Imaging ToF-SIMS and synchrotron-based FT-IR microspectroscopic studies of prostate cancer cell lines

Imaging ToF-SIMS and synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FT-IR) microspectroscopy have been used to obtain chemical information from individual cells derived from human prostate cancer (CaP). ToF-SIMS imaging of molecular signals characteristic of membrane bound phospholipids are used to elucidate different fracture planes within individual freezefractured CaP cells. The localisation of Cu within the cytoplasm of cancer cells is consistent with increased metastatic potential. Line scans across CaP cells using SR-FT-IR microspectroscopy provide complimentary information on the localisation ( 1 mm) of lipid and protein domains. This combined analytical approach offers a novel means of characterising individual CaP cells and investigating the biochemical basis of disease progression and metastases. # 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.