Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 13, 2026
Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Vertebral Lymphatic Vasculature and Drainage using iDISCO+ and Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: May 22, 2020
Mapping of the three-dimensional lymphatic microvasculature in bladder tumours using light-sheet microscopy
Nobuyuki Tanaka1,2, Dagmara Kaczynska1, Shigeaki Kanatani1
1Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
Background:
Cancers are heterogeneous and contain various types of irregular structures that can go undetected when examining them with standard two-dimensional microscopes. Studies of intricate networks of vasculature systems, e.g., the tumour lymphatic microvessels, benefit largely from three-dimensional imaging data analysis.
Methods:
The new DIPCO (Diagnosing Immunolabeled Paraffin-Embedded Cleared Organs) imaging platform uses three-dimensional light-sheet microscopy and whole-mount immunolabelling of cleared samples to study proteins and micro-anatomies deep inside of tumours.
Results:
Here, we uncovered the whole three-dimensional lymphatic microvasculature of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumours from a cohort of 30 patients with bladder cancer. Our results revealed more heterogeneous spatial deviations in more advanced bladder tumours. We also showed that three-dimensional imaging could determine tumour stage and identify vascular or lymphatic system invasion with higher accuracy than standard two-dimensional histological diagnostic methods. There was no association between sample storage times and outcomes, demonstrating that the DIPCO pipeline could be successfully applied on old FFPE samples.
Conclusions:
Studying tumour samples with three-dimensional imaging could help us understand the pathological nature of cancers and provide essential information that might improve the accuracy of cancer staging.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Two-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology
01:28Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology
01:15Development of the Lymphatic System
The first lymph sacs to form are the paired jugular lymph sacs located at the junction of the internal jugular and subclavian veins. From these sacs, lymphatic capillary plexuses extend to the thorax, upper limbs, neck, and head, eventually forming lymphatic vessels. Each jugular lymph sac maintains a...
01:23Urinary Bladder
In males, the bladder is situated in front of the rectum, while in females, it is positioned anterior to the vagina and uterus. The bladder floor contains an inverted triangular area called the trigone, defined by the two ureteric...
01:17Flow Sheet
Here's a closer look at the examples of flowsheets commonly used by nurses:
Graphic Sheet Documentation:
01:28Functions of the Lymphatic and Immune System
The primary lymphoid organs, including the bone marrow and the thymus, serve as the maturation sites for lymphocytes. Secondary lymphoid organs, like the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, activate these lymphocytes and serve as...