OSF to OSCC conversion exploring the scenario of hypoxia associated oxidative stress, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis and stemness acquisition. The study involves histopathological analysis of the diseased condition along with the exploration of oxidative stress status, assessment of mitochondrial condition, immunohistochemical analysis of HIF-1α, E-cadherin, vimentin, ERK, ALDH-1, CD133, Shh, Gli-1 and survivin expressions in the oral epithelial region together with the quantitative approach towards collagen deposition in the sub-epithelial matrix. Oxidative stress was found to be associated with type-II EMT in case of OSF attributing the development of sub-epithelial fibrosis and type-III EMT in case of OSCC favoring malignancy associated metastasis. Moreover, the acquisition of stemness during OSCC can also be correlated with EMT. Alteration of Shh and Gli-1 expression pattern revealed the mechanistic association of hypoxia with the phenotypic plasticity and disease manifestation in case of OSF as well as OSCC. Shh/ Gli-1 signaling can also be correlated with survivin mediated cytoprotective phenomenon under oxidative stress. Overall, the study established the correlative network of hypoxia associated oxidative stress, EMT and manifestation of oral pre-cancerous and cancerous condition in a holistic approach that may throw rays of hope in the therapeutic domain of the concerned diseases.

Road Map to Understanding SARS-CoV-2 Clinico-Immunopathology and COVID-19 Disease Severity

SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus, was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The rapid spread of the virus worldwide prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020. COVID-19 discontinuing's a global health crisis. Approximately 80% of the patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 display undetectable to mild inflammation confined in the upper respiratory tract. In remaining patients, the disease turns into a severe form affecting almost all major organs predominantly due to an imbalance of innate and adaptive arms of host immunity. The purpose of the present review is to narrate the virus's invasion through the system and the host's reaction. A thorough discussion on disease severity is also presented regarding the behavior of the host's immune system, which gives rise to the cytokine storm particularly in elderly patients and those with comorbidities. A multifaceted yet concise description of molecular aspects of disease progression and its repercussion on biochemical and immunological features in infected patients is tabulated. The summary of pathological, clinical, immunological, and molecular accounts discussed in this review is of theranostic importance to clinicians for early diagnosis of COVID-19 and its management.

Epithelial Distribution of E-Cadherin, p63, and Mitotic Figures in ApoTome Images to Determine the Oncogenic Potentiality of Oral Submucous Fibrosis

The exact process of the malignant conversion of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) to oral cancer is not fully understood. This study aimed to detect and analyze E-cadherin expression, p63 expression, and number of mitotic figures, all correlated to cancer development, in ApoTome images of oral tissues to determine the oncogenic potentiality of OSF. ApoTome images of the study groups (6 normal, 16 OSF with dysplasia, and 10 OSF without dysplasia) were recorded. Cytoplasmic and membranous E-cadherin expression, breakages of the cell membrane, and p63 expression were detected in MATLAB 2016b. The number of mitotic figures detected by MATLAB was correlated with the number of chromosomes detected by ImageJ. A Mann–Whitney U test was done to determine a significant difference between the study groups for cytoplasmic and membranous E-cadherin distribution points. Statistical significant differences were found for cytoplasmic E-cadherin distribution between normal and OSF (with dysplasia) (p = 0.0278). There was an increase in mitotic figures, p63 expression, and cytoplasmic E-cadherin expression and a decrease in membranous E-cadherin expression from normal to diseased condition. Hence, automated detection and quantification of E-cadherin, p63, and mitotic figures in ApoTome images of oral biopsies can help in determining the oncogenic potentiality of OSF.

Structural mechanics modeling reveals stress-adaptive features of cutaneous scars

The scar is a predominant outcome of adult mammalian wound healing despite being associated with partial function loss. Here in this paper, we have described the structure of a full-thickness normal scar as a "di-fork" with dual biomechanical compartments using in vivo and ex vivo experiments. We used structural mechanics simulations to model the deformation fields computationally and stress distribution in the scar in response to external forces. Despite its loss of tissue components, we have found that the scar has stress-adaptive features that cushion the underlying tissues from external mechanical impacts. Thus, this new finding can motivate research to understand the biomechanical advantages of a scar in maintaining the primary function of the skin, i.e., mechanical barrier despite permanent loss of some tissues and specialized functions.

