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Immunofluorescence Microscopy

Immunofluorescence Microscopy

A fluorescence microscope uses fluorescent chromophores called fluorochromes, which can absorb energy from a light source and then emit this energy as visible light. Fluorochromes include naturally fluorescent substances (such as chlorophylls) and fluorescent stains that are added to the specimen to create contrast. Dyes such as Texas red and FITC are examples of fluorochromes. Other examples include the nucleic acid dyes 4’,6’-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and acridine orange.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Computed Tomography-guided Time-domain Diffuse Fluorescence Tomography in Small Animals for Localization of Cancer Biomarkers

Computed Tomography-guided Time-domain Diffuse Fluorescence Tomography in Small Animals for Localization of Cancer Biomarkers

Published on: July 17, 2012

Fluorescence Imaging of Cancer.

Dirk Grosenick¹

¹Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany. dirk.grosenick@ptb.de.

Recent Results in Cancer Research. Fortschritte Der Krebsforschung. Progres Dans Les Recherches Sur Le Cancer

|May 21, 2026

Summary

Optical imaging advances enable noninvasive cancer detection and therapy. Fluorescence imaging, particularly with agents like indocyanine green, shows promise for differentiating breast lesions and guiding tumor margin surgery.

Keywords:

Breast cancer Colon cancer Dysplasia Esophageal cancer Fluorescence endoscopy Fluorescence imaging of cancer Fluorescence-guided surgery Optical molecular imaging

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Last Updated: May 22, 2026

Computed Tomography-guided Time-domain Diffuse Fluorescence Tomography in Small Animals for Localization of Cancer Biomarkers

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Area of Science:

Medical Imaging
Biophotonics
Oncology

Background:

Optical imaging offers noninvasive cancer detection and therapy potential.
Advances in diffuse optical imaging enhance cancer detection in dense tissues like the female breast.
Fluorescence imaging is a key method for in vivo molecular probe visualization.

Purpose of the Study:

Review recent developments in breast cancer detection and fluorescence-guided surgery.
Evaluate contrast agents for human application in breast cancer imaging.
Discuss superficial tumor imaging, including gastrointestinal tract lesions.

Main Methods:

Utilizing unspecific contrast agents like indocyanine green (ICG) and omocianine for cancer detection.
Investigating tumor-specific molecular targeting and activatable probes for fluorescence-guided surgery.
Employing 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) to induce protoporphyrin IX accumulation for GI tract lesion imaging.
Applying time-gated fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy to reduce background autofluorescence.

Main Results:

ICG demonstrates potential in differentiating malignant from benign breast lesions by exploiting vessel permeability.
High spatial resolution is achievable for superficial tumor visualization, aiding in margin detection.
5-ALA shows promising results for detecting lesions in Barrett's esophagus and ulcerative colitis.
Novel molecular probes surpass white-light endoscopy for early GI malignancy detection.

Conclusions:

Optical and fluorescence imaging techniques, coupled with advanced contrast agents, offer significant advancements in noninvasive cancer detection and surgical guidance.
These methods provide improved visualization and differentiation of cancerous tissues, especially in superficial locations.
Future developments in molecular probes and imaging techniques promise earlier and more accurate cancer diagnosis.