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Updated: Oct 16, 2025
Optical Clearing of the Mouse Central Nervous System Using Passive CLARITY
Published on: June 30, 2016
Recent progress in optical clearing of eye tissues.
Wenhan Lu1, Zhenle Pei2, Wei Hu2
1Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, China; Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, State Key Lab of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Integrative Medicine of Fudan University, Institute of Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Tissue optical clearing techniques enhance 3D imaging of biological structures by reducing light scattering. This review focuses on advancements in clearing the unique and delicate eye tissue for improved ophthalmology research.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Ophthalmology
- Microscopy
Background:
- Light scattering in tissues limits detailed 3D structural imaging.
- Tissue optical clearing techniques have advanced significantly for deep tissue visualization.
- The unique structure of the eye presents challenges for optical clearing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advancements in tissue optical clearing techniques for eye tissues.
- To explore applications in basic eye research and potential in clinical ophthalmology.
- To synthesize findings from 2006 to the present.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of Medline and Embase databases (Jan 2006 - Aug 2021).
- Keywords used: "tissue optical clearing", "ophthalmology", "eye", "optical clearing agents".
- Review of publications on eye tissue clearing procedures and analytical processes.
Main Results:
- Tissue optical clearing offers significant opportunities for imaging micro-scale structures in various organs.
- Specific optimizations for eye tissue clearing are emerging due to its unique properties.
- Recent advancements facilitate deeper and more detailed imaging of ocular structures.
Conclusions:
- Tissue optical clearing is a valuable tool for basic eye research, enabling detailed structural analysis.
- Further development is needed to optimize clearing for the delicate and pigmented eye.
- Future potential exists for applying these techniques in clinical ophthalmology.
