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New Look at RSV Infection: Tissue Clearing and 3D Imaging of the Entire Mouse Lung at Cellular Resolution
Maxence Frétaud1, Delphyne Descamps1, Daphné Laubreton1,2
1Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
Background:
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the major cause of severe acute respiratory tract illness in young children worldwide and a main pathogen for the elderly and immune-compromised people. In the absence of vaccines or effective treatments, a better characterization of the pathogenesis of RSV infection is required. To date, the pathophysiology of the disease and its diagnosis has mostly relied on chest X-ray and genome detection in nasopharyngeal swabs. The development of new imaging approaches is instrumental to further the description of RSV spread, virus-host interactions and related acute respiratory disease, at the level of the entire lung.
Methods:
By combining tissue clearing, 3D microscopy and image processing, we developed a novel visualization tool of RSV infection in undissected mouse lungs.
Results:
Whole tissue analysis allowed the identification of infected cell subtypes, based on both morphological traits and position within the cellular network. Furthermore, 3D imaging was also valuable to detect the cytoplasmic viral factories, also called inclusion bodies, a hallmark of RSV infection.
Conclusions:
Whole lung clearing and 3D deep imaging represents an unprecedented visualization method of infected lungs to allow insight into RSV pathophysiology and improve the 2D histology analyses.
Insights
A new 3D imaging technique visualizes Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection in whole mouse lungs. This method reveals infected cell types and viral factories, improving understanding of RSV disease.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Virology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) causes severe respiratory illness in children and vulnerable adults.
- Current diagnostic methods like chest X-ray and swab-based genome detection have limitations.
- Understanding RSV pathogenesis requires advanced visualization of lung infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for visualizing RSV infection within intact mouse lungs.
- To enable detailed analysis of virus spread and host interactions in 3D.
- To overcome limitations of traditional 2D histological analyses.
Main Methods:
- Combined tissue clearing, 3D microscopy, and image processing.
- Developed a visualization tool for undissected mouse lungs.
- Utilized whole lung analysis for detailed imaging.
Main Results:
- Identified infected cell subtypes based on morphology and location.
- Detected cytoplasmic viral factories (inclusion bodies), a key RSV indicator.
- Achieved whole-tissue analysis of RSV infection.
Conclusions:
- Whole lung clearing and 3D deep imaging offer unprecedented visualization of RSV infection.
- This technique provides deeper insights into RSV pathophysiology.
- Enhances traditional 2D histology for studying lung diseases.
