A robust vessel-labeling pipeline with high tissue clearing compatibility for 3D mapping of vascular networks
Yating Deng,
Jingtan Zhu,
Xiaomei Liu,
Junyao Dai,
Tingting Yu,
Dan Zhu
Affiliations
Yating Deng
Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics- MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
Jingtan Zhu
Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics- MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
Xiaomei Liu
Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics- MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
Junyao Dai
Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics- MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
Tingting Yu
Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics- MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China; Corresponding author
Dan Zhu
Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics- MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China; Corresponding author
Summary: The combination of vessel-labeling, tissue-clearing, and light-sheet imaging techniques provides a potent tool for accurately mapping vascular networks, enabling the assessment of vascular remodeling in vascular-related disorders. However, most vascular labeling methods face challenges such as inadequate labeling efficiency or poor compatibility with current tissue clearing technology, which significantly undermines the image quality. To address this limitation, we introduce a vessel-labeling pipeline, termed Ultralabel, which relies on a specially designed dye hydrogel containing lysine-fixable dextran and gelatins for double enhancement. Ultralabel demonstrates not only excellent vessel-labeling capability but also strong compatibility with all tissue clearing methods tested, which outperforms other vessel-labeling methods. Consequently, Ultralabel enables fine mapping of vascular networks in diverse organs, as well as multi-color labeling alongside other labeling techniques. Ultralabel should provide a robust and user-friendly method for obtaining 3D vascular networks in different biomedical applications.