An electron holography study of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions nanostructured by deposition on pre-patterned conducting pillars

The fabrication of multi-gigabit magnetic random access memory (MRAM) chips requires the patterning of magnetic tunnel junctions at very small dimensions (sub-30 nm) and a very dense pitch. This remains a challenge due to the difficulty in etching magnetic tunnel junction stacks. We previously proposed a strategy to circumvent this problem by depositing the magnetic tunnel junction material on prepatterned metallic pillars, resulting in the junction being naturally shaped during deposition. Upon electrical contact, the deposit on top of the pillars constitutes the magnetic storage element of the memory cell. However, in this process, the magnetic material is also deposited in the trenches between the pillars that might affect the memory cell behaviour. Here we study the magnetic interactions between the deposit on top of the pillars and in the trenches by electron holography, at room temperature and up to 325 °C. Supported by models, we show that the additional material in the trenches is not perturbing the working principle of the memory chip and can even play the role of a flux absorber which reduces the crosstalk between neighboring dots. Besides, in the studied sample, the magnetization of the 1.4 nm thick storage layer of the dots is found to switch from out-of-plane to an in-plane configuration above 125 °C, but gradually decreases with temperature. Electron holography is shown to constitute a very efficient tool for characterizing the micromagnetic configuration of the storage layer in MRAM cells.

Impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on the carriage density of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus in children living with HIV: a nested case-control study

Nasopharyngeal colonization density of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is associated with disease severity and transmission. Little is known about the density of pneumococcal carriage in children with HIV (CLH). Pneumococcal vaccines may impact the density of pneumococcus and competing microbes within the nasopharynx. We examined the impact of one dose of PCV13 on carriage density of pneumococcus and Staphylococcus aureus, in CLH, HIV-uninfected children (HUC), and their unvaccinated parents. We conducted a pilot-nested case-control study, within a larger prospective cohort study, on the impact of PCV13, in families in West Bengal India. Quantitative real-time PCR was run on 147 nasopharyngeal swabs from 27 CLH and 23 HUC, and their parents, before and after PCV13 immunization. CLH had higher median pneumococcal carriage density, compared to HUC: 6.28 × 108 copies/mL vs. 2.11 × 105 copies/mL (p = .005). Following one dose of PCV13, pneumococcal densities dropped in both groups, with an increase in S. aureus carriage to 80% from 48% in CLH, and to 60% in HUC from 25%. While limited in sample size, this pilot study shows that CLH carried higher densities of pneumococcus. PCV13 was associated with a decrease in pneumococcal density and a temporal increase in S. aureus carriage regardless of HIV status.

Evaluating the role of hsa-miR-200c in reversing the epithelial to mesenchymal transition in prostate cancer

Deregulated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition constitutes one of the major aspects of cancer progression. In this study, to identify key molecular principles of EMT pathway in prostate carcinogenesis, an elaborate gene expression profiling was conducted by qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses. A preponderance of mesenchymal trait was observed in the pathological samples of prostate cancer. To simulate an appropriate in vitro model, PC3 cell line was subjected to hypoxic stress, which resulted in elevated expression of vimentin along with EMT-mediating transcription factors Zeb1 and Slug. To conciliate this mesenchymal behavior of PC3 cells, hsa-miR-200c was deliberately overexpressed which led to a marked reduction of cell motility and expression of vimentin, N-cadherin, Zeb1 and Slug with concurrent increase in level of β-catenin. hsa-miR-200c was demonstrated to appease hypoxia-aggravated changes in cellular morphology by coordinated repression of vimentin, Zeb1 and Slug. Mode of action for hsa-miR-200c was mediated through transcriptional repression of Zeb1 and Slug interacting with E-box sequences in the vimentin promoter as documented by promoter assay. This ability of hsa-miR-200c to reclaim epithelial traits leads to the anticipation that molecular reprogramming of Zeb1-Slug/vimentin axis may relieve aggressiveness of prostate cancer.

