1
|
Parra A, Denkova D, Burgos-Artizzu XP, Aroca E, Casals M, Godeau A, Ares M, Ferrer-Vaquer A, Massafret O, Oliver-Vila I, Mestres E, Acacio M, Costa-Borges N, Rebollo E, Chiang HJ, Fraser SE, Cutrale F, Seriola A, Ojosnegros S. METAPHOR: Metabolic evaluation through phasor-based hyperspectral imaging and organelle recognition for mouse blastocysts and oocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315043121. [PMID: 38968128 PMCID: PMC11252780 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315043121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Only 30% of embryos from in vitro fertilized oocytes successfully implant and develop to term, leading to repeated transfer cycles. To reduce time-to-pregnancy and stress for patients, there is a need for a diagnostic tool to better select embryos and oocytes based on their physiology. The current standard employs brightfield imaging, which provides limited physiological information. Here, we introduce METAPHOR: Metabolic Evaluation through Phasor-based Hyperspectral Imaging and Organelle Recognition. This non-invasive, label-free imaging method combines two-photon illumination and AI to deliver the metabolic profile of embryos and oocytes based on intrinsic autofluorescence signals. We used it to classify i) mouse blastocysts cultured under standard conditions or with depletion of selected metabolites (glucose, pyruvate, lactate); and ii) oocytes from young and old mouse females, or in vitro-aged oocytes. The imaging process was safe for blastocysts and oocytes. The METAPHOR classification of control vs. metabolites-depleted embryos reached an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 93.7%, compared to 51% achieved for human grading using brightfield imaging. The binary classification of young vs. old/in vitro-aged oocytes and their blastulation prediction using METAPHOR reached an AUC of 96.2% and 82.2%, respectively. Finally, organelle recognition and segmentation based on the flavin adenine dinucleotide signal revealed that quantification of mitochondria size and distribution can be used as a biomarker to classify oocytes and embryos. The performance and safety of the method highlight the accuracy of noninvasive metabolic imaging as a complementary approach to evaluate oocytes and embryos based on their physiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Albert Parra
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Denitza Denkova
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Xavier P. Burgos-Artizzu
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
- Movumtech SL, Madrid28003, Spain
| | - Ester Aroca
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Marc Casals
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Amélie Godeau
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Miguel Ares
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Anna Ferrer-Vaquer
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Ot Massafret
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | | | - Enric Mestres
- Embryotools SL, R&D department, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Mònica Acacio
- Embryotools SL, R&D department, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | | | - Elena Rebollo
- Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Unit, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB - CSIC), Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Hsiao Ju Chiang
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
- Alfred Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
| | - Scott E. Fraser
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
- Alfred Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
| | - Francesco Cutrale
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
- Alfred Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
| | - Anna Seriola
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Samuel Ojosnegros
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Thompson JG, McLennan HJ, Heinrich SL, Inge MP, Gardner DK, Harvey AJ. A brief history of technical developments in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Dedicated to the memory of J.M. Cummins. Reprod Fertil Dev 2024; 36:RD24047. [PMID: 38902908 DOI: 10.1071/rd24047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an assisted reproductive technology for treatment of severe male infertility introduced into clinical practice in 1992. This review provides a brief history of the development of ICSI by acknowledging major developments in the field. The review addresses key developments in pre-clinical and early studies, how ICSI compares with in vitro fertilisation, long-term consequences, how the mechanistic approach to ICSI has changed in both manual and semi-automated approaches, and how sperm selection procedures are integrated into ICSI. From the beginnings using animal models in the 1960-1970s, the development of ICSI is a remarkable and transformative success story. Indeed, its broad use (70% of cycles globally) exceeds the need required for treating infertile males, and this remains a controversial issue. There remain questions around the long-term health impacts of ICSI. Furthermore, advances in automation of the ICSI procedure are occurring. An estimated 6million children have been born from the ICSI procedure. With further automation of sperm selection technologies, coupled with automation of the injection procedure, it is likely that the proportion of children born from ICSI will further increase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J G Thompson
- Fertilis Pty Ltd, Frome Road, Helen Mayo South, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; and Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; and ART Lab Solutions Pty Ltd, 10 Pulteney Street, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - H J McLennan
- Fertilis Pty Ltd, Frome Road, Helen Mayo South, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - S L Heinrich
- Fertilis Pty Ltd, Frome Road, Helen Mayo South, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - M P Inge
- Fertilis Pty Ltd, Frome Road, Helen Mayo South, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - D K Gardner
- Melbourne IVF, East Melbourne, Vic 3002, Australia; and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia
| | - A J Harvey
- Melbourne IVF, East Melbourne, Vic 3002, Australia; and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tavakoli N, Fong EJ, Coleman A, Huang YK, Bigger M, Doche ME, Kim S, Lenz HJ, Graham NA, Macklin P, Finley SD, Mumenthaler SM. Merging Metabolic Modeling and Imaging for Screening Therapeutic Targets in Colorectal Cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.24.595756. [PMID: 38826317 PMCID: PMC11142224 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.595756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a key role in metabolic reprogramming and are well-established contributors to drug resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). To exploit this metabolic crosstalk, we integrated a systems biology approach that identified key metabolic targets in a data-driven method and validated them experimentally. This process involved high-throughput computational screening to investigate the effects of enzyme perturbations predicted by a computational model of CRC metabolism to understand system-wide effects efficiently. Our results highlighted hexokinase (HK) as one of the crucial targets, which subsequently became our focus for experimental validation using patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs). Through metabolic imaging and viability assays, we found that PDTOs cultured in CAF conditioned media exhibited increased sensitivity to HK inhibition. Our approach emphasizes the critical role of integrating computational and experimental techniques in exploring and exploiting CRC-CAF crosstalk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niki Tavakoli
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Emma J. Fong
- Ellison Institute of Technology, Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA
| | - Abigail Coleman
- Ellison Institute of Technology, Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA
| | - Yu-Kai Huang
- Ellison Institute of Technology, Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA
| | - Mathias Bigger
- Ellison Institute of Technology, Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | | | - Seungil Kim
- Ellison Institute of Technology, Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA
| | - Heinz-Josef Lenz
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Nicholas A. Graham
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Paul Macklin
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Stacey D. Finley
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Shannon M. Mumenthaler
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Ellison Institute of Technology, Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sakkas D, Gulliford C, Ardestani G, Ocali O, Martins M, Talasila N, Shah JS, Penzias AS, Seidler EA, Sanchez T. Metabolic imaging of human embryos is predictive of ploidy status but is not associated with clinical pregnancy outcomes: a pilot trial. Hum Reprod 2024; 39:516-525. [PMID: 38195766 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)-based metabolic imaging assessment of human blastocysts prior to frozen transfer correlate with pregnancy outcomes? SUMMARY ANSWER FLIM failed to distinguish consistent patterns in mitochondrial metabolism between blastocysts leading to pregnancy compared to those that did not. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY FLIM measurements provide quantitative information on NAD(P)H and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD+) concentrations. The metabolism of embryos has long been linked to their viability, suggesting the potential utility of metabolic measurements to aid in selection. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This was a pilot trial enrolling 121 IVF couples who consented to have their frozen blastocyst measured using non-invasive metabolic imaging. After being warmed, 105 couples' good-quality blastocysts underwent a 6-min scan in a controlled temperature and gas environment. FLIM-assessed blastocysts were then transferred without any intervention in management. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Eight metabolic parameters were obtained from each blastocyst (4 for NAD(P)H and 4 for FAD): short and long fluorescence lifetime, fluorescence intensity, and fraction of the molecule engaged with enzyme. The redox ratio (intensity of NAD(P)H)/(intensity of FAD) was also calculated. FLIM data were combined with known metadata and analyzed to quantify the ability of metabolic imaging to differentiate embryos that resulted in pregnancy from embryos that did not. De-identified discarded aneuploid human embryos (n = 158) were also measured to quantify correlations with ploidy status and other factors. Statistical comparisons were performed using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves with 5-fold cross-validation averaged over 100 repeats with random sampling. AUC values were used to quantify the ability to distinguish between classes. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE No metabolic imaging parameters showed significant differences between good-quality blastocysts resulting in pregnancy versus those that did not. A logistic regression using metabolic data and metadata produced an ROC AUC of 0.58. In contrast, robust AUCs were obtained when classifying other factors such as comparison of Day 5 (n = 64) versus Day 6 (n = 41) blastocysts (AUC = 0.78), inner cell mass versus trophectoderm (n = 105: AUC = 0.88) and aneuploid (n = 158) versus euploid and positive pregnancy embryos (n = 108) (AUC = 0.82). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The study protocol did not select which embryo to transfer and the cohort of 105 included blastocysts were all high quality. The study was also limited in number of participants and study sites. Increased power and performing the trial in more sites may have provided a stronger conclusion regarding the merits of the use of FLIM clinically. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS FLIM failed to distinguish consistent patterns in mitochondrial metabolism between good-quality blastocysts leading to pregnancy compared to those that did not. Blastocyst ploidy status was, however, highly distinguishable. In addition, embryo regions and embryo day were consistently revealed by FLIM. While metabolic imaging detects mitochondrial metabolic features in human blastocysts, this pilot trial indicates it does not have the potential to serve as an effective embryo viability detection tool. This may be because mitochondrial metabolism plays an alternative role post-implantation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was sponsored by Optiva Fertility, Inc. Boston IVF contributed to the clinical site and services. Becker Hickl, GmbH, provided the FLIM system on loan. T.S. was the founder and held stock in Optiva Fertility, Inc., and D.S. and E.S. had options with Optiva Fertility, Inc., during this study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER The study was approved by WCG Connexus IRB (Study Number 1298156).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denny Sakkas
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Olcay Ocali
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Jaimin S Shah
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alan S Penzias
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily A Seidler
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fluks M, Collier R, Walewska A, Bruce AW, Ajduk A. How great thou ART: biomechanical properties of oocytes and embryos as indicators of quality in assisted reproductive technologies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1342905. [PMID: 38425501 PMCID: PMC10902081 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1342905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) have revolutionized infertility treatment and animal breeding, but their success largely depends on selecting high-quality oocytes for fertilization and embryos for transfer. During preimplantation development, embryos undergo complex morphogenetic processes, such as compaction and cavitation, driven by cellular forces dependent on cytoskeletal dynamics and cell-cell interactions. These processes are pivotal in dictating an embryo's capacity to implant and progress to full-term development. Hence, a comprehensive grasp of the biomechanical attributes characterizing healthy oocytes and embryos is essential for selecting those with higher developmental potential. Various noninvasive techniques have emerged as valuable tools for assessing biomechanical properties without disturbing the oocyte or embryo physiological state, including morphokinetics, analysis of cytoplasmic movement velocity, or quantification of cortical tension and elasticity using microaspiration. By shedding light on the cytoskeletal processes involved in chromosome segregation, cytokinesis, cellular trafficking, and cell adhesion, underlying oogenesis, and embryonic development, this review explores the significance of embryo biomechanics in ART and its potential implications for improving clinical IVF outcomes, offering valuable insights and research directions to enhance oocyte and embryo selection procedures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Fluks
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Rebecca Collier
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Agnieszka Walewska
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alexander W. Bruce
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Anna Ajduk
