Subcellular-resolution molecular imaging within living tissue by fiber microendoscopy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Imaging
• Pathology

Background:

• Conventional histopathology offers point-in-time, single-location diagnostics.
• In vivo microscopy and molecular-targeted optical labeling enable real-time, in situ anatomical and functional disease assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact, high-resolution fiber-optic microendoscopy system.
• To demonstrate the system's capability for sub-cellular resolution imaging of tissues in situ.
• To evaluate its potential for complementing conventional diagnostic methods.

Main Methods:

• Development of a fiber-optic microendoscopy system using LED illumination, a 1 mm fiber-optic bundle, and a CCD camera.
• In vitro imaging of fluorescently labeled cancer cell lines.
• In vivo imaging of subcutaneous murine tumors and human oral mucosa.
• Ex vivo imaging of human oral cavity tissue specimens.

Main Results:

• The system achieved sub-cellular resolution, enabling visualization of cellular structures.
• Distinguished between normal and cancerous human oral tissues based on sub-cellular features.
• Resolved epithelial cell nuclei and membranes in real-time fluorescence images of human oral mucosa.
• Demonstrated successful imaging in both in vitro and in vivo models.

Conclusions:

• The developed fiber-optic microendoscopy system provides high-resolution, in situ tissue imaging.
• It shows potential for differentiating between normal and cancerous tissues.
• The system can complement conventional histopathology and support the clinical translation of molecular diagnostic agents.