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Technical Developments and Recent Applications of Cellular Molecular Imaging
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Technical Developments and Recent Applications of Cellular Molecular Imaging

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2025) | Viewed by 4656

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hanae Sato

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
Interests: biochemistry; genetics; live cell imaging

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advanced cellular molecular imaging is a groundbreaking field that merges biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering to visualize cellular and molecular processes with exceptional clarity. Utilizing advanced fluorescence imaging and multimodal techniques, this discipline enables real-time exploration of the intricate dynamics of cells and their molecular components. By combining various imaging modalities, researchers gain a comprehensive view of cellular processes, capturing both structural and functional aspects. These innovations are transforming biomedical research by revealing molecular mechanisms and offering tools for controlling molecular actions, such as in the field of optogenetics. As this technology evolves, advanced cellular molecular imaging is poised to become indispensable in diagnostics, therapeutic development, and the study of complex biological systems, driving significant progress across diverse scientific fields.

Dr. Hanae Sato
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fluorescence imaging
  • optogenetics
  • single-molecule imaging
  • cellular dynamics
  • real-time imaging
  • structural and functional imaging
  • multimodal imaging

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 4853 KB  
Article
Seizures Triggered by Systemic Administration of 4-Aminopyridine in Rats Lead to Acute Brain Glucose Hypometabolism, as Assessed by [18F]FDG PET Neuroimaging
by Francisca Gómez-Oliver, Rubén Fernández de la Rosa, Mirjam Brackhan, Pablo Bascuñana, Miguel Ángel Pozo and Luis García-García
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 12774; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312774 - 28 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1747
Abstract
4-aminopyridine (4-AP) is a non-selective blocker of voltage-dependent K+ channels used to improve walking in multiple sclerosis patients, and it may be useful in the treatment of cerebellar diseases. In animal models, 4-AP is used as a convulsant agent. When administered intrahippocampally, [...] Read more.
4-aminopyridine (4-AP) is a non-selective blocker of voltage-dependent K+ channels used to improve walking in multiple sclerosis patients, and it may be useful in the treatment of cerebellar diseases. In animal models, 4-AP is used as a convulsant agent. When administered intrahippocampally, 4-AP induces acute local glucose hypermetabolism and significant brain damage, while i.p. administration causes less neuronal damage. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a single i.p. administration of 4-AP on acute brain glucose metabolism as well as on neuronal viability and signs of neuroinflammation 3 days after the insult. Brain glucose metabolism was evaluated by [18F]FDG PET neuroimaging. [18F]FDG uptake was analyzed based on volumes of interest (VOIs) as well as by voxel-based (SPM) analyses. The results showed that independently of the type of data analysis used (VOIs or SPM), 4-AP induced acute generalized brain glucose hypometabolism, except in the cerebellum. Furthermore, the SPM analysis normalized by the whole brain uptake revealed a significant cerebellar hypermetabolism. The neurohistochemical assays showed that 4-AP induced hippocampal astrocyte reactivity 3 days after the insult, without inducing changes in neuronal integrity or microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. Thus, acute brain glucose metabolic and neuroinflammatory profiles in response to i.p. 4-AP clearly differed from that reported for intrahippocampal administration. Finally, the results suggest that the cerebellum might be more resilient to the 4-AP-induced hypometabolism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technical Developments and Recent Applications of Cellular Molecular Imaging)
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15 pages, 3384 KB  
Article
Utilising Hyperspectral Autofluorescence Imaging in the Objective Assessment of Disease State and Pain in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
by Florence Lees, Saabah B. Mahbub, Martin E. Gosnell, Jared M. Campbell, Helen Weedon, Abbas Habibalahi, Ewa M. Goldys, Mihir D. Wechalekar, Mark R. Hutchinson and Tania N. Crotti
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(22), 11996; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252211996 - 8 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1442
Abstract
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease resulting in joint swelling and pain. Treatment options can be reliant on disease activity scores (DAS) incorporating patient global assessments, which are quantified via visual analogue scales (VAS). VAS can be subjective and not necessarily [...] Read more.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease resulting in joint swelling and pain. Treatment options can be reliant on disease activity scores (DAS) incorporating patient global assessments, which are quantified via visual analogue scales (VAS). VAS can be subjective and not necessarily align with clinical symptoms, such as inflammation, resulting in a disconnect between the patient’s and practitioners’ experience. The development of more objective assessments of pain would enable a more targeted and personalised management of pain within individuals with RA and have the potential to improve the reliability of assessments in research. Using emerging light-based hyperspectral autofluorescence imaging (HAI) technology, we aimed to objectively differentiate disease and pain states based on the analysis of synovial tissue (ST) samples from RA patients. In total, 22 individuals with RA were dichotomised using the DAS in 28-joint counts (DAS-28) into an inactive (IA) or active disease (active-RA) group and then three sub-levels of pain (low, mid, high) based on VAS. HAI was performed on ST sections to identify and quantify the most prominent fluorophores. HAI fluorophore analysis revealed a distinct separation between the IA-RA and active-RA mid-VAS cohort, successfully determining disease state. Additionally, the separation between active-RA Mid-VAS and active RA High-VAS cohort suggests that HAI could be used to objectively separate individuals based on pain severity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technical Developments and Recent Applications of Cellular Molecular Imaging)
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Review

