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Whole-body cellular mapping in mouse using standard IgG antibodies
Hongcheng Mai1,2,3,4, Jie Luo1,2,4, Luciano Hoeher1
1Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany.
Nature Biotechnology
|July 10, 2023
Summary
Introducing wildDISCO, a novel whole-body immunolabeling and imaging technique for mice. This method enables deep tissue penetration with standard antibodies, overcoming limitations of existing technologies for comprehensive biological studies.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Imaging
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Whole-body imaging is crucial for understanding health and disease dynamics.
- Existing techniques for whole-body immunolabeling and imaging in mice have technical limitations, often requiring transgenic models or specialized labeling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce wildDISCO, a new, versatile method for whole-body immunolabeling, optical clearing, and imaging in mice.
- To overcome limitations of current techniques by avoiding the need for transgenic reporter animals or nanobody labeling.
Main Methods:
- Development of wildDISCO, utilizing heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin to enhance cholesterol extraction and membrane permeabilization.
- Application of standard antibodies for deep and homogeneous penetration without aggregation.
- Imaging of endogenous proteins in whole mice at cellular resolution.
Main Results:
- WildDISCO enables cellular-resolution imaging of peripheral nervous systems, lymphatic vessels, and immune cells in whole mice.
- The technique successfully visualized rare proliferating cells and effects of biological perturbations (e.g., in germ-free mice).
- Mapping of tertiary lymphoid structures in breast cancer models, including primary tumors and metastases, was achieved.
Conclusions:
- WildDISCO provides a powerful, broadly applicable tool for whole-body imaging in mice.
- This technique overcomes previous technical barriers, facilitating detailed studies of physiological systems and disease processes.
- An accessible atlas of high-resolution images of mouse systems is available online.
