Multimodal coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy reveals microglia-associated myelin and axonal dysfunction in multiple sclerosis-like lesions in mice

Vibrational spectroscopy and multiphoton microscopy for label-free visualization of nervous system degeneration and regeneration

Neurological disorders, including spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases, pose significant challenges in terms of diagnosis, treatment, and understanding the underlying pathophysiological processes. Label-free multiphoton microscopy techniques, such as coherent Raman scattering, two-photon excited autofluorescence, and second and third harmonic generation microscopy, have emerged as powerful tools for visualizing nervous tissue with high resolution and without the need for exogenous labels. Coherent Raman scattering processes as well as third harmonic generation enable label-free visualization of myelin sheaths, while their combination with two-photon excited autofluorescence and second harmonic generation allows for a more comprehensive tissue visualization. They have shown promise in assessing the efficacy of therapeutic interventions and may have future applications in clinical diagnostics. In addition to multiphoton microscopy, vibrational spectroscopy methods such as infrared and Raman spectroscopy offer insights into the molecular signatures of injured nervous tissues and hold potential as diagnostic markers. This review summarizes the application of these label-free optical techniques in preclinical models and illustrates their potential in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders with a special focus on injury, degeneration, and regeneration. Furthermore, it addresses current advancements and challenges for bridging the gap between research findings and their practical applications in a clinical setting.

Practices, Potential, and Perspectives for Detecting Predisease Using Raman Spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy shows great potential for practical clinical applications. By analyzing the structure and composition of molecules through real-time, non-destructive measurements of the scattered light from living cells and tissues, it offers valuable insights. The Raman spectral data directly link to the molecular composition of the cells and tissues and provides a "molecular fingerprint" for various disease states. This review focuses on the practical and clinical applications of Raman spectroscopy, especially in the early detection of human diseases. Identifying predisease, which marks the transition from a healthy to a disease state, is crucial for effective interventions to prevent disease onset. Raman spectroscopy can reveal biological processes occurring during the transition states and may eventually detect the molecular dynamics in predisease conditions.

Carotenoids contribution in rapid diagnosis of multiple sclerosis by Raman spectroscopy

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of any illness determines the success of treatment. The same applies to multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative diseases (ND) of the central nervous system (CNS). Unfortunately, the definitive diagnosis of MS is prolonged and involves mainly clinical symptoms observation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the CNS. However, as we previously reported, Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy shed new light on the minimally invasive, label-free, and rapid diagnosis of this illness through blood fraction. Herein we introduce Raman spectroscopy coupled with chemometric analysis to provide more detailed information about the biochemical changes behind MS. This pilot study demonstrates that mentioned combination may provide a new diagnostic biomarker and bring closer to rapid MS diagnosis. It has been shown that Raman spectroscopy provides lipid and carotenoid molecules as useful biomarkers which may be applied for both diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

Review: Emerging Eye-Based Diagnostic Technologies for Traumatic Brain Injury

The study of ocular manifestations of neurodegenerative disorders, Oculomics, is a growing field of investigation for early diagnostics, enabling structural and chemical biomarkers to be monitored overtime to predict prognosis. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) triggers a cascade of events harmful to the brain, which can lead to neurodegeneration. TBI, termed the "silent epidemic" is becoming a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. There is currently no effective diagnostic tool for TBI, and yet, early-intervention is known to considerably shorten hospital stays, improve outcomes, fasten neurological recovery and lower mortality rates, highlighting the unmet need for techniques capable of rapid and accurate point-of-care diagnostics, implemented in the earliest stages. This review focuses on the latest advances in the main neuropathophysiological responses and the achievements and shortfalls of TBI diagnostic methods. Validated and emerging TBI-indicative biomarkers are outlined and linked to ocular neuro-disorders. Methods detecting structural and chemical ocular responses to TBI are categorised along with prospective chemical and physical sensing techniques. Particular attention is drawn to the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a non-invasive sensing of neurological molecular signatures in the ocular projections of the brain, laying the platform for the first tangible path towards alternative point-of-care diagnostic technologies for TBI.

Contribution of Intravital Neuroimaging to Study Animal Models of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex and long-lasting neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by the loss of myelin within the white matter and cortical fibers, axonopathy, and inflammatory responses leading to consequent sensory-motor and cognitive deficits of patients. While complete resolution of the disease is not yet a reality, partial tissue repair has been observed in patients which offers hope for therapeutic strategies. To address the molecular and cellular events of the pathomechanisms, a variety of animal models have been developed to investigate distinct aspects of MS disease. Recent advances of multiscale intravital imaging facilitated the direct in vivo analysis of MS in the animal models with perspective of clinical transfer to patients. This review gives an overview of MS animal models, focusing on the current imaging modalities at the microscopic and macroscopic levels and emphasizing the importance of multimodal approaches to improve our understanding of the disease and minimize the use of animals.

SARS-CoV2 entry factors are expressed in primary human glioblastoma and recapitulated in cerebral organoid models

PURPOSE

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and malignant primary brain tumor in adults with a median overall survival of only 14.6 months despite aggressive treatment. While immunotherapy has been successful in other cancers, its benefit has been proven elusive in GBM, mainly due to a markedly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with the development of a pronounced central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory response when infecting different cells including astrocytes, endothelial cells, and microglia. While SARS-CoV2 entry factors have been described in different tissues, their presence and implication on GBM aggressiveness or microenvironment has not been studied on appropriate preclinical models.

METHODS

We evaluated the presence of crucial SARS-CoV-2 entry factors: ACE2, TMPRSS2, and NRP1 in matched surgically-derived GBM tissue, cells lines, and organoids; as well as in human brain derived specimens using immunohistochemistry, confocal pixel line intensity quantification, and transcriptome analysis.

