3D cancer microscope ‘could be as revolutionary as ultrasound’

A 3D microscope that can produce detailed images of tumours could usher in the end of painful biopsies for some types of cancer.

The microscope may also help surgeons be more precise when deciding which bits of tissue to remove so there would be less need to conduct subsequent operations.

The device has been shown to precisely detect pancreatic cancer in living mice and kidney disease in human laboratory samples.

A large-scale clinical trial on humans is slated for later this year.

Professor Elizabeth Hillman, of Columbia University in New York, said:

“This is very exciting. We believe that this technology could be as revolutionary as ultrasound.

“The way that biopsy samples are processed hasn’t changed in 100 years. They are cut out, fixed, embedded, sliced, stained with dyes, positioned on a glass slide, and viewed by a pathologist using a simple microscope.

“This is why it can take days to hear news back about your diagnosis after a biopsy..

“Our 3D microscope overcomes many of the limitations of prior approaches to enable visualization of cellular structures in tissues in the living body.

“It could give a doctor real-time feedback about what type of tissue they are looking at without the long wait.”

The researchers are working to commercialise the Mediscape device and gain approval from the FDA.

They will initially apply to use it for tumour screening and guidance during operations but hope to eventually be allowed to use it for diagnosis.

Chris Bakal, professor of cancer morphodynamics at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, who was not involved in the research, said:

“This is an extraordinary advance – the technology could help clinicians with cancer diagnoses, speeding up tissue analyses.”

“It could be used when performing a biopsy – by extracting tissue from the body and using the Mediscape to examine it in detail.

“Or even, with some modification, it could be used as an endoscope to examine living tissue inside the body.”

Dr Charles Evans, research information manager at Cancer Research UK, added:

“This new technique has the potential to be a big step forward for people with cancer.

“Using surgical biopsies to confirm a cancer diagnosis can be time-consuming and distressing for patients.

“And ensuring all the cancerous tissue is removed during surgery can be very challenging unaided. Any device that can give clinicians the edge over cancer is extremely welcome.

“However, more work will be needed to apply this technique in a device that’s practical for clinicians and to demonstrate whether it can bring benefits for people with cancer, but we look forward to seeing the next steps.”

Image: Kripa Patel-Hillman Lab/Columbia Engineering