# Stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (SRS-SOCT) for label-free molecular imaging of brain tumor pathology

> **NIH NIH R21** · GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2020 · $233,796

## Abstract

The extent of resection of brain tumors is one of the most important factors associated with
prolonged survival for patients with brain cancer. Unfortunately, achieving complete resection of
the preoperatively-defined tumor region remains a significant clinical challenge. This is due, in
part, to the lack of intraoperative tools available to help surgeons differentiate between healthy
tissue that is crucial for neurological function and cancerous tissue. Further, there is no existing
clinical technology, intraoperative or preoperative, that is able to identify infiltrative brain cancer
cells. The goal of our R21 application is to advance a novel optical molecular imaging method—
stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (SRS-SOCT)—and
demonstrate that it can overcome current clinical limitations for identifying brain tumors and
their margins. This novel approach leverages (1) the spatial and spectral multiplexing capabilities
of SOCT to achieve fast, volumetric, molecular imaging with high spatial resolution; and (2) the
rich molecular information provided by vibrational spectroscopy (via SRS) to clearly differentiate
between cancerous and healthy tissues (i.e., provide contrast for disease). This novel SRS-SOCT
technology overcomes significant limitations of previous methods (including OCT and SRS
alone), and enables fast, highly-specific, label-free molecular imaging that is uniquely suited for
identifying brain tumor margins. The aims for this proposal are as follows: Aim 1, task 1 focuses
on building an SRS-SOCT system with a novel laser light source that provides high spatially-
resolved spectral information with high signal-to-noise ratio. Aim 1, task 2 will advance existing
signal processing (computational) methods to extract the complex, spatially-resolved spectral
information. Aim 2 will use a well-established bulk and infiltrative brain tumor animal model to
evaluate the capabilities SRS-SOCT to identify tumor tissue. Finally, for Aim 3, we will further
validate SRS-SOCT for identifying brain tumors using human specimens from frozen sections and
freshly excised brain tumors. Because SRS-SOCT detects biochemical signatures from lipids and
proteins, the method can also be of value for detecting tumors in other lipid rich tissues, such as
breast. Successful completion of this work will demonstrate the potential of SRS-SOCT for
identifying bulk and infiltrating brain tumors, paving the way for a novel intraoperative tool that
has the potential to increase the success rate of neurosurgery and prolong survival for patients
with malignant brain tumors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9848509
- **Project number:** 5R21CA223853-03
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Francisco E Robles
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $233,796
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-02-01 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9848509

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9848509, Stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (SRS-SOCT) for label-free molecular imaging of brain tumor pathology (5R21CA223853-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9848509. Licensed CC0.

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