Summary of Harvard Researchers Unveil an Unprecedented Look at Colorectal Cancer:
Scientists at Harvard Medical School have created 2D and 3D spatial maps of colorectal cancer by combining traditional H&E-based histology with molecular imaging data acquired through the cyclic immunofluorescence technique. The maps reveal previously unknown architectural features of the disease and, in particular, the varied immune environments present within a tumour. The technique also revealed that clusters of cancer cells floating in 2D mucin pools previously identified turned out to be within a complex series of interconnected caverns, with finger-like projections of cancer cells. The cancer maps will be made freely available as part of the National Cancer Institute’s Human Tumor Atlas Network.
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Harvard Medical School has created comprehensive 2D and 3D maps of colorectal cancer using traditional pathology and cutting-edge single-cell imaging technologies. The maps reveal how the cancer forms, progresses and interacts with the immune system, providing greater understanding than ever before. Although colorectal cancer can be treated successfully by surgery if detected early, it is often fatal when sighted later on, making it the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the US. The maps are part of Harvard’s efforts to create atlases for various types of cancer, which will be freely available to the scientific community through the National Cancer Institute’s Human Tumour Atlas Network. The researchers used a multiplexed imaging technique called cyclic immunofluorescence, or CyCIF, to acquire single-cell molecular imaging data to create the maps.
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