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hu L, Wang N, Bryant JD, Liu L, Xie L, West AP, Walsh AJ. Label-free spatially maintained measurements of metabolic phenotypes in cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1293268. [PMID: 38090715 PMCID: PMC10715269 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1293268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming at a cellular level contributes to many diseases including cancer, yet few assays are capable of measuring metabolic pathway usage by individual cells within living samples. Here, autofluorescence lifetime imaging is combined with single-cell segmentation and machine-learning models to predict the metabolic pathway usage of cancer cells. The metabolic activities of MCF7 breast cancer cells and HepG2 liver cancer cells were controlled by growing the cells in culture media with specific substrates and metabolic inhibitors. Fluorescence lifetime images of two endogenous metabolic coenzymes, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and oxidized flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), were acquired by a multi-photon fluorescence lifetime microscope and analyzed at the cellular level. Quantitative changes of NADH and FAD lifetime components were observed for cells using glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, and glutaminolysis. Conventional machine learning models trained with the autofluorescence features classified cells as dependent on glycolytic or oxidative metabolism with 90%-92% accuracy. Furthermore, adapting convolutional neural networks to predict cancer cell metabolic perturbations from the autofluorescence lifetime images provided improved performance, 95% accuracy, over traditional models trained via extracted features. Additionally, the model trained with the lifetime features of cancer cells could be transferred to autofluorescence lifetime images of T cells, with a prediction that 80% of activated T cells were glycolytic, and 97% of quiescent T cells were oxidative. In summary, autofluorescence lifetime imaging combined with machine learning models can detect metabolic perturbations between glycolysis and oxidative metabolism of living samples at a cellular level, providing a label-free technology to study cellular metabolism and metabolic heterogeneity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linghao Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Nianchao Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Joshua D. Bryant
- Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Lin Liu
- Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Linglin Xie
- Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - A. Phillip West
- Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Alex J. Walsh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gottlieb D, Asadipour B, Kostina P, Ung TPL, Stringari C. FLUTE: A Python GUI for interactive phasor analysis of FLIM data. BIOLOGICAL IMAGING 2023; 3:e21. [PMID: 38487690 PMCID: PMC10936343 DOI: 10.1017/s2633903x23000211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a powerful technique used to probe the local environment of fluorophores. The fit-free phasor approach to FLIM data is increasingly being used due to its ease of interpretation. To date, no open-source graphical user interface (GUI) for phasor analysis of FLIM data is available in Python, thus limiting the widespread use of phasor analysis in biomedical research. Here, we present Fluorescence Lifetime Ultimate Explorer (FLUTE), a Python GUI that is designed to fill this gap. FLUTE simplifies and automates many aspects of the analysis of FLIM data acquired in the time domain, such as calibrating the FLIM data, performing interactive exploration of the phasor plot, displaying phasor plots and FLIM images with different lifetime contrasts simultaneously, and calculating the distance from known molecular species. After applying desired filters and thresholds, the final edited datasets can be exported for further user-specific analysis. FLUTE has been tested using several FLIM datasets including autofluorescence of zebrafish embryos and in vitro cells. In summary, our user-friendly GUI extends the advantages of phasor plotting by making the data visualization and analysis easy and interactive, allows for analysis of large FLIM datasets, and accelerates FLIM analysis for non-specialized labs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dale Gottlieb
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Bahar Asadipour
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Polina Kostina
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Thi Phuong Lien Ung
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Chiara Stringari
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chiang HJ, Koo DES, Kitano M, Burkitt S, Unruh JR, Zavaleta C, Trinh LA, Fraser SE, Cutrale F. HyU: Hybrid Unmixing for longitudinal in vivo imaging of low signal-to-noise fluorescence. Nat Methods 2023; 20:248-258. [PMID: 36658278 PMCID: PMC9911352 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-022-01751-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of fluorescence bioimaging toward more complex systems and geometries requires analytical tools capable of spanning widely varying timescales and length scales, cleanly separating multiple fluorescent labels and distinguishing these labels from background autofluorescence. Here we meet these challenging objectives for multispectral fluorescence microscopy, combining hyperspectral phasors and linear unmixing to create Hybrid Unmixing (HyU). HyU is efficient and robust, capable of quantitative signal separation even at low illumination levels. In dynamic imaging of developing zebrafish embryos and in mouse tissue, HyU was able to cleanly and efficiently unmix multiple fluorescent labels, even in demanding volumetric timelapse imaging settings. HyU permits high dynamic range imaging, allowing simultaneous imaging of bright exogenous labels and dim endogenous labels. This enables coincident studies of tagged components, cellular behaviors and cellular metabolism within the same specimen, providing more accurate insights into the orchestrated complexity of biological systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao Ju Chiang
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Daniel E. S. Koo
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Masahiro Kitano
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Sean Burkitt
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Jay R. Unruh
- grid.250820.d0000 0000 9420 1591Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO USA
| | - Cristina Zavaleta
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Le A. Trinh
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Scott E. Fraser
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Francesco Cutrale
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ji M, Zhong J, Xue R, Su W, Kong Y, Fei Y, Ma J, Wang Y, Mi L. Early Detection of Cervical Cancer by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy Combined with Unsupervised Machine Learning. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911476. [PMID: 36232778 PMCID: PMC9570424 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer has high morbidity and mortality rates, affecting hundreds of thousands of women worldwide and requiring more accurate screening for early intervention and follow-up treatment. Cytology is the current dominant clinical screening approach, and though it has been used for decades, it has unsatisfactory sensitivity and specificity. In this work, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) was used for the imaging of exfoliated cervical cells in which an endogenous coenzyme involved in metabolism, namely, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) [NAD(P)H], was detected to evaluate the metabolic status of cells. FLIM images from 71 participants were analyzed by the unsupervised machine learning method to build a prediction model for cervical cancer risk. The FLIM method combined with unsupervised machine learning (FLIM-ML) had a sensitivity and specificity of 90.9% and 100%, respectively, significantly higher than those of the cytology approach. One cancer recurrence case was predicted as high-risk several months earlier using this method as compared to using current clinical methods, implying that FLIM-ML may be very helpful for follow-up cancer care. This study illustrates the clinical applicability of FLIM-ML as a detection method for cervical cancer screening and a convenient tool for follow-up cancer care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingmei Ji
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jiahui Zhong
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Academy for Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Runzhe Xue
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Wenhua Su
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yawei Kong
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yiyan Fei
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jiong Ma
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Academy for Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, The Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems (MRICS), School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yulan Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 26 Shengli Street, Wuhan 430014, China
- Correspondence: (Y.W.); (L.M.)
