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Second-harmonic generation imaging of cancer
Adib Keikhosravi1, Jeremy S Bredfeldt1, Abdul Kader Sagar1
1Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, USA.
Methods in Cell Biology
|June 30, 2014
Summary
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy offers quantitative insights into collagen structure, crucial for understanding diseases like cancer. This advanced optical imaging technique reveals collagen changes associated with various pathologies.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Optics
- Advanced Microscopy Techniques
- Biophotonics
Background:
- Optical microscopy has advanced significantly over the last 30 years, with innovations like confocal and multiphoton laser scanning microscopy.
- There is growing interest in quantitative analysis of intrinsic biological contrast, including autofluorescent proteins and light interactions like second-harmonic generation (SHG).
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of the physics and technologies behind SHG microscopy.
- To review the applications of SHG microscopy, with a specific focus on its use in cancer research.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing advanced optical microscopy, specifically SHG-based imaging.
- Examining intrinsic biological contrast sources, including collagen's nonlinear optical properties.
Main Results:
- SHG microscopy is a widely adopted quantitative method for imaging noncentrosymmetric proteins, particularly collagen, across various tissues.
- The physical basis of SHG signals makes it highly sensitive to collagen fibril/fiber structure and disease-associated alterations.
Conclusions:
- SHG microscopy is a powerful tool for visualizing and quantifying collagen structure in biological tissues.
- SHG's sensitivity to collagen changes makes it valuable for studying diseases such as cancer, fibrosis, and connective tissue disorders.
