Enhanced multiscale human brain imaging by semi-supervised digital staining and serial sectioning optical coherence tomography

Shiyi Cheng; Shuaibin Chang; Yunzhe Li; Anna Novoseltseva; Sunni Lin; Yicun Wu; Jiahui Zhu; Ann C. McKee; Douglas L. Rosene; Hui Wang; Irving J. Bigio; David A. Boas; Lei Tian

doi:10.1038/s41377-024-01658-0

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Enhanced multiscale human brain imaging by semi-supervised digital staining and serial sectioning optical coherence tomography

Original Articles

- Enhanced multiscale human brain imaging by semi-supervised digital staining and serial sectioning optical coherence tomography
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 14, Issue 2, Pages: 490-508(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
  2.Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
  3.Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
  4.Department of Computer Science, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
  5.Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
  6.Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
  7.VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Boston, MA 02130, USA
  8.Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
  9.Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
  10.Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
  11.Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Author bio：
  
  Lei Tian (leitian@bu.edu)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-024-01658-0
  CLC：
- Received：04 March 2024，
  
  Revised：29 September 2024，
  
  Accepted：2024-10-11，
  
  Published Online：20 January 2025，
  
  Published：28 February 2025
- Accepted：
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Cheng, S. Y. et al. Enhanced multiscale human brain imaging by semi-supervised digital staining and serial sectioning optical coherence tomography. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 490-508 (2025).
DOI：

Cheng, S. Y. et al. Enhanced multiscale human brain imaging by semi-supervised digital staining and serial sectioning optical coherence tomography. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 490-508 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-024-01658-0.

摘要

Abstract

A major challenge in neuroscience is visualizing the structure of the human brain at different scales. Traditional histology reveals micro- and meso-scale brain features but suffers from staining variability

tissue damage

and distortion

which impedes accurate 3D reconstructions. The emerging label-free serial sectioning optical coherence tomography (S-OCT) technique offers uniform 3D imaging capability across samples but has poor histological interpretability despite its sensitivity to cortical features. Here

we present a novel 3D imaging framework that combines S-OCT with a deep-learning digital staining (DS) model. This enhanced imaging modality integrates high-throughput 3D imaging

low sample variability and high interpretability

making it suitable for 3D histology studies. We develop a novel semi-supervised learning technique to facilitate DS model training on weakly paired images for translating S-OCT to Gallyas silver staining. We demonstrate DS on various human cerebral cortex samples

achieving consistent staining quality and enhancing contrast across cortical layer boundaries. Additionally

we show that DS preserves geometry in 3D on cubic-centimeter tissue blocks

allowing for visualization of meso-scale vessel networks in the white matter. We believe that our technique has the potential for high-throughput

multiscale imaging of brain tissues and may facilitate studies of brain structures.

关键词

Keywords

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