Development in Tissue Clearing Technology and Its Application in Neurodegenerative Diseases

GU Pei-lin, SHEN Jian-lei, ZHU Ying, LI Jiang, WANG Li-hua

Abstract

Modern tissue clearing techniques have made it possible to have high-resolution imaging of cell populations and three-dimensional reconstruction of tissue structures, and we are able to obtain more complete three-dimensional brain structures and spatial connections between the various components of brain tissues through tissue clearing techniques. Over the past decade, scientists have developed and improved a number of tissue clearing techniques that are now widely used in neuroscience research, allowing us to extract important information from complex neural networks. Moreover, tissue clearing technology also provides research tools for the stem cell therapy and neurogeneration of neurodegenerative diseases. In this paper, we reviewed the major types of existing tissue clearing techniques and their respective strengths and weaknesses. We summarized the application of these techniques in neurodegenerative disease research and their unique merits. In addition, we explored the development requirements of tissue clearing technology, improvements in the supporting equipment, and its potential to be used as research tools for stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine in the future.

 

Keywords: Tissue clearing technology, Neurodegenerative diseases, Regenerative medicine

 

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