Marker-free phenotyping of tumor cells by fractal analysis of reflection interference contrast microscopy images.

ABSTRACT: Phenotyping of tumor cells by marker-free quantification is important for cancer diagnostics. For the first time, fractal analysis of reflection interference contrast microscopy images of single living cells was employed as a new method to distinguish between different nanoscopic membrane features of tumor cells. Since tumor progression correlates with a higher degree of chaos within the cell, it can be quantified mathematically by fractality. Our results show a high accuracy in identifying malignant cells with a failure chance of 3%, which is far better than today's applied methods.

SUBMITTER: Klein K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3831548 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature