TY - JOUR

T1 - Neurolight -astonishing advances in brain imaging

AU - Rojczyk-Gołębiewska, Ewa

AU - Pałasz, Artur

AU - Worthington, John J.

AU - Markowski, Grzegorz

AU - Wiaderkiewicz, Ryszard

PY - 2015/2

Y1 - 2015/2

N2 - In recent years, significant advances in basic neuroanatomical studies have taken place. Moreover, such classical, clinically-oriented human brain imaging methods such as MRI, PET and DTI have been applied to small laboratory animals allowing improvement in current experimental neuroscience. Contemporary structural neurobiology also uses various technologies based on fluorescent proteins. One of these is optogenetics, which integrates physics, genetics and bioengineering to enable temporal precise control of electrical activity of specific neurons. Another important challenge in the field is the accurate imaging of complicated neural networks. To address this problem, three-dimensional reconstruction techniques and retrograde labeling with modified viruses has been developed. However, a revolutionary step was the invention of the "Brainbow" system, utilizing gene constructs including the sequences of fluorescent proteins and the usage of Cre recombinase to create dozens of colour combinations, enabling visualization of neurons and their connections in extremely high resolution. Furthermore, the newly- introduced CLARITY method should make it possible to visualize three-dimensionally the structure of translucent brain tissue using the hydrogel polymeric network. This original technique is a big advance in neuroscience creating novel viewpoints completely different than standard glass slide immunostaining.

AB - In recent years, significant advances in basic neuroanatomical studies have taken place. Moreover, such classical, clinically-oriented human brain imaging methods such as MRI, PET and DTI have been applied to small laboratory animals allowing improvement in current experimental neuroscience. Contemporary structural neurobiology also uses various technologies based on fluorescent proteins. One of these is optogenetics, which integrates physics, genetics and bioengineering to enable temporal precise control of electrical activity of specific neurons. Another important challenge in the field is the accurate imaging of complicated neural networks. To address this problem, three-dimensional reconstruction techniques and retrograde labeling with modified viruses has been developed. However, a revolutionary step was the invention of the "Brainbow" system, utilizing gene constructs including the sequences of fluorescent proteins and the usage of Cre recombinase to create dozens of colour combinations, enabling visualization of neurons and their connections in extremely high resolution. Furthermore, the newly- introduced CLARITY method should make it possible to visualize three-dimensionally the structure of translucent brain tissue using the hydrogel polymeric network. This original technique is a big advance in neuroscience creating novel viewpoints completely different than standard glass slide immunostaining.

KW - Animals

KW - Brain

KW - Brain Injuries

KW - Connectome

KW - Diagnostic Imaging

KW - Humans

KW - Image Processing, Computer-Assisted

U2 - 10.3109/00207454.2014.914511

DO - 10.3109/00207454.2014.914511

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24730999

VL - 125

SP - 91

EP - 99

JO - The International Journal of Neuroscience

JF - The International Journal of Neuroscience

SN - 0020-7454

IS - 2

ER -