RESULTS

We show that patient derived-GBM tissue and cell cultures express SARS-CoV2 entry factors, being NRP1 the most crucial facilitator of SARS-CoV-2 infection in GBM. Moreover, we demonstrate that, receptor expression remains present in our GBM organoids, making them an adequate model to study the effect of this virus in GBM for the potential development of viral therapies in the future.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 virus entry factors are expressed in primary tissues and organoid models and could be potentially utilized to study the susceptibility of GBM to this virus to target or modulate the tumor microenviroment.

Advances in nonlinear optical microscopy techniques for in vivo and in vitro neuroimaging

Understanding the mechanism of the brain via optical microscopy is one of the challenges in neuroimaging, considering the complex structures. Advanced neuroimaging techniques provide a more comprehensive insight into patho-mechanisms of brain disorders, which is useful in the early diagnosis of the pathological and physiological changes associated with various neurodegenerative diseases. Recent advances in optical microscopy techniques have evolved powerful tools to overcome scattering of light and provide improved in vivo neuroimaging with sub-cellular resolution, endogenous contrast specificity, pinhole less optical sectioning capability, high penetration depth, and so on. The following article reviews the developments in various optical imaging techniques including two-photon and three-photon fluorescence, second-harmonic generation, third-harmonic generation, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, and stimulated Raman scattering in neuroimaging. We have outlined the potentials and drawbacks of these techniques and their possible applications in the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases.

Label-free histomorphometry of peripheral nerve by stimulated Raman spectroscopy

BACKGROUND

Conventional processing of nerve for histomorphometry is resource-intensive, precluding use in intraoperative assessment of nerve quality during nerve transfer procedures. Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is a label-free technique that enables rapid and high-resolution histology.

METHODS

Segments of healthy murine sciatic nerve, healthy human obturator nerve, and human cross-facial nerve autografts were imaged on a custom SRS microscope. Myelinated axon quantification was performed through segmentation using a random forest machine learning algorithm in commercial software.

RESULTS

High contrast, high-resolution imaging of nerve morphology was obtained with SRS imaging. Automated myelinated axon quantification from cross-sections of healthy human nerve imaged using SRS was achieved.

CONCLUSIONS

Herein, we demonstrate the use of a label-free technique for rapid imaging of murine and human peripheral nerve cryosections. We illustrate the potential of this technique to inform intraoperative decision-making through rapid automated quantification of myelinated axons using a machine learning algorithm.

Nerve regeneration in the cephalopod mollusc Octopus vulgaris: label-free multiphoton microscopy as a tool for investigation

Octopus and cephalopods are able to regenerate injured tissues. Recent advancements in the study of regeneration in cephalopods appear promising encompassing different approaches helping to decipher cellular and molecular machinery involved in the process. However, lack of specific markers to investigate degenerative/regenerative phenomena and inflammatory events occurring after damage is limiting these studies. Label-free multiphoton microscopy is applied for the first time to the transected pallial nerve of Octopus vulgaris Various optical contrast methods including coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), endogenous two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) have been used. We detected cells and structures often not revealed with classical staining methods. CARS highlighted the involvement of haemocytes in building up scar tissue; CARS and TPEF facilitated the identification of degenerating fibres; SHG allowed visualization of fibrillary collagen, revealing the formation of a connective tissue bridge between the nerve stumps, likely involved in axon guidance. Using label-free multiphoton microscopy, we studied the regenerative events in octopus without using any other labelling techniques. These imaging methods provided extremely helpful morpho-chemical information to describe regeneration events. The techniques applied here are species-specific independent and should facilitate the comparison among various animal species.

A Method to Measure Myeloarchitecture of the Murine Cerebral Cortex in vivo and ex vivo by Intrinsic Third-Harmonic Generation

A new label-free method is presented for measuring myeloarchitecture of the murine cerebral cortex in vivo and ex vivo. Growing evidence suggests that cortical myelination plays significant roles in neuronal plasticity and pathologies, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), but illuminating the mechanism requires longitudinal imaging of the same brains. Here we demonstrate imaging unlabeled myelinated fibers in a live mouse brain by third-harmonic generation (THG). Contrary to other label-free microscopies based on reflectance, fibers of all orientations could be visualized, i.e., radial and tangential to the pia, which is suitable for revealing the three-dimensional connectivity. The depth of THG imaging in an intact brain was approximately 200 μm, so the network of myelinated fibers could be captured into layers 2/3 in vivo. THG provides a novel base for reconstruction of morphology. Semi-automatic tracing of THG-positive axons unraveled the depth-dependent distribution of the myelin lattice. Finally, a unique light property of THG was exploited for the estimation of the g-ratio. The demonstrated THG morphometry of the length density, orientation, and sheath thickness of cortical myelin could be useful for elucidating its function and how it is modulated during learning and disease.

Optical molecular imaging of corpora amylacea in human brain tissue

Label-free multiphoton imaging constitutes a promising technique for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. Corpora amylacea (CoA) are starch-like structures often found in the diseased brain, whose origin and role in nervous pathologies are still a matter of debate. Recently, CoA in the diseased human hippocampus were found to be second harmonic generation (SHG) active. Here, we show that CoA formed in other parts of the diseased brain and in brain neoplasms display a similar SHG activity. The SHG pattern of CoA depended on laser polarization, indicating that a radial structure is responsible for their nonlinear activity. Vibrational spectroscopy was used to study the biochemistry underlying the SHG activity. Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy showed that CoA contain polyglucosans that are biochemically similar to glycogen, but with an unusual structure that is similar to amylopectin, which justifies the nonlinear activity of CoA. Our findings explain the SHG activity of CoA and demonstrate that CoA in the pathological brain are amenable to label-free multiphoton imaging. Further research will clarify whether intraoperative assessment of CoA can be diagnostically exploited.

Microstructural imaging in the spinal cord and validation strategies

In vivo histology using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a newly emerging research field that aims to non-invasively characterize tissue microstructure. The implications of in vivo histology are many, from discovering novel biomarkers to studying human development, to providing tools for disease diagnosis and monitoring the effects of novel treatments on tissue. This review focuses on quantitative MRI (qMRI) techniques that are used to map spinal cord microstructure. Opening with a rationale for non-invasive imaging of the spinal cord, this article continues with a brief overview of the existing MRI techniques for axon and myelin imaging, followed by the specific challenges and potential solutions for acquiring and processing such data. The final part of this review focuses on histological validation, with suggested tissue preparation, acquisition and processing protocols for large-scale microscopy.

