Figure 11. With the spectral and spatial domain analysis, the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy extracts both the chemical and morphological features of the microcalcifications.[255] Copyright 2021, The Authors.
Conclusion
In summary, we have reviewed the biomineralization process and relevant physicochemical properties, nano-structure, and spatial distribution. The research progress and possible mechanism of enamel and bone mineralization, atherosclerosis, urinary calculi, and tumor microcalcification have been exploited and illustrated from the perspective of Raman spectroscopy. The physiological and pathological mineralization could be further explored for the promising diagnosis of biomineralization-related diseases. The bio-responsive and pathological-microenvironmental stimulated biomineralization could readily produce in situ fluorescent and magnetic nanocrystals, which can be further utilized for multimodal tumor imaging and targeted therapy.
Raman spectroscopy has unique advantages in studying biomineralization and can facilitate the revealing of the specific physicochemical properties for relevant biomineralization processes. Further studies could be explored in the future for combining Raman spectroscopy and engineered bio-responsive biomineralization to advance its biomedical applications for the theranostics of clinical diseases. This may provide new strategies for the early diagnosis and treatment of biomineralization-related diseases like some heart diseases and cancers.