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12 pages, 1247 KB  
Review
Imaging Flow Cytometry as a Molecular Biology Tool: From Cell Morphology to Molecular Mechanisms
by Yoshikazu Matsuoka
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(19), 9261; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199261 - 23 Sep 2025
Viewed by 490
Abstract
Insights into the state of individual cells within a living organism are essential for identifying diseases and abnormalities. The internal state of a cell is reflected in its morphological features and changes in the localization of intracellular molecules. Using this information, it is [...] Read more.
Insights into the state of individual cells within a living organism are essential for identifying diseases and abnormalities. The internal state of a cell is reflected in its morphological features and changes in the localization of intracellular molecules. Using this information, it is possible to infer the state of the cells with high precision. In recent years, technological advancements and improvements in instrument specifications have made large-scale analyses, such as single-cell analysis, more widely accessible. Among these technologies, imaging flow cytometry (IFC) is a high-throughput imaging platform that can simultaneously acquire information from flow cytometry (FCM) and cellular images. While conventional FCM can only obtain fluorescence intensity information corresponding to each detector, IFC can acquire multidimensional information, including cellular morphology and the spatial arrangement of proteins, nucleic acids, and organelles for each imaging channel. This enables the discrimination of cell types and states based on the localization of proteins and organelles, which is difficult to assess accurately using conventional FCM. Because IFC can acquire a large number of single-cell morphological images in a short time, it is well suited for automated classification using machine learning. Furthermore, commercial instruments that combine integrated imaging and cell sorting capabilities have recently become available, enabling the sorting of cells based on their image information. In this review, we specifically highlight practical applications of IFC in four representative areas: cell cycle analysis, protein localization analysis, immunological synapse formation, and the detection of leukemic cells. In addition, particular emphasis is placed on applications that directly contribute to elucidating molecular mechanisms, thereby distinguishing this review from previous general overviews of IFC. IFC enables the estimation of cell cycle phases from large numbers of acquired cellular images using machine learning, thereby allowing more precise cell cycle analysis. Moreover, IFC has been applied to investigate intracellular survival and differentiation signals triggered by external stimuli, to monitor DNA damage responses such as γH2AX foci formation, and more recently, to detect immune synapse formation among interacting cells within large populations and to analyze these interactions at the molecular level. In hematological malignancies, IFC combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) enables high-throughput detection of chromosomal abnormalities, such as BCR-ABL1 translocations. These advances demonstrate that IFC provides not only morphological and functional insights but also clinically relevant genomic information at the single-cell level. By summarizing these unique applications, this review aims to complement existing publications and provide researchers with practical insights into how IFC can be implemented in both basic and translational research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technical Developments and Recent Applications of Cellular Molecular Imaging)
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