Dynamic Sparse Sampling for Confocal Raman Microscopy

The total number of data points required for image generation in Raman microscopy was greatly reduced using sparse sampling strategies, in which the preceding set of measurements informed the next most information-rich sampling location. Using this approach, chemical images of pharmaceutical materials were obtained with >99% accuracy from 15.8% sampling, representing an ∼6-fold reduction in measurement time relative to full field of view rastering with comparable image quality. This supervised learning approach to dynamic sampling (SLADS) has the distinct advantage of being directly compatible with standard confocal Raman instrumentation. Furthermore, SLADS is not limited to Raman imaging, potentially providing time-savings in image reconstruction whenever the single-pixel measurement time is the limiting factor in image generation.

The inhibition of CB1 receptor accelerates the onset and development of EAE possibly by regulating microglia/macrophages polarization

Cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB₁R) regulates the neuro-inflammatory and neurodegenerative damages of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and of multiple sclerosis (MS). The mechanism by which CB₁R inhibition exerts inflammatory effects is still unclear. Here, we explored the cellular and molecular mechanisms of CB₁R in the treatment of EAE by using a specific and selective CB₁R antagonist SR141716A. Our study demonstrated that SR141716A accelerated the clinical onset and development of EAE, accompanied by body weight loss. SR141716A significantly up-regulated the expression of toll like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and nuclear factor-kappaB/p65 (NF-κB/p65) on microglia/macrophages of EAE mice as well as levels of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and chemokines (MCP-1, CX3CL1), accompanied by the shifts of cytokines from Th2 (IL-4, IL-10) to Th1 (IFN-γ)/Th17 (IL-17) in the spinal cords of EAE mice. Similar changes happened on splenic mononuclear cells (MNCs) except chemokine CX3CL1. Consistently, SR141716A promoted BV-2 microglia to release inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) while inhibited the production of IL-10 and chemokines (MCP-1, CX3CL1). Furthermore, when splenic CD4⁺ T cells co-cultured with SR141716A-administered BV-2 microglia, the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were decreased while production of IL-17 and IFN-γ increased significantly. Our research indicated that inhibition of CB₁R induced M1 phenotype-Th17 axis changed of microglia/macrophages through TLR-4 and NF-κB/p65 which accelerated the onset and development of EAE. Therefore, CB₁R may be a promising target for the treatment of MS/EAE, but its complexity remains to be carefully considered and studied in further clinical application.

Quantitative analysis of lipid debris accumulation caused by cuprizone induced myelin degradation in different CNS areas

Degradation of myelin sheath is thought to be the cause of neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), but definitive agreement on the mechanism of how myelin is lost is currently lacking. Autoimmune initiation of MS has been recently questioned by proposing that the immune response is a consequence of oligodendrocyte degeneration. To study the process of myelin breakdown, we induced demyelination with cuprizone and applied coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy, a non-destructive label-free method to image lipid structures in living tissue. We confirmed earlier results showing a brain region dependent myelin destructive effect of cuprizone. In addition, high resolution in situ CARS imaging revealed myelin debris forming lipid droplets alongwith myelinated axon fibers. Quantification of lipid debris with custom-made software for segmentation and three dimensional reconstruction revealed brain region dependent accumulation of lipid drops inversely correlated with the thickness of myelin sheaths. Finally, we confirmed that in situ CARS imaging is applicable to living human brain tissue in brain slices derived from a patient. Thus, CARS microscopy is potent tool for quantitative monitoring of myelin degradation in unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution during oligodendrocyte damage. We think that the accumulation of lipid drops around degrading myelin might be instrumental in triggering subsequent inflammatory processes.

Lipid biochemical changes detected in normal appearing white matter of chronic multiple sclerosis by spectral coherent Raman imaging

Multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibits demyelination, inflammatory infiltration, axonal degeneration, and gliosis, affecting widespread regions of the central nervous system (CNS). While white matter MS lesions have been well characterized pathologically, evidence indicates that the MS brain may be globally altered, with subtle abnormalities found in grossly normal appearing white matter (NAWM). These subtle changes are difficult to investigate by common methods such as histochemical stains and conventional magnetic resonance imaging. Thus, the prototypical inflammatory lesion likely represents the most obvious manifestation of a more widespread involvement of the CNS. We describe the application of spectral coherent anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (sCARS) microscopy to study such changes in chronic MS tissue particularly in NAWM. Subtle changes in myelin lipid biochemical signatures and intra-molecular disorder of fatty acid acyl chains of otherwise normal-appearing myelin were detected, supporting the notion that the biochemical involvement of the MS brain is far more extensive than conventional methods would suggest.

Axon and Myelin Morphology in Animal and Human Spinal Cord

Characterizing precisely the microstructure of axons, their density, size and myelination is of interest for the neuroscientific community, for example to help maximize the outcome of studies on white matter (WM) pathologies of the spinal cord (SC). The existence of a comprehensive and structured database of axonal measurements in healthy and disease models could help the validation of results obtained by different researchers. The purpose of this article is to provide such a database of healthy SC WM, to discuss the potential sources of variability and to suggest avenues for robust and accurate quantification of axon morphometry based on novel acquisition and processing techniques. The article is organized in three sections. The first section reviews morphometric results across species according to range of densities and counts of myelinated axons, axon diameter and myelin thickness, and characteristics of unmyelinated axons in different regions. The second section discusses the sources of variability across studies, such as age, sex, spinal pathways, spinal levels, statistical power and terminology in regard to tracts and protocols. The third section presents new techniques and perspectives that could benefit histology studies. For example, coherent anti-stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) imaging can provide sub-micrometric resolution without the need for fixation and staining, while slide scanners and stitching algorithms can provide full cross-sectional area of SC. In combination with these acquisition techniques, automatic segmentation algorithms for delineating axons and myelin sheath can help provide large-scale statistics on axon morphometry.

