Evaluation of image analysis tools for the measurement of cellular morphology

Morphological cell analysis offers a means of identification and classification of key morphological measurement parameters linked to cell bioactivity and cell health and, as such, it is of great interest to academic and industrial research sectors. Widespread adoption of this approach has yet to occur, partially due to the lack of alignment in analysis methodologies and output metrics, limiting data comparability. Work within the cell metrology and wider multidisciplinary community aims to reduce data variability through the improved alignment of image acquisition and analysis methodologies. Furthermore, to improve data comparability, research has also focused on the identification of a minimal set of morphological measurands, often termed critical quality attributes (CQAs), which are traceable to standardised (SI) units of measurement. Whilst efforts in defining CQAs have progressed significantly for healthcare applications, there are still numerous measurement challenges associated with image analysis of cultured cells due, in part, to their complex heterogenous nature. This review evaluates the various automated image analysis tools developed for morphological analysis of four commonly considered cell morphological features: the nucleus, actin cytoskeleton, mitochondria, and the cell membrane. The measurement methodologies and outputs from each tool have been evaluated and coinciding outputs have been highlighted as potential CQAs.