Wound healing efficacy of Jamun honey in diabetic mice model through reepithelialization, collagen deposition and angiogenesis

Diabetic patients are frequently afflicted with impaired wound healing where linear progression of molecular and cellular events compromised. Despite of meaningful progress in diabetic treatment, management of diabetic chronic wounds is still challenging. Jamun (Syzygium cumini) honey may be a promising candidate for diabetic wound healing and need to explore in detail. So present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of Jamun honey (JH) for diabetic wound healing in in vitro wound (primary fibroblasts) model and in in vivo of diabetic mice (Streptozotocin induced) model. The fibroblast cell model was studied for migratory behaviour and myofibrolasts infiltration under honey interventions via scratch/migration assay, immuno-cytochemistry and western blot. We applied FDA approved Manuka honey (MH) as positive control and JH as test honey to evaluate wound re-epithelialization, sub-epithelial connective tissue modification and angiogenesis via histo-pathological and immuno-histochemical analysis. JH (0.1% v/v) dilution has notably improved wound closure, migration with concomitant α-SMA expressions in vitro. Topical application of JH in diabetic mice model showed significant (*p ≤ 0.05) wound closure, reepithelialization, collagen deposition (I/III) and balanced the myofibroblasts formation. It also modulated vital angiogenic markers (viz HIF-1α, VEGF, VEGF R-II) significantly (*p ≤ 0.05). All these observations depicted that JH promotes sequential stages of wound healing in diabetic mice model. The results of the present study established Jamun honey as good as Manuka honey considering wound closure, re-epithelialization, collagen deposition and pro-angiogenic potential.

Elucidation of Differential Nano-Textural Attributes for Normal Oral Mucosa and Pre-Cancer

Computational analysis on altered micro-nano-textural attributes of the oral mucosa may provide precise diagnostic information about oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) instead of an existing handful of qualitative reports. This study evaluated micro-nano-textural features of oral epithelium from scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images and the sub-epithelial connective tissue from light microscopic (LM) and atomic force microscopic (AFM) images for normal and OPMD (namely oral sub-mucous fibrosis, i.e., OSF). Objective textural descriptors, namely discrete wavelet transform, gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), and local binary pattern (LBP), were extracted and fed to standard classifiers. Best classification accuracy of 87.28 and 93.21%; sensitivity of 93 and 96%; specificity of 80 and 91% were achieved, respectively, for SEM and AFM. In the study groups, SEM analysis showed a significant (p < 0.01) variation for all the considered textural descriptors, while for AFM, a remarkable alteration (p < 0.01) was only found in GLCM and LBP. Interestingly, sub-epithelial collagen nanoscale and microscale textural information from AFM and LM images, respectively, were complementary, namely microlevel contrast was more in normal (0.251) than OSF (0.193), while nanolevel contrast was more in OSF (0.283) than normal (0.204). This work, thus, illustrated differential micro-nano-textural attributes for oral epithelium and sub-epithelium to distinguish OPMD precisely and may be contributory in early cancer diagnostics.

The Role of Biomarkers for the Prediction of Response to Checkpoint Immunotherapy and the Rationale for the Use of Checkpoint Immunotherapy in Cervical Cancer