| | - Lan Mi
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Academy for Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Correspondence: (Y.W.); (L.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Borisov AV, Zakharova OA, Samarinova AA, Yunusova NV, Cheremisina OV, Kistenev YV. A Criterion of Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis Using Exosome Fluorescence-Lifetime Imaging. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12081792. [PMID: 35892503 PMCID: PMC9394250 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12081792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was aimed to investigate the applicability of the exosome fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis. Differential ultra-centrifugation was used to extract exosomes from the blood plasma of 11 patients with colon polyps (CPs) and 13 patients with CRC at the T2-4, N0-3, and M0-1 stages. Analysis was performed using a two-photon FLIM device. In total, 165 and 195 FLIM images were recorded for the CP and CCR patient groups, respectively. Two classes of exosomes differentiated by autofluorescence average lifetime tm were discovered in the samples. The first class of exosomes with tm = (0.21 ± 0.06) ns was mostly found in samples from CRC patients. The second class with tm = (0.43 ± 0.19) ns was mostly found in samples from CP patients. The relative number of “CRC-associated” exosomes Nch in the FLIM dataset was shown to be very small for the CP patient group and large for the CRC patient group. This difference was statistically significant. Therefore, the suggested CRS diagnostics criterion can be as follows. If Nch > 0.5, the probability of CRC is high. If Nch < 0.3, the probability of CRC is low.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexey V. Borisov
- Laboratory of Laser Molecular Imaging and Machine Learning, National Research Tomsk State University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; (A.V.B.); (O.A.Z.); (A.A.S.)
| | - Olga A. Zakharova
- Laboratory of Laser Molecular Imaging and Machine Learning, National Research Tomsk State University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; (A.V.B.); (O.A.Z.); (A.A.S.)
| | - Alisa A. Samarinova
- Laboratory of Laser Molecular Imaging and Machine Learning, National Research Tomsk State University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; (A.V.B.); (O.A.Z.); (A.A.S.)
| | - Natalia V. Yunusova
- Laboratory of Tumor Biochemistry, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center RAS, 634009 Tomsk, Russia; (N.V.Y.); (O.V.C.)
| | - Olga V. Cheremisina
- Laboratory of Tumor Biochemistry, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center RAS, 634009 Tomsk, Russia; (N.V.Y.); (O.V.C.)
| | - Yury V. Kistenev
- Laboratory of Laser Molecular Imaging and Machine Learning, National Research Tomsk State University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; (A.V.B.); (O.A.Z.); (A.A.S.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sivelli G, Conley GM, Herrera C, Marable K, Rodriguez KJ, Bollwein H, Sudano MJ, Brugger J, Simpson AJ, Boero G, Grisi M. NMR spectroscopy of a single mammalian early stage embryo. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2022; 335:107142. [PMID: 34999310 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2021.107142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The resolving power, chemical sensitivity and non-invasive nature of NMR have made it an established technique for in vivo studies of large organisms both for research and clinical applications. NMR would clearly be beneficial for analysis of entities at the microscopic scale of about 1 nL (the nanoliter scale), typical of early development of mammalian embryos, microtissues and organoids: the scale where the building blocks of complex organisms could be observed. However, the handling of such small samples (about 100 µm) and sensitivity issues have prevented a widespread adoption of NMR. In this article we show how these limitations can be overcome to obtain NMR spectra of a mammalian embryo in its early stage. To achieve this we employ ultra-compact micro-chip technologies in combination with 3D-printed micro-structures. Such device is packaged for use as plug & play sensor and it shows sufficient sensitivity to resolve NMR signals from individual bovine pre-implantation embryos. The embryos in this study are obtained through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) techniques, transported cryopreserved to the NMR laboratory, and measured shortly after thawing. In less than 1 h these spherical samples of just 130-190 µm produce distinct spectral peaks, largely originating from lipids contained inside them. We further observe how the spectra vary from one sample to another despite their optical and morphological similarities, suggesting that the method can further develop into a non-invasive embryo assay for selection prior to embryo transfer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carolina Herrera
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Department for Farm Animals, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Kyle J Rodriguez
- Microsystems Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Heinrich Bollwein
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Department for Farm Animals, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mateus J Sudano
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Jürgen Brugger
- Microsystems Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andre J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Center, University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto M1C1A5, Canada
| | - Giovanni Boero
- Environmental NMR Center, University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto M1C1A5, Canada
| | - Marco Grisi
- Annaida Technologies SA, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Venturas M, Shah JS, Yang X, Sanchez TH, Conway W, Sakkas D, Needleman DJ. Metabolic state of human blastocysts measured by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:411-427. [PMID: 34999823 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Can non-invasive metabolic imaging via fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) detect variations in metabolic profiles between discarded human blastocysts? SUMMARY ANSWER FLIM revealed extensive variations in the metabolic state of discarded human blastocysts associated with blastocyst development over 36 h, the day after fertilization and blastocyst developmental stage, as well as metabolic heterogeneity within individual blastocysts. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Mammalian embryos undergo large changes in metabolism over the course of preimplantation development. Embryo metabolism has long been linked to embryo viability, suggesting its potential utility in ART to aid in selecting high quality embryos. However, the metabolism of human embryos remains poorly characterized due to a lack of non-invasive methods to measure their metabolic state. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We conducted a prospective observational study. We used 215 morphologically normal human embryos from 137 patients that were discarded and donated for research under an approved institutional review board protocol. These embryos were imaged using metabolic imaging via FLIM to measure the autofluorescence of two central coenzymes, nicotinamide adenine (phosphate) dinucleotide (NAD(P)H) and flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD+), which are essential for cellular respiration and glycolysis. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Here, we used non-invasive FLIM to measure the metabolic state of human blastocysts. We first studied spatial patterns in the metabolic state within human blastocysts and the association of the metabolic state of the whole blastocysts with stage of expansion, day of development since fertilization and morphology. We explored the sensitivity of this technique in detecting metabolic variations between blastocysts from the same patient and between patients. Next, we explored whether FLIM can quantitatively measure metabolic changes through human blastocyst expansion and hatching via time-lapse imaging. For all test conditions, the level of significance was set at P < 0.05 after correction for multiple comparisons using Benjamini-Hochberg's false discovery rate. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE We found that FLIM is sensitive enough to detect significant metabolic differences between blastocysts. We found that metabolic variations between blastocyst are partially explained by both the time since fertilization and their developmental expansion stage (P < 0.05), but not their morphological grade. Substantial metabolic variations between blastocysts from the same patients remain, even after controlling for these factors. We also observe significant metabolic heterogeneity within individual blastocysts, including between the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm, and between the portions of hatching blastocysts within and without the zona pellucida (P < 0.05). And finally, we observed that the metabolic state of human blastocysts continuously varies over time. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Although we observed significant variations in metabolic parameters, our data are taken from human blastocysts that were discarded and donated for research and we do not know their clinical outcome. Moreover, the embryos used in this study are a mixture of aneuploid, euploid and embryos of unknown ploidy. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This work reveals novel aspects of the metabolism of human blastocysts and suggests that FLIM is a promising approach to assess embryo viability through non-invasive, quantitative measurements of their metabolism. These results further demonstrate that FLIM can provide biologically relevant information that may be valuable for the assessment of embryo quality. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Supported by the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator Grant at Harvard University. Becker and Hickl GmbH and Boston Electronics sponsored research with the loaning of equipment for FLIM. D.J.N. is an inventor on patent US20170039415A1. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Venturas
- Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola, Spain
| | - Jaimin S Shah
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Boston IVF, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Xingbo Yang
- Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - William Conway
- Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Dan J Needleman
- Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Yang X, Ha G, Needleman D. A coarse-grained NADH redox model enables inference of subcellular metabolic fluxes from fluorescence lifetime imaging. eLife 2021; 10:73808. [PMID: 34806591 PMCID: PMC8935353 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial metabolism is of central importance to diverse aspects of cell and developmental biology. Defects in mitochondria are associated with many diseases, including cancer, neuropathology, and infertility. Our understanding of mitochondrial metabolism in situ and dysfunction in diseases are limited by the lack of techniques to measure mitochondrial metabolic fluxes with sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. Herein, we developed a new method to infer mitochondrial metabolic fluxes in living cells with subcellular resolution from fluorescence lifetime imaging of NADH. This result is based on the use of a generic coarse-grained NADH redox model. We tested the model in mouse oocytes and human tissue culture cells subject to a wide variety of perturbations by comparing predicted fluxes through the electron transport chain (ETC) to direct measurements of oxygen consumption rate. Interpreting the fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy measurements of NADH using this model, we discovered a homeostasis of ETC flux in mouse oocytes: perturbations of nutrient supply and energy demand of the cell do not change ETC flux despite significantly impacting NADH metabolic state. Furthermore, we observed a subcellular spatial gradient of ETC flux in mouse oocytes and found that this gradient is primarily a result of a spatially heterogeneous mitochondrial proton leak. We concluded from these observations that ETC flux in mouse oocytes is not controlled by energy demand or supply, but by the intrinsic rates of mitochondrial respiration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingbo Yang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Gloria Ha
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Dan Needleman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
From Zygote to Blastocyst: Application of Ultrashort Lasers in the Field of Assisted Reproduction and Developmental Biology. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11101897. [PMID: 34679594 PMCID: PMC8534476 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11101897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the use of lasers in medical diagnosis and therapies, as well as in fundamental biomedical research is now almost routine, advanced laser sources and new laser-based methods continue to emerge. Due to the unique ability of ultrashort laser pulses to deposit energy into a microscopic volume in the bulk of a transparent material without disrupting the surrounding tissues, the ultrashort laser-based microsurgery of cells and subcellular components within structurally complex and fragile specimens such as embryos is becoming an important tool in developmental biology and reproductive medicine. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of ultrashort laser pulse interaction with the matter, advantages of their application for oocyte and preimplantation embryo microsurgery (e.g., for oocyte/blastomere enucleation and embryonic cell fusion), as well as for nonlinear optical microscopy for studying the dynamics of embryonic development and embryo quality assessment. Moreover, we focus on ultrashort laser-based approaches and techniques that are increasingly being applied in the fundamental research and have the potential for successful translation into the IVF (in vitro fertilization) clinics, such as laser-mediated individual embryo labelling and controlled laser-assisted hatching.
