Despite the health benefits associated with polyphenols, the bioavailability of many polyphenols limits their effects. Problems with poor solubility fast-metabolism and food preparation techniques limit the bioavailability and bioactivity of these dietary micronutrients. Encapsulation of polyphenols has shown to protect and increase bioavailability of these dietary compounds and to enhance their anticancer activity.

Recently, our group published a review about surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in SmartMat, which summarized the recent developments of noble metal and semiconductor SERS substrates, and then proposed the key factors for substrate design and future directions.

Cell signaling pathways involve several proteins, called kinases, to pass on vital messages from the transmembrane-proteins, e.g., receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) to the nucleus of a cell through a cascade of processes for various activities such as controlled cell division, proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism, DNA replication and repair. Alterations in these signaling proteins combined with genetic and/or epigenetic mutations spawn various types of cancer that empowers the cells to ignore or maneuver the immune signals and carry on felonious activities such as uncontrolled cell division and growth, genetic instability, angiogenesis around the tumor in hypoxia, eluding the body’s immune system, cell migration, and invasion of surrounding healthy cells.