A Nigerian research team has achieved a national – and regional – first in cancer diagnostics. In a study at Bowen University, Osun State, scientists applied attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy to differentiate normal, benign, and malignant breast tissues. The method delivered 100 percent sensitivity in key comparisons. Published in Cancer Screening and Prevention, the work marks the inaugural clinical use of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, offering a pathway toward faster, more affordable, and more objective cancer screening in settings with limited resources.
Here, lead author Samuel T. Adeleke shares the inspiration behind the research, its surprising results, and the next steps toward clinical deployment.
What motivated your team to explore ATR-FTIR spectroscopy for breast cancer – especially in a Nigerian clinical setting?
Curiosity is often regarded as the catalyst for innovation. With a decade of experience in a diagnostic histopathology laboratory at one of Nigeria’s pioneer teaching hospitals, I specialized in processing various human tissues – particularly breast tissues – for microscopic analysis to diagnose disease. I also conducted immunohistochemistry procedures to guide targeted therapies for breast cancer and lymphoma patients.
Throughout this work, I became deeply concerned about the financial burden these tests place on predominantly low-income patients, who often need multiple histopathological evaluations to reach a conclusive diagnosis. I hoped to identify affordable or subsidized alternatives to reduce this strain. I was also troubled by the degree of subjectivity in result validation, which often relies heavily on the expertise of medical laboratory scientists or pathologists. This drove my desire for objective, quantifiable outcomes from laboratory analyses – a pursuit that continued until I discovered the potential of spectroscopy.
Although I long suspected there were alternative approaches, the specifics eluded me. My interest expanded, particularly in histochemistry, where chemical agents such as dyes or stains interact with biochemical components in tissues to produce stained slides. I became intrigued by how different tissues stain differently with certain dyes depending on the diagnosis. This led me to hypothesize that underlying biochemical mechanisms – rather than purely morphological differences – might explain these variations.
I began looking for instruments capable of performing in situ spatial studies on stained tissue sections, specifically to examine biochemical reactions and products that may contribute to tumorigenesis. Such analyses, I believed, could help explain why cancerous tissues of varying grades display different staining intensities.
Initial literature searches, particularly for African-based research, yielded little – until a conversation with a colleague changed everything. He was conducting his MSc research on plant extracts and introduced me to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). When he explained FTIR’s principle – detecting molecular compositional changes between samples – it immediately struck me as the technique I could apply to cancer specimens. I shared this insight with my team, setting in motion a research direction that has since developed significantly.
How widely used are spectroscopic tools in clinical settings in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa more broadly?
To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first application of spectroscopic analysis to clinical samples – specifically, tumorous and non-tumorous tissues – within Nigeria and the broader sub-Saharan African region. Our findings mark the inaugural documented use of spectroscopic methodology on clinical samples in sub-Saharan Africa.
Did any of your findings from the study surprise you?
As our first investigation, the study yielded unexpectedly positive results. The diagnostic efficacy of cytoplasm-to-nucleus quantification – evidenced by a consistently high Area Under the Curve (AUC > 0.9) – demonstrated exceptional discriminatory power across various breast tissue types. This synergy between morphological cell evaluations and quantitative spectral analysis is particularly noteworthy. Furthermore, the ability of glycogen levels to distinguish between fibrocystic changes and fibroadenomas with perfect sensitivity and specificity stands out as a compelling finding.
How does the diagnostic power of ATR-FTIR compare with traditional histopathology or other emerging spectroscopic methods?
Multiple published studies – supported by our findings demonstrating concordance between quantitative nucleocytoplasmic assessment and morphological variations – establish the strong performance of ATR-FTIR relative to standard hematoxylin and eosin staining, polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, the technique exhibits robust correlation with a range of other spectroscopic methods, including Raman spectroscopy, diffuse optical spectroscopy, intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.
What are the key next steps to validate or deploy this method clinically – particularly in sub-Saharan Africa?
The trajectory leading to this publication began five years ago, and was shaped by considerable challenges along the way. As the first study of its kind in the region, the undertaking carried added complexity. I believe that with perseverance, these challenges can be overcome, and there is a genuine opportunity to validate and implement this tool for clinical applications – provided that more researchers engage with this underexplored area. Raising awareness and fostering dialogue through conferences, seminars, and other platforms will be essential for promoting knowledge exchange and mentoring younger professionals in the use of innovative tools that go beyond traditional diagnostics.
Addressing the issue of funding is also critical. Financial support drives research, human capacity development, and the delivery of high-quality healthcare. Government backing, supportive policies, and contributions from external funding organizations are essential to strengthen the research landscape for spectroscopy and related analytical methodologies – particularly within histopathology. Such support would enable the acquisition of functional ATR-FTIR spectroscopy instruments and accessories, such as imaging microscopes, which remain largely unavailable in sub-Saharan Africa. Facilities capable of maintaining these instruments are equally important.
Only with these developments can we undertake large-scale cohort studies across Africa – especially in sub-Saharan regions – efforts that are currently absent but commonplace in other parts of the world, notably Europe and Asia. Achieving this will require collaboration among academics, researchers, and healthcare professionals to secure access to clinical samples and advance the validation and standardization of ATR-FTIR methodologies through local, regional, national, and pan-African partnerships.
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