德国研究人员在新一期《自然·光子学》杂志上报告说，他们结合激光和超声波技术发明了一种可对动物活体组织深处进行三维成像的技术，成像分辨率达40微米。这项技术将有望用于癌症等疾病的诊断，以及相关的药物研究。

这种被称为“多谱光声断层成像”的技术由德国亥姆霍兹慕尼黑中心，以及慕尼黑工业大学的研究人员联合研发。研究人员在成年斑马鱼体内植入荧光蛋白质，并用激光束照射鱼的不同侧面，在使鱼体内荧光蛋白质发光的同时，附近区域会产生膨胀和收缩的运动，从而产生超声波。研究人员利用特别设计的一种特殊数学模型，通过计算机分析鱼内脏、鱼骨和鱼鳞等对超声波的不同影响，便可重建鱼体内组织的三维图像。

研究人员认为，利用这一技术可在动物活体组织几毫米甚至几厘米深处获得清晰的三维成像，生物学家可用其跟踪动物体内组织的分子活动，研究器官发育、细胞功能等。此外，这种技术也可应用于人体，以便对癌症等疾病进行诊断和检查，并追踪抗癌药物等的疗效，方便新药的研制。

推荐原始出处：

Nature Photonics 3, 412 - 417 (2009)21 June 2009 | doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.98

Multispectral opto-acoustic tomography of deep-seated fluorescent proteins in vivo

Daniel Razansky1, Martin Distel2, Claudio Vinegoni3, Rui Ma1, Norbert Perrimon4, Reinhard W. K?ster2 & Vasilis Ntziachristos1

Fluorescent proteins have become essential reporter molecules for studying life at the cellular and sub-cellular level, re-defining the ways in which we investigate biology. However, because of intense light scattering, most organisms and tissues remain inaccessible to current fluorescence microscopy techniques at depths beyond several hundred micrometres. We describe a multispectral opto-acoustic tomography technique capable of high-resolution visualization of fluorescent proteins deep within highly light-scattering living organisms. The method uses multiwavelength illumination over multiple projections combined with selective-plane opto-acoustic detection for artifact-free data collection. Accurate image reconstruction is enabled by making use of wavelength-dependent light propagation models in tissue. By performing whole-body imaging of two biologically important and optically diffuse model organisms, Drosophila melanogaster pupae and adult zebrafish, we demonstrate the facility to resolve tissue-specific expression of eGFP and mCherrry fluorescent proteins for precise morphological and functional observations in vivo.

1 Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Center Munich, Ingolst?dter Landstrae 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
2 Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, Ingolst?dter Landstrae 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
3 Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Richard B. Simches Research Center, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
4 Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA