Multicolored brain

New technology showed the brain in a colorful 3D projection

Alexey Yevglevsky, Naked Science, based on the materials of Imperial College London: New tissue technique gives stunning 3D insights into the human brain

Biologists from all over the world are trying to find cures for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. To do this, they need ultra-thin slices of the brain, cleaned before examination. The problem is that modern cleaning technologies were created for rodents and are not always suitable for the human brain. Three students from Imperial College London received a solution that not only cleanses tissues, but also turns them into picturesque 3D structures.

The drug, called OPTIClear, makes the samples transparent, which improves visibility during experiments. To identify chemicals such as proteins, biologists stain the selected area of tissue. Using the new solution, scientists will be able to observe not only painted objects, but also their distribution in three-dimensional space. College professor Steve Gentleman commented on the discovery:

"This technology allows us to examine the microscopic structure of the human brain in great detail Using similar methods in the laboratory, we will be able to visualize the interaction of cells in 3D models. So we will understand which pathways are damaged in the brain of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases."

Before and after applying the solution

Top: small section of cerebellum; bottom: enlarged fragment
the same sample, demonstrating the connection of neurons

Visualization of disease markers

Three-dimensional image of dendrites

According to the researchers, the technology is relatively inexpensive, does not require complex manipulations and is performed very quickly. They hope that this will make it popular in the scientific community and allow for faster progress in the study of the brain and central nervous system.

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