Checkpoint immunotherapy has revolutionised the way that melanoma is treated and has also shown significant effectiveness in lung, bladder, renal, and head and neck cancers. At the present time, trials of checkpoint immunotherapy in cervical cancer are at early phases, but there is very good rationale for pursuing this as a treatment option, especially as cervical cancer is a virally driven cancer and therefore should be recognised by the immune system as being foreign. This review explores the biomarkers for the selection of patients for immunotherapy in other cancers, such as programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, tumour infiltrating lymphocytes and total mutational burden, and relates these biomarkers to cervical cancer. A PubMed search was carried out for publications published in English with the terms 'immunotherapy' OR 'cervical cancer' OR 'checkpoint blockade' OR 'tumour infiltrating lymphocytes' OR 'total mutational burden'. Articles that met these criteria and were available on PubMed before 8 October 2018 were included. The results showed that PD-L1 is positive in up to 90% of cervical cancers and that the total mutational burden is moderately high, with 5-6 mutations per megabase. In addition, the tumour microenvironment in cervical cancer has an impact on prognosis, with higher ratios of CD8+ tumour infiltrating lymphocytes to CD4+ T regulatory cells being associated with improved survival. Clinical studies to date have shown the response rate of cervical cancer to checkpoint immunotherapy to be in the region to 10-25%. Cervical cancer exhibits many of the features that have been shown to be correlated with response to checkpoint immunotherapy in other tumour sites. However, response rates to date are in the region of 10-25%. Therefore, combinations of immunotherapeutic agents or checkpoint inhibitors with radiotherapy may be required to maximise the therapeutic benefit of harnessing the host immune system to fight cancer.

Combinatorial Characterization of Saliva for Oral Precancer Diagnostics

Background: Saliva based diagnostic can play an important role in the translational research related to cancer diagnostics and treatment. It is easily available, noninvasive, low storage cost, has less contamination chances with simple collection procedure. Cancers related to tobacco use, including oral cancer account for about 30% of all cancers in males and females. Five years' survival rate remains the same even after decades of advancement of detection, prevention, and treatment of OSCC (oral squamous cell carcinoma) mainly due to late diagnosis of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). Aim: Combinatorial characterization of saliva, endorsing multidimensional spectroscopic signatures using suitably designed biochamber. Methods: Eighteen saliva samples (6 normal, 6 OSF [oral submucous fibrosis, a type of OPMD] and 6 confirmed OSCC) were collected from GNIDSR (Guru Nanak Institute of Dental Science and Research) Kolkata. Ethical approval was obtained for the study and all the participants were explained the objectives of the study and a written informed consent was obtained from them. Participant's demographic detail and clinical characteristics were also recorded. The participants were asked not to consume food 1 hour before sample collection and were suggested to rinse their mouth 30 minutes prior to saliva expectoration to minimize the contamination of food in saliva. Empty, sterile, graded tubes were used for this purpose. The subjects were asked not to clear nose or throat during the process of saliva expectoration to avoid forced phlegm from other part of the respiratory tract. The saliva samples were then immediately transferred to −20 degrees and later in −80 degrees for long storage. The electrical impedance (EI) of saliva was measured in custom made biochambers with copper electrodes. The EI was measured for the frequency sweep from 20 Hz to 2 MHz using an impedance analyzer. Apart from EI measurement, the corresponding samples were subjected to FTIR (Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy) analysis. SPSS and OMNIC software were used for the data analysis of EI and FTIR respectively. Results: [Table: see text][Table: see text][Table: see text][ Table A , B & C represents descriptive statistics, correlation matrix and component matrix respectively. The multivariate analysis of the FTIR data indicates the significant differences ( P < 0.005) among the different study groups such as normal, OSF and OSCC. The eigen values (normal 0.917, OSF 0.962, OSCC 0.975) from component matrix analysis also indicate the same. Conclusion: The spectroscopic characterization (EI and FTIR) of saliva was effective in evaluating normal and OPMD condition. This noninvasive paradigm can serve as a complimentary technique to the existing gold standard methods for the early detection of oral cancer.

Novel multifunctional RKKY coupling layer for ultrathin perpendicular synthetic antiferromagnet

A novel multi-functional antiferromagnetic coupling layer (MF-AFC) combining Ru and W is revealed to realize an extremely thin (3.8 nm), back-end-of-line compatible as well as magnetically and electrically stable perpendicular synthetic antiferromagnetic layer (pSAF), essential for spintronic memory and logic device applications. In addition to achieving antiferromagnetic RKKY coupling, this MF-AFC also acts as a Boron sink and texture-breaking layer. A detailed optimization of the thickness of the various involved layers has been carried out to obtain extremely thin-pSAF reference layer with stable magnetic properties, which enables the realization of sub-20 nm STT-MRAM cells. Two important advantages are provided by this ultrathin reference layer: the easing of the reference layer etching and the minimization of the dipolar field acting on the storage layer magnetization.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of prime molecules in cervical lesions towards assessment of malignant potentiality

Objective

A comparative immunohistochemical evaluation of p63, CD105, and E-cadherin expression pattern in histopathologically confirmed normal cervical epithelium (NCM), dysplastic cervical epithelium (DYS) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of uterine cervix towards assessing malignant potentiality of the precancerous condition.

