Review–Vibrational spectroscopy‐aided diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents a group of chronic gastrointestinal disorders characterised by complex and multifaceted pathologies. The pursuit of non‐invasive, accurate and rapid diagnostic methods and therapeutic monitoring tools has led to the emergence of Raman spectroscopy (RS) as a promising analytical technique in the field of IBD. RS offers molecular specificity with the potential to uncover valuable insights of the pathophysiology of IBD, posing it as a rapidly growing field of interest in both research and clinical settings.

Main: This comprehensive review aims to provide an overview of the current state of research in the field of IBD‐RS, with an emphasis on its potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic monitoring capabilities. We explore the molecular characterisation of bodily fluids including blood, urine and saliva and the ability of RS to rapidly determine the underpinning biochemical changes in their composition. The review also highlights recent studies and advances, that have employed RS to differentiate between healthy and diseased states, classify the IBD subtypes, identify candidate biomarkers and to monitor the therapeutic response to treatment in the form of mucosal healing. Additionally, we comment on the challenges and limitations associated with current research as well as with the clinical translation of RS for IBD diagnosis.

Conclusions: As the field of vibrational spectroscopies continues to evolve particularly in the broader IBD context, to aid the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, this review serves as a valuable resource for clinicians and researchers alike, examining the potential of Raman‐based spectroscopy and the emerging technologies to advance the understanding and triaging of IBD. Ultimately, the integration of RS into everyday clinical practice holds promise for more effective management of IBDs, addressing the major unmet need in the fields of gastroenterology and of clinical medicine as a whole.