Autofluorescence probe for brain cancer diagnostic: First results from rat model

The present work aims a new medical probe for surgeons devoted to brain cancers, in particular glioblastoma multiforme. Within the last years, our group has started the development of a new intra-operative beta imaging probe. More recently, we initiated an alternative approach: an autofluorescence probe that has the same purpose namely the differentiation of normal from tumoral brain tissue delivering complementary information and that can avoid radiation to patient and surgeon. By means of a dedicated epi-fluorescence design and of specific fiber optic probes relative signal amplitude and spectral shape measurements are envisaged to distinguish normal and cancerous tissue by analyzing fluorophores like NADH, lipopigments and porphyrins. The autofluorescence spectra are recorded in the 475-635 nm range with a low resolution spectrometer. Intrinsic wavelength resolution is of the order of 5 nm. Different samples have been analyzed to validate our new detection system and to allow a first configuration of the future medical fluorescence probe. First results from the tissue measurements are shown. C6 tumoral cell implantation in rat brain permits first indication for discrimination of cancerous from healthy tissue.