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Published on: July 12, 2024
Quantitative DNA imaging in breast tumor cells by a Hadamard transform fluorescence imaging microscope
Hong-Wu Tang1, Mei-Na Luo, Tao Li
1Center of Analysis and Measurements, College of Chemistry and Molecular Science, Wuhan University, China. hwtang@whu.edu.cn
Summary
A new Hadamard transform (HT) fluorescence microscope enables rapid, high-resolution single-cell imaging. This advanced microscopy accurately assesses tumor malignancy by analyzing DNA content and morphology, outperforming traditional methods like flow cytometry.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Imaging
- Cellular Analysis
- Microscopy Technology
Background:
- Conventional fluorescence microscopy lacks speed and quantitative cellular analysis capabilities for complex biological samples.
- Accurate assessment of cellular DNA content and morphology is crucial for diagnosing diseases like cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate a novel Hadamard transform (HT) fluorescence imaging microscope for high-sensitivity, quantitative single-cell analysis.
- To demonstrate the microscope's utility in evaluating human breast tumor malignancy by measuring cellular DNA content and morphology.
Main Methods:
- Development of a Hadamard transform (HT) fluorescence imaging microscope by integrating multiplexed imaging with a conventional upright fluorescence microscope.
- Application of the HT microscope for quantitative analysis of cellular DNA content and nuclear area in 30 human breast tumor cases.
- Comparison of HT microscopy findings with pathological diagnoses and flow cytometry capabilities.
Main Results:
- The HT microscope achieved 511 x 512-pixel single-cell images with high sensitivity in 21 seconds.
- Analysis of cellular DNA content and morphology showed high concordance with pathological diagnoses for breast tumors.
- The HT microscope demonstrated advantages over flow cytometry in analyzing small specimens and detecting high ploidy cells.
- A significant linear relationship was found between tumor nuclear DNA content and nuclear area, differentiating malignant from benign tumors.
Conclusions:
- The novel HT fluorescence imaging microscope is a powerful tool for sensitive, rapid, and quantitative single-cell analysis in biomedical research.
- HT microscopy offers a reliable and advantageous alternative to existing methods like flow cytometry for cellular DNA and morphological assessments.
- The demonstrated accuracy in breast tumor analysis highlights the HT microscope's potential for clinical diagnostics and biomedical applications.