Elevated expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor in multiple sclerosis lesions

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease that disproportionately affects young adults, leading to disability and high costs to society. Infiltration of T cells and monocytes into the central nervous system (CNS) is critical for disease initiation and progression. However, despite a great deal of effort the molecular mechanisms by which immune cells initiate and perpetuate CNS damage in MS have not yet been elucidated. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) produced by pathogenic Th1 and Th17 cells is critical for the recruitment of monocytes into the CNS during the initial stage of disease. We and others have recently shown that, compared with healthy individuals, MS patients have greater numbers of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells that produce GM-CSF. Here, we describe the expression of GM-CSF and its receptor, GM-CSFR, in normal brain and MS lesions. Our data show that in acute and chronic MS lesions, microglia and astrocytes have upregulated expression of GM-CSFR; in addition, we show that GM-CSF-associated molecules are also upregulated in MS lesions. These findings further strengthen the argument that GM-CSF signaling contributes to MS pathogenesis.

Lipid Order Degradation in Autoimmune Demyelination Probed by Polarized Coherent Raman Microscopy

Myelin around axons is currently widely studied by structural analyses and large-scale imaging techniques, with the goal to decipher its critical role in neuronal protection. Although there is strong evidence that in myelin, lipid composition, and lipid membrane morphology are affected during the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, there is no quantitative method yet to report its ultrastructure in tissues at both molecular and macroscopic levels, in conditions potentially compatible with in vivo observations. In this work, we study and quantify the molecular order of lipids in myelin at subdiffraction scales, using label-free polarization-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman, which exploits coherent anti-Stokes Raman sensitivity to coupling between light polarization and oriented molecular vibrational bonds. Importantly, the method does not use any a priori parameters in the sample such as lipid type, orientational organization, and composition. We show that lipid molecular order of myelin in the mouse spinal cord is significantly reduced throughout the progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a model for multiple sclerosis, even in myelin regions that appear morphologically unaffected. This technique permits us to unravel molecular-scale perturbations of lipid layers at an early stage of the demyelination progression, whereas the membrane architecture at the mesoscopic scale (here ∼100 nm) seems much less affected. Such information cannot be brought by pure morphological observation and, to our knowledge, brings a new perspective to molecular-scale understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.

Raman Imaging in Cell Membranes, Lipid-Rich Organelles, and Lipid Bilayers

Raman-based optical imaging is a promising analytical tool for noninvasive, label-free chemical imaging of lipid bilayers and cellular membranes. Imaging using spontaneous Raman scattering suffers from a low intensity that hinders its use in some cellular applications. However, developments in coherent Raman imaging, surface-enhanced Raman imaging, and tip-enhanced Raman imaging have enabled video-rate imaging, excellent detection limits, and nanometer spatial resolution, respectively. After a brief introduction to these commonly used Raman imaging techniques for cell membrane studies, this review discusses selected applications of these modalities for chemical imaging of membrane proteins and lipids. Finally, recent developments in chemical tags for Raman imaging and their applications in the analysis of selected cell membrane components are summarized. Ongoing developments toward improving the temporal and spatial resolution of Raman imaging and small-molecule tags with strong Raman scattering cross sections continue to expand the utility of Raman imaging for diverse cell membrane studies.

Effect of scattering on coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) signals

We develop a computational framework to examine the factors responsible for scattering-induced distortions of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) signals in turbid samples. We apply the Huygens-Fresnel wave-based electric field superposition (HF-WEFS) method combined with the radiating dipole approximation to compute the effects of scattering-induced distortions of focal excitation fields on the far-field CARS signal. We analyze the effect of spherical scatterers, placed in the vicinity of the focal volume, on the CARS signal emitted by different objects (2μm diameter solid sphere, 2μm diameter myelin cylinder and 2μm diameter myelin tube). We find that distortions in the CARS signals arise not only from attenuation of the focal field but also from scattering-induced changes in the spatial phase that modifies the angular distribution of the CARS emission. Our simulations further show that CARS signal attenuation can be minimized by using a high numerical aperture condenser. Moreover, unlike the CARS intensity image, CARS images formed by taking the ratio of CARS signals obtained using x- and y-polarized input fields is relatively insensitive to the effects of spherical scatterers. Our computational framework provide a mechanistic approach to characterizing scattering-induced distortions in coherent imaging of turbid media and may inspire bottom-up approaches for adaptive optical methods for image correction.

Assessing the efficacy of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy for the detection of infiltrating glioblastoma in fresh brain samples

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy is an emerging technique for identification of brain tumors. However, tumor identification by CARS microscopy on bulk samples and in vivo has been so far verified retrospectively on histological sections, which only provide a gross reference for the interpretation of CARS images without matching at cellular level. Therefore, fluorescent labels were exploited for direct assessment of the interpretation of CARS images of solid and infiltrative tumors. Glioblastoma cells expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) were used for induction of tumors in mice (n = 7). The neoplastic nature of cells imaged by CARS microscopy was unequivocally verified by addressing two-photon fluorescence of GFP on fresh brain slices and in vivo. In fresh unfixed biopsies of human glioblastoma (n = 10), the fluorescence of 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX was used for identification of tumorous tissue. Distinctive morphological features of glioblastoma cells, i.e. larger nuclei, evident nuclear membrane and nucleolus, were identified in the CARS images of both mouse and human brain tumors. This approach demonstrates that the chemical contrast provided by CARS allows the localization of infiltrating tumor cells in fresh tissue and that the cell morphology in CARS images is useful for tumor recognition. Experimental glioblastoma expressing green fluorescent protein.