Collapse
|
15
|
Xu J, Fan S, Xu L, Maruyama A, Fujitsuka M, Kawai K. Control of Triplet Blinking Using Cyclooctatetraene to Access the Dynamics of Biomolecules at the Single‐Molecule Level. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202101606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xu
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| | - Shuya Fan
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| | - Lei Xu
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| | - Atsushi Maruyama
- Department of Life Science and Technology Tokyo Institute of Technology 4259 B-57 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku Yokohama Kanagawa 226-8501 Japan
| | - Mamoru Fujitsuka
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| | - Kiyohiko Kawai
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Xu J, Fan S, Xu L, Maruyama A, Fujitsuka M, Kawai K. Control of Triplet Blinking Using Cyclooctatetraene to Access the Dynamics of Biomolecules at the Single‐Molecule Level. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:12941-12948. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202101606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xu
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| | - Shuya Fan
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| | - Lei Xu
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| | - Atsushi Maruyama
- Department of Life Science and Technology Tokyo Institute of Technology 4259 B-57 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku Yokohama Kanagawa 226-8501 Japan
| | - Mamoru Fujitsuka
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| | - Kiyohiko Kawai
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) Osaka University Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0047 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Dmitriev RI, Intes X, Barroso MM. Luminescence lifetime imaging of three-dimensional biological objects. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:1-17. [PMID: 33961054 PMCID: PMC8126452 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.254763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A major focus of current biological studies is to fill the knowledge gaps between cell, tissue and organism scales. To this end, a wide array of contemporary optical analytical tools enable multiparameter quantitative imaging of live and fixed cells, three-dimensional (3D) systems, tissues, organs and organisms in the context of their complex spatiotemporal biological and molecular features. In particular, the modalities of luminescence lifetime imaging, comprising fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLI) and phosphorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (PLIM), in synergy with Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays, provide a wealth of information. On the application side, the luminescence lifetime of endogenous molecules inside cells and tissues, overexpressed fluorescent protein fusion biosensor constructs or probes delivered externally provide molecular insights at multiple scales into protein-protein interaction networks, cellular metabolism, dynamics of molecular oxygen and hypoxia, physiologically important ions, and other physical and physiological parameters. Luminescence lifetime imaging offers a unique window into the physiological and structural environment of cells and tissues, enabling a new level of functional and molecular analysis in addition to providing 3D spatially resolved and longitudinal measurements that can range from microscopic to macroscopic scale. We provide an overview of luminescence lifetime imaging and summarize key biological applications from cells and tissues to organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruslan I. Dmitriev
- Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Group, Department of
Human Structure and Repair, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,
Ghent University, Ghent 9000,
Belgium
| | - Xavier Intes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for
Modeling, Simulation and Imaging for Medicine (CeMSIM),
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
12180-3590, USA
| | - Margarida M. Barroso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular
Physiology, Albany Medical College,
Albany, NY 12208, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Iyer S, Mukherjee S, Kumar M. Watching the embryo: Evolution of the microscope for the study of embryogenesis. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000238. [PMID: 33837551 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Embryos and microscopes share a long, remarkable history and biologists have always been intrigued to watch how embryos develop under the microscope. Here we discuss the advances in microscopy which have greatly influenced our current understanding of embryogenesis. We highlight the evolution of microscopes and the optical technologies that have been instrumental in studying various developmental processes. These imaging modalities provide mechanistic insights into the dynamic cellular and molecular events which drive lineage commitment and morphogenetic changes in the developing embryo. We begin the journey with a brief history of microscopy to study embryos. First, we review the principles and optics of light, fluorescence, confocal, and electron microscopy which have been key techniques for imaging cellular and molecular events during embryonic development. Next, we discuss recent key imaging modalities such as light-sheet microscopy, which are suitable for whole embryo imaging. Further, we highlight imaging techniques like multiphoton and super resolution microscopy for beyond light diffraction limit, high resolution imaging. Lastly, we review some of the scattering-based imaging methods and techniques used for imaging human embryos.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sharada Iyer
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcCSIR), CSIR-CCMB campus, Uppal road, Hyderabad, 500007, India.,CSIR - Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
| | | | - Megha Kumar
- CSIR - Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Li Y, Tian J, Li DDU. Theoretical investigations of a modified compressed ultrafast photography method suitable for single-shot fluorescence lifetime imaging. APPLIED OPTICS 2021; 60:1476-1483. [PMID: 33690594 DOI: 10.1364/ao.415594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A single-shot fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) method based on the compressed ultrafast photography (CUP) is proposed, named space-restricted CUP (srCUP). srCUP is suitable for imaging objects moving slowly (<∼150/Mmm/s, M is the magnification of the objective lens) in the field of view with the intensity changing within nanoseconds in a measurement window around 10 ns. We used synthetic datasets to explore the performances of srCUP compared with CUP and TCUP (a variant of CUP). srCUP not only provides superior reconstruction performances, but its reconstruction speed is also twofold and threefold faster than CUP and TCUP, respectively. The lifetime determination performances were assessed by estimating lifetime components, amplitude- and intensity-weighted average lifetimes (τA and τI), with the reconstructed scenes using the least squares method based on a bi-exponential model. srCUP has the best accuracy and precision for lifetime determinations with a relative bias less than 7% and a coefficient of variation less than 7% for τA, and a relative bias less than 10% and a coefficient of variation less than 11% for τI.
