A review of the application of high content imaging analysis technology in oncology research

A review of the application of high content imaging analysis technology in oncology research

As one of the major public health problems in the world, malignant tumors greatly endanger human health and will become the first killer of human beings in the new century. In-depth study of the pathogenesis of oncology, and further search for effective, low-toxic, new anti-tumor drugs has become a top priority for major research institutions and drug research and development enterprises.

In order to meet the rapid development of life sciences and drug research and development, high-content imaging analysis technology as a new technology platform, combined with increasingly mature microscopic imaging technology to automatically capture quickly, while ensuring automation, high efficiency and high throughput. It includes a variety of biological phenomena in small-scale animal, cell and subcellular structures, combined with specialized image analysis systems and bioinformatics software to provide a fully automated, high-throughput image acquisition and analysis complete solution. High-content imaging analysis technology provides a new high-throughput screening evaluation platform integrating high-resolution, intelligent, automated and massive data for the research of oncology and the development of anti-tumor drugs [ Table 1] .

Table 1   Application of high content imaging imaging analysis system in tumor cell research

Compared to the traditional Plate Reader , the high-content imaging system detects tumor cell proliferation, toxicity, cloning / colony formation by transmitted light / phase contrast imaging , and provides multiple parameters in a label-free, intact cell state. Real-time data .

Figure   1   No labeled cells on the phase difference image by projecting light (   Left ) and quantitatively analyze it by software (right)

Monitoring the state of the cell cycle and apoptosis is a very important indicator in oncology research and treatment. Compared with traditional detection methods, such as flow cytometry FACS , the fully automated high-content imaging analysis system can fully automate the imaging of cells in situ (without digestion and suspension) and perform multi-parameter analysis at the individual cell level. And the flow cytometer provides a cell analysis platform ( Ref 1 ) that is more suitable for high-throughput screening in situ (without digestion of cells) [ Ref 1 ] .

         The high-content imaging analysis system also provides a more intelligent solution for the detection of adhesion, migration, invasion and invasiveness of tumor cells , such as the detection of tumor cells in three dimensions of XYZ through 3D cell culture. Migration ability [ Figure 2] .

Figure 2.   The effect of Cytochalasin D on the migration ability of 3D cultured HT-1080 cells under different concentrations of treatment conditions was determined using ImageXpress Micro high-content imaging analysis system .

It has become a new direction in the field of oncology by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and thus continuously inhibiting the growth and metastasis of tumor cells. Vascular growth analysis is an image morphology based analysis. MetaXpress software has a unique angiogenesis analysis module ( Angiogenesis ) for vascular growth that quantifies the specific morphology of blood vessels [ Fig. 3 left ] . Considering the angiogenesis process, the sample surface is uneven or the blood vessel itself grows vertically. MetaXpress software can control the hardware system to obtain complete information of three-dimensional blood vessel growth using Z- axis multi-layer imaging [ Fig. 3 right ] .

Figure   3. MeXpress software angiogenesis module analysis (left), Z- axis multi-layer imaging and image processing (right)

ImageXPress High Content Imaging Analysis System integrates optical microscopy high resolution imaging ( 1-100x objective), automation and intelligent software for screening models that require global or high resolution imaging, such as subcellular structures, translocation / colocalization experiments , signal pathway studies, real-time observation of live cells, cell heterogeneity studies and sectioning [ Figure 4] .

FIG 4. ImageXpress 5000 high content analysis systems for evaluating TNFa-induced translocation of NF-kB

[ref:   Mol Pharmacol   74:654–661, 2008, Andrea L. Kasinski, Yuhong Du, Haian Fu, et. al.

Figure 4. ImageXpress Micro High Connotation Analysis System for Tumor Cell Heterogeneity Study

[ref:   Nature 2009. 461 (7263):. P 520-3 Snijder, B., et al]..

The high-content imaging analysis system provides a new, automated, high-quality detection and analysis platform for oncology research. The ImageXpress high-content imaging analysis system developed by Molecular Diveces provides a complete solution for high-content systems from automated image acquisition, self-energy image analysis and massive data mining to meet the growing research and research fields. R&D needs.