Advances in Intravital Non-Linear Optical Imaging of the Central Nervous System in Rodents

Purpose of review: Highly coordinated cellular interactions occur in the healthy or pathologic adult rodent central nervous system (CNS). Until recently, technical challenges have restricted the analysis of these events to largely static modes of study such as immuno-fluorescence and electron microscopy on fixed tissues. The development of intravital imaging with subcellular resolution is required to probe the dynamics of these events in their natural context, the living brain. Recent findings: This review focuses on the recently developed live non-linear optical imaging modalities, the core principles involved, the identified technical challenges that limit their use and the scope of their applications. We highlight some practical applications for these modalities with a specific attention given to Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE), a rodent model of a chronic inflammatory disease of the CNS characterized by the formation of disseminated demyelinating lesions accompanied by axonal degeneration. Summary: We conclude that label-free nonlinear optical imaging combined to two photon imaging will continue to contribute richly to comprehend brain function and pathogenesis and to develop effective therapeutic strategies.

Imaging Myelination In Vivo Using Transparent Animal Models

Myelination by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system is essential for nervous system function and health. Despite its importance, we have a relatively poor understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate myelination in the living animal, particularly in the CNS. This is partly due to the fact that myelination commences around birth in mammals, by which time the CNS is complex and largely inaccessible, and thus very difficult to image live in its intact form. As a consequence, in recent years much effort has been invested in the use of smaller, simpler, transparent model organisms to investigate mechanisms of myelination in vivo. Although the majority of such studies have employed zebrafish, the Xenopus tadpole also represents an important complementary system with advantages for investigating myelin biology in vivo. Here we review how the natural features of zebrafish embryos and larvae and Xenopus tadpoles make them ideal systems for experimentally interrogating myelination by live imaging. We outline common transgenic technologies used to generate zebrafish and Xenopus that express fluorescent reporters, which can be used to image myelination. We also provide an extensive overview of the imaging modalities most commonly employed to date to image the nervous system in these transparent systems, and also emerging technologies that we anticipate will become widely used in studies of zebrafish and Xenopus myelination in the near future.

Monitoring peripheral nerve degeneration in ALS by label-free stimulated Raman scattering imaging

The study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and potential interventions would be facilitated if motor axon degeneration could be more readily visualized. Here we demonstrate that stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy could be used to sensitively monitor peripheral nerve degeneration in ALS mouse models and ALS autopsy materials. Three-dimensional imaging of pre-symptomatic SOD1 mouse models and data processing by a correlation-based algorithm revealed that significant degeneration of peripheral nerves could be detected coincidentally with the earliest detectable signs of muscle denervation and preceded physiologically measurable motor function decline. We also found that peripheral degeneration was an early event in FUS as well as C9ORF72 repeat expansion models of ALS, and that serial imaging allowed long-term observation of disease progression and drug effects in living animals. Our study demonstrates that SRS imaging is a sensitive and quantitative means of measuring disease progression, greatly facilitating future studies of disease mechanisms and candidate therapeutics.

Oligodendroglial membrane dynamics in relation to myelin biogenesis

In the central nervous system, oligodendrocytes synthesize a specialized membrane, the myelin membrane, which enwraps the axons in a multilamellar fashion to provide fast action potential conduction and to ensure axonal integrity. When compared to other membranes, the composition of myelin membranes is unique with its relatively high lipid to protein ratio. Their biogenesis is quite complex and requires a tight regulation of sequential events, which are deregulated in demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. To devise strategies for remedying such defects, it is crucial to understand molecular mechanisms that underlie myelin assembly and dynamics, including the ability of specific lipids to organize proteins and/or mediate protein-protein interactions in healthy versus diseased myelin membranes. The tight regulation of myelin membrane formation has been widely investigated with classical biochemical and cell biological techniques, both in vitro and in vivo. However, our knowledge about myelin membrane dynamics, such as membrane fluidity in conjunction with the movement/diffusion of proteins and lipids in the membrane and the specificity and role of distinct lipid-protein and protein-protein interactions, is limited. Here, we provide an overview of recent findings about the myelin structure in terms of myelin lipids, proteins and membrane microdomains. To give insight into myelin membrane dynamics, we will particularly highlight the application of model membranes and advanced biophysical techniques, i.e., approaches which clearly provide an added value to insight obtained by classical biochemical techniques.

Clinical instrumentation and applications of Raman spectroscopy

Clinical diagnostic devices provide new sources of information that give insight about the state of health which can then be used to manage patient care. These tools can be as simple as an otoscope to better visualize the ear canal or as complex as a wireless capsule endoscope to monitor the gastrointestinal tract. It is with tools such as these that medical practitioners can determine when a patient is healthy and to make an appropriate diagnosis when he/she is not. The goal of diagnostic medicine then is to efficiently determine the presence and cause of disease in order to provide the most appropriate intervention. The earliest form of medical diagnostics relied on the eye - direct visual observation of the interaction of light with the sample. This technique was espoused by Hippocrates in his 5th century BCE work Epidemics, in which the pallor of a patient's skin and the coloring of the bodily fluids could be indicative of health. In the last hundred years, medical diagnosis has moved from relying on visual inspection to relying on numerous technological tools that are based on various types of interaction of the sample with different types of energy - light, ultrasound, radio waves, X-rays etc. Modern advances in science and technology have depended on enhancing technologies for the detection of these interactions for improved visualization of human health. Optical methods have been focused on providing this information in the micron to millimeter scale while ultrasound, X-ray, and radio waves have been key in aiding in the millimeter to centimeter scale. While a few optical technologies have achieved the status of medical instruments, many remain in the research and development phase despite persistent efforts by many researchers in the translation of these methods for clinical care. Of these, Raman spectroscopy has been described as a sensitive method that can provide biochemical information about tissue state while maintaining the capability of delivering this information in real-time, non-invasively, and in an automated manner. This review presents the various instrumentation considerations relevant to the clinical implementation of Raman spectroscopy and reviews a subset of interesting applications that have successfully demonstrated the efficacy of this technique for clinical diagnostics and monitoring in large (n ≥ 50) in vivo human studies.

