AI Insight
Researchers have developed ULTRA, a new imaging technology that can create three-dimensional, cell-level maps of intact glioma (brain tumor) tissue samples in approximately 30 minutes. The technique combines rapid tissue clearing, single-channel stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, and artificial intelligence to produce virtual histology that reveals how tumor cells infiltrate at different depths. This speed makes it feasible to analyze tissue and identify tumor margins while a patient is still in surgery.
Why it matters
The rapid turnaround time could enable surgeons to better identify tumor boundaries during brain surgery, potentially improving the completeness of tumor removal while preserving healthy brain tissue. This addresses a critical challenge in glioma surgery where infiltrating cancer cells at the margins are difficult to distinguish from normal tissue in real-time.
Understand the Science
In this issue of Cell, Liu et al. introduce ULTRA, which combines rapid tissue clearing, single-channel stimulated Raman scattering, and AI to generate cell-resolved three-dimensional virtual histology of intact glioma specimens in about 30 minutes—fast enough to expose depth-dependent infiltration before surgery ends.
Source: Glioma margins gain a third dimension before surgery ends