# Raman spectroscopic platform for transcutaneous monitoring of bone quality

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 2020 · $378,157

## Abstract

Project Summary
Bone fragility fractures that occur in the absence of significant trauma are often associated with primary or
secondary osteoporosis, and can result in serious patient morbidity and increased mortality rates. Prediction of
bone fracture risk primarily relies on measures of bone mineral density (BMD), which is strongly correlated with
bone strength, but not with fracture risk. Alternatively, Raman spectroscopy (RS), an optical technique that can
provide information on mineral crystallinity, composition, and relative degree of mineralization (mineral/matrix
ratio), as well as collagen composition and cross-linking, has emerged as a promising technique for
assessment of bone strength and fracture risk. We have recently shown that RS can detect biochemical
changes that occur in mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), glucocorticoid (GC)-induced osteoporosis
(GIOP), and osteogenesis imperfecta, which correlated with independent measures of biomechanical strength
and fracture toughness. We have also developed instrumentation to enable the first diagnostically-sensitive
transcutaneous Raman measurements of murine bone on intact limbs, along with sophisticated algorithms to
reduce optical contributions from overlying soft tissue, but these measurements were only made ex vivo on
tissue specimens. In this application, we will develop new instrumentation and algorithms to adapt our
transcutaneous RS measurements on live animals. More importantly, based on unpublished data
demonstrating that bone ends (epiphyses) exhibit more discriminate RS differences than mid-shaft (diaphysis)
regions, we will redesign the excitation/collection optics in our RS platform to provide a larger range of source-
detector separation, greater variety in sampling depth, and ultimately improve the ability to resolve the spectral
contributions from interfering soft tissues in the more anatomically and biochemically complex epiphyses
regions (Aim 1). We will then validate and correlate regional (epiphysis versus diaphysis) transcutaneous
Raman spectroscopy measurements with regional and whole bone mechanics (measures of bone quality) in
juvenile, skeletally mature, and aged mice (Aim 2). Finally, the studies will demonstrate that our
transcutaneous RS platform has the sensitivity to detect longitudinal reductions in bone quality in mouse
models of RA and GIOP over time, and improvements in bone quality in response to anti-resorptive and
anabolic treatments (Aim 3). Upon completion, the proposed studies will have validated a disruptive technology
for pre-clinical, non-contact optical assessment of bone fragility and fracture risk, which are undetectable by
standard metrics such as BMD. While successful completion of this work will yield a new instrument in our
research toolbox to advance our understanding of mechanisms of osteoporosis and to evaluate efficacy of new
drugs in preclinical models, we hope that the progress we make here will allow this non-invasive tech...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9971344
- **Project number:** 5R01AR070613-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Hani A Awad
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $378,157
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9971344

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9971344, Raman spectroscopic platform for transcutaneous monitoring of bone quality (5R01AR070613-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9971344. Licensed CC0.

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