Application of multispectral imaging detects areas with neuronal myelin loss, without tissue labelling

The application of multispectral imaging to discriminate myelinated and demyelinated areas of neural tissue is herein presented. The method is applied through a custom-made, multispectral imaging monochromator, coupled to a commercially available microscope. In the present work, a series of spinal cord sections were analysed derived from mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an experimental model widely used to study multiple sclerosis (MS). The multispectral microscope allows imaging of local areas with loss of myelin without the need of tissue labelling. Imaging with the aforementioned method and system is compared in a parallel way with conventional methods (wide-field and confocal fluorescence microscopies). The diagnostic sensitivity of our method is 90.4% relative to the 'gold standard' method of immunofluorescence microscopy. The presented method offers a new platform for the possible future development of an in vivo, real-time, non-invasive, rapid imaging diagnostic tool of spinal cord myelin loss-derived pathologies.

Endogenous Two-Photon Excited Fluorescence Provides Label-Free Visualization of the Inflammatory Response in the Rodent Spinal Cord

Activation of CNS resident microglia and invasion of external macrophages plays a central role in spinal cord injuries and diseases. Multiphoton microscopy based on intrinsic tissue properties offers the possibility of label-free imaging and has the potential to be applied in vivo. In this work, we analyzed cellular structures displaying endogenous two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) in the pathologic spinal cord. It was compared qualitatively and quantitatively to Iba1 and CD68 immunohistochemical staining in two models: rat spinal cord injury and mouse encephalomyelitis. The extent of tissue damage was retrieved by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and second harmonic generation imaging. The pattern of CD68-positive cells representing postinjury activated microglia/macrophages was colocalized to the TPEF signal. Iba1-positive microglia were found in areas lacking any TPEF signal. In peripheral areas of inflammation, we found similar numbers of CD68-positive microglia/macrophages and TPEF-positive structures while the number of Iba1-positive cells was significantly higher. Therefore, we conclude that multiphoton imaging of unstained spinal cord tissue enables retrieving the extent of microglia activation by acquisition of endogenous TPEF. Future application of this technique in vivo will enable monitoring inflammatory responses of the nervous system allowing new insights into degenerative and regenerative processes.

Cell surface glycan engineering of neural stem cells augments neurotropism and improves recovery in a murine model of multiple sclerosis

Neural stem cell (NSC)-based therapies offer potential for neural repair in central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory and degenerative disorders. Typically, these conditions present with multifocal CNS lesions making it impractical to inject NSCs locally, thus mandating optimization of vascular delivery of the cells to involved sites. Here, we analyzed NSCs for expression of molecular effectors of cell migration and found that these cells are natively devoid of E-selectin ligands. Using glycosyltransferase-programmed stereosubstitution (GPS), we glycan engineered the cell surface of NSCs ("GPS-NSCs") with resultant enforced expression of the potent E-selectin ligand HCELL (hematopoietic cell E-/L-selectin ligand) and of an E-selectin-binding glycoform of neural cell adhesion molecule ("NCAM-E"). Following intravenous (i.v.) injection, short-term homing studies demonstrated that, compared with buffer-treated (control) NSCs, GPS-NSCs showed greater neurotropism. Administration of GPS-NSC significantly attenuated the clinical course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), with markedly decreased inflammation and improved oligodendroglial and axonal integrity, but without evidence of long-term stem cell engraftment. Notably, this effect of NSC is not a universal property of adult stem cells, as administration of GPS-engineered mouse hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells did not improve EAE clinical course. These findings highlight the utility of cell surface glycan engineering to boost stem cell delivery in neuroinflammatory conditions and indicate that, despite the use of a neural tissue-specific progenitor cell population, neural repair in EAE results from endogenous repair and not from direct, NSC-derived cell replacement.

Applications of coherent Raman scattering microscopies to clinical and biological studies

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy are two nonlinear optical imaging modalities that are at the frontier of label-free and chemical specific biological and clinical diagnostics. The applications of coherent Raman scattering (CRS) microscopies are multifold, ranging from investigation of basic aspects of cell biology to the label-free detection of pathologies. This review summarizes recent progress of biological and clinical applications of CRS between 2008 and 2014, covering applications such as lipid droplet research, single cell analysis, tissue imaging and multiphoton histopathology of atherosclerosis, myelin sheaths, skin, hair, pharmaceutics, and cancer and surgical margin detection.

Automated method for the segmentation and morphometry of nerve fibers in large-scale CARS images of spinal cord tissue

A fully automated method for large-scale segmentation of nerve fibers from coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy images is presented. The method is specifically designed for CARS images of transverse cross sections of nervous tissue but is also suitable for use with standard light microscopy images. After a detailed description of the two-part segmentation algorithm, its accuracy is quantified by comparing the resulting binary images to manually segmented images. We then demonstrate the ability of our method to retrieve morphological data from CARS images of nerve tissue. Finally, we present the segmentation of a large mosaic of CARS images covering more than half the area of a mouse spinal cord cross section and show evidence of clusters of neurons with similar g-ratios throughout the spinal cord.

Fasudil regulates T cell responses through polarization of BV-2 cells in mice experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

AIM

Fasudil, a selective Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, has been shown to alleviate the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) via attenuating demyelination and neuroinflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fasudil on interactions between macrophages/microglia and T cells in a mice EAE model.

METHODS

Mouse BV-2 microglia were treated with IFN-γ and fasudil. Cell viability was detected with MTT assay. BV-2 microglia polarization was analyzed using flow cytometry. Cytokines and other proteins were detected with ELISA and Western blotting, respectively. Mice were immunized with MOG35-55 to induce EAE, and then treated with fasudil (40 mg/kg, ip) every other day from d 3 to d 27 pi. Encephalomyelitic T cells were prepared from the spleen of mice immunized with MOG35-55 on d 9 pi.

