Label-free multiphoton microscopy of human skin: longitudinal studies capturing cell dynamics

This study presents recent advances in an imaging platform developed by our lab, the fast large area multiphoton exoscope (FLAME), a microscope designed for clinical skin imaging. Its dual-scanning modality enables reliable, cellular-scale imaging of the same skin locations over extended time periods across areas up to 1 cm². Enabling fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, this device, for the first time in vivo, allows detailed longitudinal tracking of cellular dynamics in human skin, such as responses to injury, significantly advancing the capabilities of dermatological research. By overcoming previous limitations in large-area, high-resolution skin imaging, FLAME opens new opportunities for monitoring therapy responses, tracking cellular dynamics, and understanding skin biology at the cellular level.