Modulation interference microscopy as a promising method for assessing the risk of metastasis in patients with breast cancer

摘要

Modulation interference microscopy is one of the promising technologies for early personalized cancer diagnostics that allow for assessment of the real-time changes of subcellular microstructures with 2D and 3D reconstructions of the images and multifactorial data analysis. Our investigation is aimed to assess the heterogeneity of the CTCs population in patients with breast cancer using modulation interference microscopy (Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI) technology). Morpho-functional changes in living CD326 (EpCam)+ and Annexin ~v+ cell were measured with a laser modulation interference microscope MIM (PA UOMZ, Russia): height accuracy 0,1 nm, coordinate accuracy 10 nm, image area 1280x1024 pixels, optical magnification 1000, acquisition time 0,3 sec. The complex algorithm included the definition of optic and geometrical characteristics of living cells and , statistical analysis of data and creation of medical documents. We evaluated the functional cellular conditions based on the phase-interference features of their nuclear structures including nucleoli organizer areas which reflect metabolic and proliferative activity of cells and also serve the markers of their malignant transformation.