RESULTS

Treatment of mouse BV-2 microglia with fasudil (15 μg/mL) induced significant phenotype polarization and functional plasticity, shifting M1 to M2 polarization. When co-cultured with the encephalomyelitic T cells, fasudil-treated BV-2 microglia significantly inhibited the proliferation of antigen-reactive T cells, and down-regulated IL-17-expressing CD4(+) T cells and IL-17 production. Furthermore, fasudil-treated BV-2 microglia significantly up-regulated CD4(+)CD25(high) and CD4(+)IL-10(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and IL-10 production, suggesting that the encephalomyelitic T cells had converted to Tregs. In EAE mice, fasudil administration significantly decreased both CD11b(+)iNOS(+) and CD11b(+)TNF-α(+) M1 microglia, and increased CD11b(+)IL-10(+) M2 microglia.

CONCLUSION

Fasudil polarizes BV-2 microglia into M2 cells, which convert the encephalomyelitic T cells into Tregs in the mice EAE model.

Changes in tissue directionality reflect differences in myelin content after demyelination in mice spinal cords

Changes in myelin integrity are key manifestations of many neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis but precise measurement of myelin in vivo is challenging. The goal of this study was to evaluate myelin content in histological images obtained from a lysolecithin mouse model of demyelination, using a new quantitative method named structure tensor analysis. Injury was targeted at the dorsal column of mice spinal cords. We obtained 16 histological images stained with luxol fast blue for myelin from 9 mice: 9 images from lesion epicenter and 7 from a distant area 500-μm away from the epicenter. In each image, we categorized 3 tissue types: healthy, completely demyelinated, and partially demyelinated. Structure tensor analysis was applied to quantify the coherency (anisotropy), energy (trace of dominant directions), and angular entropy (degree of disorder) of each tissue. We found that completely demyelinated lesions had significantly lower coherency and energy but higher angular entropy than partially demyelinated and healthy tissues at both the epicenter and distant areas of the injury. In addition, the coherency of healthy tissue was greater than partially demyelinated tissue at each site. Within tissue category, we did not find differences in any measure between spinal cord locations. Our findings suggest that greater myelin integrity is associated with better tissue anisotropy, independent of injury location. Structure tensor analysis may serve as a new tool for quantitative measurement of myelin content in white matter, and this may help understand disease mechanisms and development in MS and other demyelinating disorders.

Label-free real-time imaging of myelination in the Xenopus laevis tadpole by in vivo stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

The myelin sheath plays an important role as the axon in the functioning of the neural system, and myelin degradation is a hallmark pathology of multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. Electron microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging are three major techniques used for myelin visualization. However, microscopic observation of myelin in living organisms remains a challenge. Using a newly developed stimulated Raman scattering microscopy approach, we report noninvasive, label-free, real-time in vivo imaging of myelination by a single-Schwann cell, maturation of a single node of Ranvier, and myelin degradation in the transparent body of the Xenopus laevis tadpole.

Bringing CLARITY to gray matter atrophy

Gray matter atrophy has been shown to be a strong correlate to clinical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) and its most commonly used animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). However, the relationship between gray mater atrophy and the spinal cord pathology often observed in EAE has never been established. Here EAE was induced in Thy1.1-YFP mice and their brains imaged using in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The brains and spinal cords were subsequently optically cleared using Clear Lipid-exchanged Acrylamide-hybridized Rigid Imaging-compatible Tissue-hYdrogel (CLARITY). Axons were followed 5mm longitudinally in three dimensions in intact spinal cords revealing that 61% of the axons exhibited a mean of 22 axonal ovoids and 8% of the axons terminating in axonal end bulbs. In the cerebral cortex, we observed a decrease in the mean number of layer V pyramidal neurons and a decrease in the mean length of the apical dendrites of the remaining neurons, compared to healthy controls. MRI analysis demonstrated decreased cortical volumes in EAE. Cross-modality correlations revealed a direct relationship between cortical volume loss and axonal end bulb number in the spinal cord, but not ovoid number. This is the first report of the use of CLARITY in an animal model of disease and the first report of the use of both CLARITY and MRI.

Effects of tissue fixation on coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering images of brain

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy is an emerging multiphoton technique for the label-free histopathology of the central nervous system, by imaging the lipid content within the tissue. In order to apply the technique on standard histology sections, it is important to know the effects of tissue fixation on the CARS image. Here, we report the effects of two common fixation methods, namely with formalin and methanol-acetone, on mouse brain and human glioblastoma tissue. The variations induced by fixation on the CARS contrast and intensity were compared and interpreted using Raman microspectroscopy. The results show that, whenever unfixed cryosections cannot be used, fixation with formalin constitutes an alternative which does not deteriorate substantially the contrast generated by the different brain structures in the CARS image. Fixation with methanol-acetone strongly modifies the tissue lipid content and is therefore incompatible with the CARS imaging.

RP-CARS: label-free optical readout of the myelin intrinsic healthiness

Here we present a method based on Rotating-Polarization Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (RP-CARS) imaging to assess the myelin health status in mouse sciatic nerves. Differently from the existing techniques, our method is based on the readout of intrinsic molecular architecture rather than on the image analysis, relying on the fact that healthy myelin is characterized by a high degree of molecular order. We exploit RP-CARS imaging to demonstrate that the degree of spatial anisotropy of the CARS signal displays a strong correlation with the g-ratio (a well-known image-based index of myelin damage) in a chemical-damage model and therefore that the former is a good indicator for the local myelin health status.

Label-free in vivo imaging of myelinated axons in health and disease with spectral confocal reflectance microscopy

We report a newly developed technique for high-resolution in vivo imaging of myelinated axons in the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve that requires no fluorescent labeling. This method, based on spectral confocal reflectance microscopy (SCoRe), uses a conventional laser-scanning confocal system to generate images by merging the simultaneously reflected signals from multiple lasers of different wavelengths. Striking color patterns unique to individual myelinated fibers are generated that facilitate their tracing in dense axonal areas. These patterns highlight nodes of Ranvier and Schmidt-Lanterman incisures and can be used to detect various myelin pathologies. Using SCoRe we carried out chronic brain imaging up to 400 μm deep, capturing de novo myelination of mouse cortical axons in vivo. We also established the feasibility of imaging myelinated axons in the human cerebral cortex. SCoRe adds a powerful component to the evolving toolbox for imaging myelination in living animals and potentially in humans.

