Fluorescence lifetime (FLT) of fluorophores is sensitive to the changes in their surrounding microenvironment, and hence it can quantitatively reveal the physiological characterization of the tissue under investigation. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) provides not only morphological but also functional information of the tissue by producing spatially resolved image of fluorophore lifetime, which can be used as a signature of disorder and/or malignancy in diseased tissues. In this paper, we begin by introducing the basic principle and common detection methods of FLIM. Then the recent advances in the FLIM-based diagnosis of three different skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and malignant melanoma (MM) are reviewed. Furthermore, the potential advantages of FLIM in skin cancer diagnosis and the challenges that may be faced in the future are prospected.

黑色素瘤具有恶性程度高、转移早、死亡率高等特点, 而且对常规放射治疗不敏感, 因此, 提高黑色素瘤细胞的辐射敏感性对于此种疾病的治疗具有重要意义。本研究中构建了辐射诱导型过表达Ras相关的C3肉毒素底物2(RAC2)和敲低RAC2的黑色素瘤细胞系, 通过测定其辐照后的克隆存活率、γH2AX foci水平、ROS产额以及NADPH氧化酶活性研究了RAC2基因对于黑色素瘤细胞辐射敏感性的影响及可能的作用机制, 发现RAC2能通过增强NADPH氧化酶活性和提高ROS产额显著增强黑色素瘤细胞的辐射敏感性。