Materials and Methods

The biopsies from cervical mucosa (normal, dysplasia, and cancer) were studied by routine hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) and by immunohistochemistry for p63, E-cadherin, and CD105 expression. The expressions of these molecules were assessed in a semiquantitative way by (i) counting p63 cell population and distribution, (ii) intensity scoring of E-cadherin along the expression path, and (iii) measuring CD105 expression density.

Result

p63⁺ cells were highest in carcinomas followed by dysplasia and normal. An abrupt increase in CD105 expression was observed through change of normal to dysplasia and cancer. A decrease in membranous E-cadherin expression was noticed in the transformation from normal to precancer and cancers.

Conclusion

The malignant potential of the dysplastic conditions is likely to be correlated with upregulation in p63 and CD105 expression and a simultaneous downregulation of membranous E-cadherin.

Spectropathology-corroborated multimodal quantitative imaging biomarkers for neuroretinal degeneration in diabetic retinopathy

Introduction

Image-based early detection for diabetic retinopathy (DR) needs value addition due to lack of well-defined disease-specific quantitative imaging biomarkers (QIBs) for neuroretinal degeneration and spectropathological information at the systemic level. Retinal neurodegeneration is an early event in the pathogenesis of DR. Therefore, development of an integrated assessment method for detecting neuroretinal degeneration using spectropathology and QIBs is necessary for the early diagnosis of DR.

Methods

The present work explored the efficacy of intensity and textural features extracted from optical coherence tomography (OCT) images after selecting a specific subset of features for the precise classification of retinal layers using variants of support vector machine (SVM). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were also performed to confirm the spectropathological attributes of serum for further value addition to the OCT, fundoscopy, and fluorescein angiography (FA) findings. The serum metabolomic findings were also incorporated for characterizing retinal layer thickness alterations and vascular asymmetries.

Results

Results suggested that OCT features could differentiate the retinal lesions indicating retinal neurodegeneration with high sensitivity and specificity. OCT, fundoscopy, and FA provided geometrical as well as optical features. NMR revealed elevated levels of ribitol, glycerophosphocholine, and uridine diphosphate N-acetyl glucosamine, while the FTIR of serum samples confirmed the higher expressions of lipids and β-sheet-containing proteins responsible for neoangiogenesis, vascular fragility, vascular asymmetry, and subsequent neuroretinal degeneration in DR.

Conclusion

Our data indicated that disease-specific spectropathological alterations could be the major phenomena behind the vascular attenuations observed through fundoscopy and FA, as well as the variations in the intensity and textural features observed in OCT images. Finally, we propose a model that uses spectropathology corroborated with specific QIBs for detecting neuroretinal degeneration in early diagnosis of DR.

Identification of α-enolase as a prognostic and diagnostic precancer biomarker in oral submucous fibrosis

AIMS

Diagnostic ambiguities regarding the malignant potentiality of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), an oral precancerous condition having dysplastic and non-dysplastic isoforms are the major failure for early intervention of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. Our goal is to identify proteomic signatures from biopsies that can be used as precancer diagnostic marker for patient suffering from OSF.

METHODS

The high throughput techniques adopting de novo peptide sequencing (1D SDS-PAGE coupled nanoLC MALDI tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)-based peptide mass fingerprint), immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot (WB) and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) analysis are considered for such biomarker identification and multilevel validations.