High-resolution fluorescence microscopy of myelin without exogenous probes

Myelin is a critical element of the central and peripheral nervous systems of all higher vertebrates. Any disturbance in the integrity of the myelin sheath interferes with the axon's ability to conduct action potentials. Thus, the study of myelin structure and biochemistry is critically important. Accurate and even staining of myelin is often difficult because of its lipid-rich nature and multiple tight membrane wraps, hindering penetration of immunoprobes. Here we show a method of visualizing myelin that is fast, inexpensive and reliable using the cross-linking fixative glutaraldehyde that produces strong, broad-spectrum auto-fluorescence in fixed tissue. Traditionally, effort is generally aimed at eliminating this auto-fluorescence. However, we show that this intrinsic signal, which is very photostable and particularly strong in glutaraldehyde-fixed myelin, can be exploited to visualize this structure to produce very detailed images of myelin morphology. We imaged fixed rodent tissues from the central and peripheral nervous systems using spectral confocal microscopy to acquire high-resolution 3-dimensional images spanning the visual range of wavelengths (400-750 nm). Mathematical post-processing allows accurate and unequivocal separation of broadband auto-fluorescence from exogenous fluorescent probes such as DAPI and fluorescently-tagged secondary antibodies. We additionally show the feasibility of immunohistochemistry with antigen retrieval, which allows co-localization of proteins of interest together with detailed myelin morphology. The lysolecithin model of de- and remyelination is shown as an example of a practical application of this technique, which can be routinely applied when high-resolution microscopy of central or peripheral myelinated tracts is required.

Local assessment of myelin health in a multiple sclerosis mouse model using a 2D Fourier transform approach

We present an automated two-dimensional Fourier transform (2D-FT) approach to analyze the local organization of myelinated axons in the spinal cord. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy was used to observe lesions in a commonly used animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). A 2D-FT was applied on the CARS images to find the average orientation and directional anisotropy of the fibers within contiguous image domains. We introduce the corrected correlation parameter (CCP), a measure of the correlation between orientations of adjacent domains. We show that in the EAE animal model of MS, the CCP can be used to quantify the degree of organization/disorganization in the myelin structure. This analysis was applied to a large image dataset from animals at different clinical scores and we show that some descriptors of the CCP probability density function are strongly correlated with the clinical scores. This procedure, compatible with live animal imaging, has been developed to perform local in situ evaluation of myelinated axons afflicted by EAE.

Biomolecular imaging with coherent nonlinear vibrational microscopy

Optical imaging with spectroscopic vibrational contrast is a label-free solution for visualizing, identifying, and quantifying a wide range of biomolecular compounds in biological materials. Both linear and nonlinear vibrational microscopy techniques derive their imaging contrast from infrared active or Raman allowed molecular transitions, which provide a rich palette for interrogating chemical and structural details of the sample. Yet nonlinear optical methods, which include both second-order sum-frequency generation (SFG) and third-order coherent Raman scattering (CRS) techniques, offer several improved imaging capabilities over their linear precursors. Nonlinear vibrational microscopy features unprecedented vibrational imaging speeds, provides strategies for higher spatial resolution, and gives access to additional molecular parameters. These advances have turned vibrational microscopy into a premier tool for chemically dissecting live cells and tissues. This review discusses the molecular contrast of SFG and CRS microscopy and highlights several of the advanced imaging capabilities that have impacted biological and biomedical research.

Label-free evaluation of hepatic microvesicular steatosis with multimodal coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy

Hepatic microvesicular steatosis is a hallmark of drug-induced hepatotoxicity and early-stage fatty liver disease. Current histopathology techniques are inadequate for the clinical evaluation of hepatic microvesicular steatosis. In this paper, we explore the use of multimodal coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy for the detection and characterization of hepatic microvesicular steatosis. We show that CARS microscopy is more sensitive than Oil Red O histology for the detection of microvesicular steatosis. Computer-assisted analysis of liver lipid level based on CARS signal intensity is consistent with triglyceride measurement using a standard biochemical assay. Most importantly, in a single measurement procedure on unprocessed and unstained liver tissues, multimodal CARS imaging provides a wealth of critical information including the detection of microvesicular steatosis and quantitation of liver lipid content, number and size of lipid droplets, and lipid unsaturation and packing order of lipid droplets. Such information can only be assessed by multiple different methods on processed and stained liver tissues or tissue extracts using current standard analytical techniques. Multimodal CARS microscopy also permits label-free identification of lipid-rich non-parenchymal cells. In addition, label-free and non-perturbative CARS imaging allow rapid screening of mitochondrial toxins-induced microvesicular steatosis in primary hepatocyte cultures. With its sensitivity and versatility, multimodal CARS microscopy should be a powerful tool for the clinical evaluation of hepatic microvesicular steatosis.

The need for speed

One of the key enabling features of coherent Raman scattering (CRS) techniques is the dramatically improved imaging speed over conventional vibrational imaging methods. It is this enhanced imaging acquisition rate that has guided the field of vibrational microscopy into the territory of real-time imaging of live tissues. In this feature article, we review several aspects of fast vibrational imaging and discuss new applications made possible by the improved CRS imaging capabilities. In addition, we reflect on the current limitations of CRS microscopy and look ahead at several new developments towards real-time, hyperspectral vibrational imaging of biological tissues. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim).

The need for speed

One of the key enabling features of coherent Raman scattering (CRS) techniques is the dramatically improved imaging speed over conventional vibrational imaging methods. It is this enhanced imaging acquisition rate that has guided the field of vibrational microscopy into the territory of real-time imaging of live tissues. In this feature article, we review several aspects of fast vibrational imaging and discuss new applications made possible by the improved CRS imaging capabilities. In addition, we reflect on the current limitations of CRS microscopy and look ahead at several new developments towards real-time, hyperspectral vibrational imaging of biological tissues. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim).