3D imaging in the postmortem human brain with CLARITY and CUBIC

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biotechnology
• Histology

Background:

• Recent advancements in tissue clearing and 3D imaging allow direct analysis of thick biological samples.
• Formalin-fixed archival human brain tissue presents unique challenges for imaging due to long-term fixation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review two prominent tissue clearing technologies: CLARITY and CUBIC.
• To assess their compatibility with archival formalin-fixed human brain tissue.
• To provide practical insights into visualizing neuropathological hallmarks, including Alzheimer's disease.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of CLARITY and CUBIC tissue clearing techniques.
• Application of these methods to archival formalin-fixed human brain samples.
• Detailed protocol descriptions for laboratory use.

Main Results:

• Both CLARITY and CUBIC demonstrate compatibility with long-term formalin-fixed human brain tissue.
• Successful visualization of Alzheimer's neuropathological hallmarks was achieved using these methods.
• The review outlines specific protocols and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each technology.

Conclusions:

• CLARITY and CUBIC are valuable tools for 3D analysis of archival human brain tissue.
• These techniques facilitate the study of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
• The provided protocols and comparative analysis aid researchers in selecting and implementing tissue clearing methods.