The annual ERS Congress 2024, took place at RX Messe Wien, Austria, from 7 to 11 September. It was promoted and organized by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) with a particular focus on respiratory clinical care, education, science, and research.

Dr. Paolo Innocenzo Banfi, Dr. Elvia Giovanna Battaglia, and LABION group (Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Clinical Biophotonics), headed by Dr Marzia Bedoni, from Fondazione Don Gnocchi (IRCCS Santa Maria Nascente, in Milan) presented the preliminary data of an interesting study, Raman analysis of saliva from OSA patients: biophotonic-based point-of-care for disease monitoring and management.  An interesting aspect of this work is the use of Raman Spectroscopy, to analyze human saliva, obtaining information about its molecular composition. Indeed, the concentration and presence of specific metabolites, proteins, or lipids can influence the Raman spectrum allowing to identify a pathological condition, with a high level of accuracy using a small amount of sample.

Fondazione Don Gnocchi and LABION showed data regarding the application of Raman spectroscopy to study a pathological condition, such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This approach helped to identify salivary biomarkers associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolical dysfunctions, typical of OSA patients. Indeed, the use of this technique can be seen as an aid for quick and specific diagnosis and monitoring, and the development of a non-invasive and personalized clinical approach. Further studies on saliva samples of OSA patients are now ongoing at LABION.