Researchers from the Cnr-Imm in Rome and Cnr-Isof in Bologna, together with colleagues from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore (USA), have demonstrated that combining transparent nanomaterials with advanced light imaging techniques enables to explore in-vitro the native morphology of the brain cells.
The team integrated glass nanowires with Low-Coherence Holotomography (LC-HT), a label-free, 3D optical technique that visualizes living cells without the use of dyes. This innovative approach enabled real-time quantitative maps of the native morphology of astrocytes (glial cells with fundamental roles in brain health and neuron-to-neuron communication) capturing their volume and dry mass. Such comprehensive, non-invasive analysis has not been achievable with traditional optical microscopy.
“When grown on nanowires, astrocytes adopt star-like morphology with branching patterns similar to those they display in-vivo in the brain,” explains Annalisa Convertino (Cnr-Imm). “LC-HT is a new way to explore cell morphogenesis in extraordinary 3D detail, without altering the cell’s molecular characteristics” says Emanuela Saracino (CNR-ISOF, Bologna).
“The secret lies in the synergy between nanomaterials and biophotonics, enabling to explore how brain cells grow, interact, and respond to their environment in their complex network” adds Ishan Barman (Dept. Mech. Engin. JHU).
The results of the study, published in Advanced Science (https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202513424), represent a step forward for neurodevelopmental studies, disease modeling, and advanced drug testing.
Supported by the CNR–JHU Joint Laboratory “Integrating Transparent Nanowires in Optical Diffraction Tomography to Investigate Collective Cell Behaviour” and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) (FA9550-22-1-0334, FA9550-20-1-0137, FA9550-24-1-0047), this work reflects the ongoing activities of the Working Group on “Advanced Materials, Nanomaterials, and Biophysics” promoted within the framework of the Italy–USA Scientific and Technological Cooperation, led by Luigi Ambrosio (CNR) and Sofi Bin-Salamon (AFOSR).
For information:
Annalisa Convertino: annalisa.convertino@cnr.it
