Applications of Microscopic Imaging in Cancer Research

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Cancer is usually caused by faulty or incorrect expression of a cell's genes, causing cells to differentiate and proliferate abnormally, grow out of control, and can invade adjacent parts of the body and spread to other organs

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According to the changes of cancer cells at the level of molecular expression and cellular organization, various microscopic imaging techniques are used to screen and identify cancer cells.

HE-stained pathological sections of breast cancer were taken by Mingmei biological microscope with msx2, cytoplasm in red and chromosomes in blue

(2) Immunohistochemistry (IHC) The popular meaning of immunohistochemistry is to magnify the cancer cells in the cancer tissue to the molecular level, and look through the microscope to see what features are different from other cells at this level, because the protein They appear in different places in the body, some proteins are all over the body, and some proteins only appear in some specific organs and tissues.

Immunohistochemical pathological tissue photographed by ML51+MSX2

IHC-HER2 detection, morphological changes of cancer cells, accompanied by angiogenesis

(3) Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) Fluorescence in situ hybridization is a technique that uses fluorescein-labeled probes to detect the hybridization of probes to chromosomes in metaphase or chromatin in interphase

Different types of cancer cells have specific gene fragments.
FISH technology is used for specific labeling, and the expression characteristics of specific fluorescent signals are used to determine whether there are cancer cells or cancer cell types
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In clinical application, FISH has strong advantages in the diagnosis of breast cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, blood tumors and other aspects and guiding medication
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FISH images taken by MF43-N+MC50-S with four-band light source

(4) Circulating tumor detection (CTC) cancer cells have the characteristics of tissue infiltration and metastasis, and can break away from the primary tumor and enter the circulation system
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Circulating tumor cells are tumor cells that are detached from solid tumors and enter the peripheral blood circulation
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Through the detection of the number of CTCs in the blood, protein expression, and gene sequence detection, information about tumor-related lesions can be obtained, which can make up for the limitations of difficult-to-obtain tumor tissue, and CTCs can be repeatedly sampled and have the function of real-time monitoring
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CTC detection by MF43-N
 

(5) Research on tumor cell culture Tumor cell culture is an important means to study the mechanism of carcinogenesis, tumor cells and their characteristic molecular biological characteristics, and drug sensitivity
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Cancer cells account for the largest proportion of the currently established cell lines.
This application has many advantages for tumor research: (1) It is convenient to study the structure and function of tumor cells at the cellular level, and it can also study the mechanism of canceration at the genetic and molecular levels.
2) It can be passaged for a long time, which is convenient for observation and research on the biological characteristics and genetic behavior of tumor cells; 3) It can be used for rapid drug screening and drug resistance mechanism research
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Tumor cell culture - scratch assay

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Difficulties in the Application of Microscopic Imaging in Cancer Research
 

(1) Obtaining the signal of each fluorophore in multi-color fluorescence microscopy.

Cancer cells usually have one or more specific markers, correspondingly need to use a variety of fluorescent dyes or fluorescent probes, how to obtain in one image Multi-channel fluorescence signals can be challenging
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The challenges mainly come from the following aspects:
① Excitation light source, multi-channel fluorescence imaging requires the excitation light source to have a relatively wide spectrum, with better peak characteristics in the excitation spectrum of fluorescent dyes or fluorescent probes; ② Filters, for different fluorescence Select appropriate filters for dyes to ensure the passage of fluorescent signals and avoid the interference of other stray light; 3.
Image quality, fluorescent signals are usually weak, and high-sensitivity cameras are used to capture weak fluorescent signals; ④ Fluorescence image processing, For the processing method of multi-channel fluorescence image superposition, it is necessary to ensure the stability and clarity of the superimposed image
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(2) Interpretation and scanning
of pathological sections Clinically, molecular typing of cancer cells by pathological sections is the gold standard for cancer diagnosis
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The typical pathological observation is to find the local diseased tissue under the high magnification objective lens by moving the stage, and make judgment and classification.
This method has several limitations:
① The imaging area of ​​the high magnification lens is small, and the abnormal cells in the whole sliced ​​tissue are analyzed.
Positioning requires moving the stage multiple times, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and requires high operators; ② The entire sliced ​​tissue cannot be imaged on one image, which cannot meet the needs of judging the overall morphological characteristics of the pathological tissue
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The solution to this is generally to use a slice scanning system.
Through the motorized scanning platform and splicing analysis software, a high-resolution global map can be obtained, which is convenient for pathological analysis of the overall morphology of the sliced ​​tissue, and at the same time, it is convenient to locate and enlarge the local pathological tissue.
observe
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Mingmei Solutions
 

(1) All-round type: two-in-one section scanning system + conventional brightfield fluorescence imaging Recommended: Mingmei digital section scanning system + MF43-N + MSX2/MS60

• At the same time, it takes into account the need for scanning a small number of slices and the function of conventional brightfield fluorescence observation.
  

• Mingmei slice scanning system can be used with some of the four major brands alone

• It can be applied to routine pathological slice scanning observation, CTC, FISH, IHC detection, etc.
  

(2) FISH, CTC, IHC detection recommendation: MF43-N/MF53-N+MC50-S/MS23+FISH software

• Equipped with a fluorescence module, according to the needs of research and observation, it can be matched with fluorescence channels such as B\G\U\Y\R

• High-sensitivity camera, even weak fluorescence signals can be clearly imaged

• FISH software, intelligently optimize fluorescence images, one-click synthesis of multi-color fluorescence images

(3) Recommended for routine brightfield slice observation: ML31/ML41/ML51+MS60/MSX2

• High-quality objective lens, high-resolution imaging, clearer grasp of details

• High stability stage, easier to use for a long time

• High-resolution camera, true color reproduction of images

(4) Recommendation for observation of cancer cell culture research: live cell imager + tablet/mobile phone

• Small and lightweight, it does not take up space on the ultra-clean workbench

• Connect your phone or tablet wirelessly to avoid pollution caused by contact

• Can be intensively equipped with brightfield, phase contrast and monochromatic or multi-color fluorescence functions to meet different cell observation requirements

(5) Upgrading recommendation for four major brands of fluorescence microscopes: upright 6-hole fluorescence turntable/original fluorescence arm + MG-100/MG-120 + MS23/MC50-S + MFISH software

• Mingmei provides a variety of filter sets of different specifications, suitable for four major brands of mainstream fluorescent modules

• MG-100/MG-120 new LED fluorescent light source has stable excitation effect, and has a long lifespan immediately after use

• High-sensitivity camera MS23/MC50-S, with MFISH software to meet the needs of high-quality FISH imaging

• Cost-effective upgrade cost, excellent fluorescence effect

Mingmei is a high-tech enterprise focusing on the research and development and sales of microscopic imaging products
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The company has always insisted on operating with integrity, serving with heart, and providing microscopic imaging solutions
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Provide efficient and stable products and services for our customers in education, scientific research, medicine, and industrial testing
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Always focus on customer needs, take quality as the foundation, and take innovation as the direction to promote the digitization, electrification and intelligence of the microscopy industry, and contribute to the localization process in the microscopy field
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If you are interested in or have doubts about microscopic imaging products, Mingmei Optoelectronics welcomes your consultation.
The consultation telephone number: 400-880-1910, and we look forward to meeting you!