Collapse
|
20
|
Tavakoli M, Jazani S, Sgouralis I, Heo W, Ishii K, Tahara T, Pressé S. Direct Photon-by-Photon Analysis of Time-Resolved Pulsed Excitation Data using Bayesian Nonparametrics. CELL REPORTS. PHYSICAL SCIENCE 2020; 1:100234. [PMID: 34414380 PMCID: PMC8373049 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2020.100234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Lifetimes of chemical species are typically estimated by either fitting time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) histograms or phasor analysis from time-resolved photon arrivals. While both methods yield lifetimes in a computationally efficient manner, their performance is limited by choices made on the number of distinct chemical species contributing photons. However, the number of species is encoded in the photon arrival times collected for each illuminated spot and need not be set by hand a priori. Here, we propose a direct photon-by-photon analysis of data drawn from pulsed excitation experiments to infer, simultaneously and self-consistently, the number of species and their associated lifetimes from a few thousand photons. We do so by leveraging new mathematical tools within the Bayesian nonparametric. We benchmark our method for both simulated and experimental data for 1-4 species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meysam Tavakoli
- Department of Physics, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sina Jazani
- Center for Biological Physics, Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Ioannis Sgouralis
- Center for Biological Physics, Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Wooseok Heo
- Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Ishii
- Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Ultrafast Spectroscopy Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics (RAP), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Tahei Tahara
- Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Ultrafast Spectroscopy Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics (RAP), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Steve Pressé
- Center for Biological Physics, Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Lead Contact
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Non-invasive imaging of mouse embryo metabolism in response to induced hypoxia. J Assist Reprod Genet 2020; 37:1797-1805. [PMID: 32852649 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-020-01872-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study used noninvasive, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)-based imaging of NADH and FAD to characterize the metabolic response of mouse embryos to short-term oxygen deprivation. We investigated the response to hypoxia at various preimplantation stages. METHODS Mouse oocytes and embryos were exposed to transient hypoxia by dropping the oxygen concentration in media from 5-0% over the course of ~1.5 h, then 5% O2 was restored. During this time, FLIM-based metabolic imaging measurements of oocyte/embryo cohorts were taken every 3 minutes. Experiments were performed in triplicate for oocytes and embryos at the 1- to 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst stages. Maximum hypoxia response for each of eight measured quantitative FLIM parameters was taken from the time points immediately before oxygen restoration. RESULTS Metabolic profiles showed significant changes in response to hypoxia for all stages of embryo development. The response of the eight measured FLIM parameters to hypoxia was highly stage-dependent. Of the eight FLIM parameters measured, NADH and FAD intensity showed the most dramatic metabolic responses in early developmental stages. At later stages, however, other parameters, such as NADH fraction engaged and FAD lifetimes, showed greater changes. Metabolic parameter values generally returned to baseline with the restoration of 5% oxygen. CONCLUSIONS Quantitative FLIM-based metabolic imaging was highly sensitive to metabolic changes induced by hypoxia. Metabolic response profiles to oxygen deprivation were distinct at different stages, reflecting differences in metabolic plasticity as preimplantation embryos develop.
Collapse
|
22
|
Fong EJ, Strelez C, Mumenthaler SM. A Perspective on Expanding Our Understanding of Cancer Treatments by Integrating Approaches from the Biological and Physical Sciences. SLAS DISCOVERY 2020; 25:672-683. [PMID: 32297829 PMCID: PMC7372587 DOI: 10.1177/2472555220915830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Multicellular systems such as cancer suffer from immense complexity. It is imperative to capture the heterogeneity of these systems across scales to achieve a deeper understanding of the underlying biology and develop effective treatment strategies. In this perspective article, we will discuss how recent technologies and approaches from the biological and physical sciences have transformed traditional ways of measuring, interpreting, and treating cancer. During the SLAS 2019 Annual Meeting, SBI2 hosted a Special Interest Group (SIG) on this topic. Academic and industry leaders engaged in discussions surrounding what biological model systems are appropriate to study cancer complexity, what assays are necessary to interrogate this complexity, and how physical sciences approaches may be useful to detangle this complexity. In particular, we examined the utility of mathematical models in predicting cancer progression and treatment response when tightly integrated with reproducible, quantitative, and dynamic biological measurements achieved using high-content imaging and analysis. The dialogue centered around the impetus for convergent biosciences, bringing new perspectives to cancer research to further understand this complex adaptive system and successfully intervene therapeutically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma J Fong
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carly Strelez
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shannon M Mumenthaler
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Caffeine and Cisplatin Effectively Targets the Metabolism of a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line Assessed via Phasor-FLIM. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072443. [PMID: 32244616 PMCID: PMC7177700 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative tumor cells, a malignant subtype of breast cancer, lack a biologically targeted therapy. Given its DNA repair inhibiting properties, caffeine has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of specific tumor chemotherapies. In this work, we have investigated the effects of caffeine, cisplatin, and a combination of the two as potential treatments in energy metabolism for three cell lines, triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231), estrogen-receptor lacking breast cancer (MCF7) and breast epithelial cells (MCF10A) using a sensitive label-free approach, phasor-fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (phasor-FLIM). We found that solely using caffeine to treat MDA-MB-231 shifts their metabolism towards respiratory-chain phosphorylation with a lower ratio of free to bound NADH, and a similar trend is seen in MCF7. However, MDA-MB-231 cells shifted to a higher ratio of free to bound NADH when cisplatin was added. The combination of cisplatin and caffeine together reduced the survival rate for MDA-MD231 and shifted their energy metabolism to a higher fraction of bound NADH indicative of oxidative phosphorylation. The FLIM and viability results of MCF10A cells demonstrate that the treatments targeted cancer cells over the normal breast tissue. The identification of energy metabolism alteration could open up strategies of improving chemotherapy for malignant breast cancer.