RESULTS

Alpha-enolase is identified as an overexpressed protein in biopsies of oral submucous fibrosis with dysplasia (OSFWD) compared with oral submucous fibrosis without dysplasia (OSFWT) and normal oral mucosa (NOM). Total proteome analysis of an overexpressed protein band around 47 kDa of OSFWD identifies 334 peptides corresponding to 61 human proteins. Among them α-enolase is identified as a prime protein with highest number of peptides (44 out of 334 peptides) and sequence coverage (66.4%). Furthermore, RT-PCR, WB and IHC analysis also show mRNA and tissue level upregulation of α-enolase in OSFWD validating α-enolase as precancer marker.

CONCLUSIONS

This study for the first time identifies and validates α-enolase as a novel biomarker for early diagnosis of malignant potentiality of OSF. Hence, the identified protein marker, α-enolase can help in early therapeutic intervention of OSF patients leading to the reduction of patient's pain, treatment cost and enhancement of patient's quality of life.

Honey Extracted Polyphenolics Reduce Experimental Hypoxia in Human Keratinocytes Culture

Hypoxic assault affects fundamental cellular processes and generates oxidative stress on healthy cells/molecules. Honey extracted polyphenolics (HEP) as a natural antioxidant reduced hypoxic cytotoxicity in this study. Different honey samples were physicochemically characterized to identify preferred (jamun) honey [pH 3.55 ± 0.04, conductivity (μs/cm) = 6.66 ± 0.14, water content % (w/w) = 14.70 ± 0.35, total solid content % (w/w) = 85.30 ± 0.35, phenol content (mg GAE/100 g) = 403.55 ± 0.35, flavonoid content (mg QE/100 g) = 276.76 ± 4.10, radical scavenging activity (% 500 μL) = 147.75 ± 3.13, catalase activity (absorbance at 620 nm) = 0.226 ± 0.01]. HEP was tested in different doses on hypoxic and normoxic cells (HaCaT) using viability and antioxidant assays. Cardinal molecular expressions such as cadherin-catenin-cytoskeleton complex (namely, E-cadherin, β-catenin, and F-actin), hypoxia marker (Hif 1 α), proliferation marker (Ki67), and epithelial master regulator (p63) were studied by immuno-cytochemisty (ICC) and qRT-PCR. The 0.063 mg/mL HEP demonstrated better vitality and functionality of HaCaT cells as per viability assay (*, P < 0.01) even under hypoxia. ICC and qRT-PCR observations indicated restoration of cellular survival and homeostasis under 0.063 mg/mL HEP after hypoxic assault. Furthermore, major spectral changes for nucleic acid and membrane phospholipid reorganizations by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy illustrated a positive impact of 0.063 mg/mL HEP on hypoxic cells considering proliferation and cellular integrity. It was concluded that a specific dose of jamun HEP reduces hypoxic cytotoxicity.

Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopic signatures for lung cells' epithelial mesenchymal transition: A preliminary report

Infra red (IR) spectral characterization can provide label-free cellular metabolic signatures of normal and diseased circumstances in a rapid and non-invasive manner. Present study endeavoured to enlist Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopic signatures for lung normal and cancer cells during chemically induced epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) for which global metabolic dimension is not well reported yet. Occurrence of EMT was validated with morphological and immunocytochemical confirmation. Pre-processed spectral data was analyzed using ANOVA and principal component analysis-linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA). Significant differences observed in peak area corresponding to biochemical fingerprint (900-1800cm^-1) and high wave-number (2800-3800cm^-1) regions contributed to adequate PCA-LDA segregation of cells undergoing EMT. The findings were validated by re-analysis of data using another in-house built binary classifier namely vector valued regularized kernel approximation (VVRKFA), in order to understand EMT progression. To improve the classification accuracy, forward feature selection (FFS) tool was employed in extracting potent spectral signatures by eliminating undesirable noise. Gradual increase in classification accuracy with EMT progression of both cell types indicated prominence of the biochemical alterations. Rapid changes in cellular metabolome noted in cancer cells within first 24h of EMT induction along with higher classification accuracy for cancer cell groups in comparison to normal cells might be attributed to inherent differences between them. Spectral features were suggestive of EMT triggered changes in nucleic acid, protein, lipid and bound water contents which can emerge as the useful markers to capture EMT related cellular characteristics.