Advancements in the Use of 3D Histopathological Imaging to Understand Tumor Microenvironments and Their Implications for Cancer Therapy
Keywords:
3D Histopathology, Tumor Microenvironment, Cancer Imaging, Tissue Clearing, Light-Sheet Microscopy, Immune Landscape, Cancer Therapy, Computational PathologyAbstract
Three-dimensional (3D) histopathological imaging has emerged as a transformative approach for visualizing tumor microenvironments (TMEs) at unprecedented spatial resolution and depth. Unlike traditional 2D histology, 3D imaging provides volumetric data that more accurately represents tissue architecture, stromal-epithelial interactions, and immune infiltration patterns. This paper reviews recent advances in 3D histopathological imaging, its integration with computational and molecular pathology, and how it enhances our understanding of TMEs to inform therapeutic decision-making. Highlighting novel imaging techniques such as light-sheet fluorescence microscopy and tissue clearing, we examine their utility in breast, pancreatic, and glioblastoma cancers. We also discuss the implications of these technologies for personalized oncology and drug development.
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