Collapse
|
24
|
McLennan HJ, Saini A, Dunning KR, Thompson JG. Oocyte and embryo evaluation by AI and multi-spectral auto-fluorescence imaging: Livestock embryology needs to catch-up to clinical practice. Theriogenology 2020; 150:255-262. [PMID: 32088032 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.01.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
A highly accurate 'non-invasive quantitative embryo assessment for pregnancy' (NQEAP) technique that determines embryo quality has been an elusive goal. If developed, NQEAP would transform the selection of embryos from both Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer (MOET), and even more so, in vitro produced (IVP) embryos for livestock breeding. The area where this concept is already having impact is in the field of clinical embryology, where great strides have been taken in the application of morphokinetics and artificial intelligence (AI); while both are already in practice, rigorous and robust evidence of efficacy is still required. Even the translation of advances in the qualitative scoring of human IVF embryos have yet to be translated to the livestock IVP industry, which remains dependent on the MOET-standardised 3-point scoring system. Furthermore, there are new ways to interrogate the biochemistry of individual embryonic cells by using new, light-based methodologies, such as FLIM and hyperspectral microscopy. Combinations of these technologies, in particular combining new imaging systems with AI, will lead to very accurate NQEAP predictive tools, improving embryo selection and recipient pregnancy success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H J McLennan
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics & Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - A Saini
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics & Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - K R Dunning
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics & Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - J G Thompson
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics & Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Sanchez T, Venturas M, Aghvami SA, Yang X, Fraden S, Sakkas D, Needleman DJ. Combined noninvasive metabolic and spindle imaging as potential tools for embryo and oocyte assessment. Hum Reprod 2019; 34:2349-2361. [PMID: 31812992 PMCID: PMC6936724 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dez210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is the combined use of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)-based metabolic imaging and second harmonic generation (SHG) spindle imaging a feasible and safe approach for noninvasive embryo assessment? SUMMARY ANSWER Metabolic imaging can sensitively detect meaningful metabolic changes in embryos, SHG produces high-quality images of spindles and the methods do not significantly impair embryo viability. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Proper metabolism is essential for embryo viability. Metabolic imaging is a well-tested method for measuring metabolism of cells and tissues, but it is unclear if it is sensitive enough and safe enough for use in embryo assessment. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study consisted of time-course experiments and control versus treatment experiments. We monitored the metabolism of 25 mouse oocytes with a noninvasive metabolic imaging system while exposing them to oxamate (cytoplasmic lactate dehydrogenase inhibitor) and rotenone (mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor) in series. Mouse embryos (n = 39) were measured every 2 h from the one-cell stage to blastocyst in order to characterize metabolic changes occurring during pre-implantation development. To assess the safety of FLIM illumination, n = 144 illuminated embryos were implanted into n = 12 mice, and n = 108 nonilluminated embryos were implanted into n = 9 mice. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Experiments were performed in mouse embryos and oocytes. Samples were monitored with noninvasive, FLIM-based metabolic imaging of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) autofluorescence. Between NADH cytoplasm, NADH mitochondria and FAD mitochondria, a single metabolic measurement produces up to 12 quantitative parameters for characterizing the metabolic state of an embryo. For safety experiments, live birth rates and pup weights (mean ± SEM) were used as endpoints. For all test conditions, the level of significance was set at P < 0.05. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Measured FLIM parameters were highly sensitive to metabolic changes due to both metabolic perturbations and embryo development. For oocytes, metabolic parameter values were compared before and after exposure to oxamate and rotenone. The metabolic measurements provided a basis for complete separation of the data sets. For embryos, metabolic parameter values were compared between the first division and morula stages, morula and blastocyst and first division and blastocyst. The metabolic measurements again completely separated the data sets. Exposure of embryos to excessive illumination dosages (24 measurements) had no significant effect on live birth rate (5.1 ± 0.94 pups/mouse for illuminated group; 5.7 ± 1.74 pups/mouse for control group) or pup weights (1.88 ± 0.10 g for illuminated group; 1.89 ± 0.11 g for control group). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The study was performed using a mouse model, so conclusions concerning sensitivity and safety may not generalize to human embryos. A limitation of the live birth data is also that although cages were routinely monitored, we could not preclude that some runt pups may have been eaten. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Promising proof-of-concept results demonstrate that FLIM with SHG provide detailed biological information that may be valuable for the assessment of embryo and oocyte quality. Live birth experiments support the method's safety, arguing for further studies of the clinical utility of these techniques. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Supported by the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator Grant at Harvard University and by the Harvard Catalyst/The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (National Institutes of Health Award UL1 TR001102), by NSF grants DMR-0820484 and PFI-TT-1827309 and by NIH grant R01HD092550-01. T.S. was supported by a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology grant (1308878). S.F. and S.A. were supported by NSF MRSEC DMR-1420382. Becker and Hickl GmbH sponsored the research with the loaning of equipment for FLIM. T.S. and D.N. are cofounders and shareholders of LuminOva, Inc., and co-hold patents (US20150346100A1 and US20170039415A1) for metabolic imaging methods. D.S. is on the scientific advisory board for Cooper Surgical and has stock options with LuminOva, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Sanchez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Marta Venturas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
| | - S Ali Aghvami
- Department of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 02453
| | - Xingbo Yang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Seth Fraden
- Department of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 02453
| | - Denny Sakkas
- Boston IVF, 130 Second Avenue, Waltham, MA 02451
| | - Daniel J Needleman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| |
Collapse
|