Scientific Publications
Scientific publications and exciting articles where PreciPoint products and solutions were successfully used.
Heckmann, L; Langenstroth-Röwer, D; Wistuba, J; Portela, J M D; van Pelt, A M M; Redmann, K; Stukenborg, J B; Schlatt, S; Neuhaus, N
Digital microscope and M8 slidescanner in use for reproductive medicine research
Reproductive medicine is an important scientific topic, as it can offer help in cases of unwanted childlessness. In the study of Heckmann et al. „The initial maturation status of marmoset testicular tissues has an impact on germ cell maintenance and somatic cell response in tissue fragment culture”, our microscope helped to generate scans of testicular tissue to make certain types of cell morphologies visible.
Result: Our digital microscope was used for scanning the cell structures that were colored immunohistochemical and have a direct impact on the fertility of an individual. We are proud that our microscope is part of this paper and hope that it will also find use in some following research.
@article{nokey,
title = {The initial maturation status of marmoset testicular tissues has an impact on germ cell maintenance and somatic cell response in tissue fragment culture},
author = {L Heckmann and D Langenstroth-Röwer and J Wistuba and J M D Portela and A M M van Pelt and K Redmann and J B Stukenborg and S Schlatt and N Neuhaus },
url = {https://academic.oup.com/molehr/article/26/6/374/5814289?login=false},
doi = {10.1093/molehr/gaaa024},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-01},
urldate = {2020-04-01},
journal = {Molecular Human Reproduction},
volume = {26},
issue = {6},
pages = {374-388},
abstract = {Successful in vitro spermatogenesis was reported using immature mouse testicular tissues in a fragment culture approach, raising hopes that this method could also be applied for fertility preservation in humans. Although maintaining immature human testicular tissue fragments in culture is feasible for an extended period, it remains unknown whether germ cell survival and the somatic cell response depend on the differentiation status of the tissue. Employing the marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus), we aimed to assess whether the maturation status of prepubertal and peri-/pubertal testicular tissues influence the outcome of testis fragment culture. Testicular tissue fragments from 4- and 8-month-old (n =3, each) marmosets were cultured and evaluated after 0, 7, 14, 28, and 42 days. Immunohistochemistry was performed for identification and quantification of germ cells (melanoma-associated antigen 4) and Sertoli cell maturation status (anti-Müllerian hormone: AMH). During testis fragment culture, spermatogonial numbers were significantly reduced (P <0.05) in the 4- but not 8-month-old monkeys, at Day 0 versus Day 42 of culture. Moreover, while Sertoli cells from 4-month-old monkeys maintained an immature phenotype (i.e. AMH expression) during culture, AMH expression was regained in two of the 8-month-old monkeys. Interestingly, the progression of differentiation to the later meiotic stage was solely observed in one 8-month-old marmoset, which was at an intermediate state regarding germ cell content, with gonocytes as well as spermatocytes present, as well as Sertoli cell maturation status. Although species-specific differences might influence the outcome of testis fragment experiments in vitro, our study demonstrated that the developmental status of the testicular tissues needs to be considered as it seems to be decisive for germ cell maintenance, somatic cell response and possibly the differentiation potential.},
keywords = {M8},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Portela, Joana M. D.; Heckmann, Laura; Wistuba, Joachim; Sansone, Andrea; van Pelt, Ans M. M.; Kliesch, Sabine; Schlatt, Stefan; Neuhaus, Nina
Digital microscope and slidescanner M8 in use for cancer research
Microscopy is a conventional method for experimental tests and the optical analysis of cell morphology and changes in molecular expression. As so, our M8 is used in some of these publications. Portela J., Heckmann L, Wistuba J. et al. also published a research paper with the title „Development and Disease-Dependent Dynamics of Spermatogonial Subpopulations in Human Testicular Tissues” where our M8 found a use.
Result: Our digital microscope was used for scanning testicular tissue sections that were stained histochemically and immunohistochemically. We are proud that our microscope is part of this paper and hope that it will also find use in some following research.
@article{nokey,
title = {Development and Disease-Dependent Dynamics of Spermatogonial Subpopulations in Human Testicular Tissues},
author = {Joana M. D. Portela and Laura Heckmann and Joachim Wistuba and Andrea Sansone and Ans M. M. van Pelt and Sabine Kliesch and Stefan Schlatt and Nina Neuhaus},
url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019285/},
doi = {10.3390/jcm9010224},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-14},
urldate = {2020-01-14},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
volume = {9},
number = {224},
issue = {1},
keywords = {M8},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Matek, Christian; Schwarz, Simone; Spiekermann, Karsten; Marr, Carsten
Revolutionizing Leukemia Diagnosis: The Critical Role of O8 Oil Microscope in AI-Assisted Blast Cell Recognition
The reliable diagnosis of myeloid leukaemia by identifying blast cells in peripheral blood is currently still a very complicated process. The identification is carried out entirely analogously, by well-trained technical staff and doctors. On the one hand, this is precisely why the error rate is very low; on the other hand, it is not possible to define standardised procedures that would be very helpful for routine processes. In addition, the purely analogue process is very time-consuming and monotonous and therefore very tiring.
Result: One of the results of the study that we want to mention because it also plays an important role for our product O8 is the so-called saliency map. This representation visualises how important certain pixels on an image were for the analysis. In figure 1 you can see that the areas where the cells are visible in the colour image were clearly more relevant for the analysis. Thus, we can say that on the one hand the network resulted in a very specific and good recognition of the cells, but also that the scanner was able to provide high-quality images for the recognition. In addition, the good networking of our software with further interfaces for the transfer of the scanner data into the basic CNN structure offered a safe and simple further processing of the images.
@article{nokey,
title = {Human-level recognition of blast cells in acute myeloid leukaemia with convolutional neural networks.},
author = {Christian Matek and Simone Schwarz and Karsten Spiekermann and Carsten Marr },
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-019-0101-9},
doi = {10.1038/s42256-019-0101-9},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-11-12},
urldate = {2019-11-12},
journal = {Nature Machine Intelligence},
issue = {1},
pages = {538-544},
abstract = {Reliable recognition of malignant white blood cells is a key step in the diagnosis of haematologic malignancies such as acute myeloid leukaemia. Microscopic morphological examination of blood cells is usually performed by trained human examiners, making the process tedious, time-consuming and hard to standardize. Here, we compile an annotated image dataset of over 18,000 white blood cells, use it to train a convolutional neural network for leukocyte classification and evaluate the network’s performance by comparing to inter- and intra-expert variability. The network classifies the most important cell types with high accuracy. It also allows us to decide two clinically relevant questions with human-level performance: (1) if a given cell has blast character and (2) if it belongs to the cell types normally present in non-pathological blood smears. Our approach holds the potential to be used as a classification aid for examining much larger numbers of cells in a smear than can usually be done by a human expert. This will allow clinicians to recognize malignant cell populations with lower prevalence at an earlier stage of the disease.},
keywords = {O8},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Park, Junghyung; Seo, Jincheol; Won, Jinyoung; Yeo, Hyeon-Gu; Ahn, Yu-Jin; Kim, Keonwoo; Jin, Yeung Bae; Koo, Bon-Sang; Lim, Kyung Seob; Jeong, Kang-Jin; Kang, Philyong; Lee, Hwal-Yong; Baek, Seung Ho; Jeon, Chang-Yeop; Hong, Jung-Joo; Huh, Jae-Won; Kim, Young-Hyun; Park, Sang-Je; Kim, Sun-Uk; Lee, Dong-Seok; Lee, Sang-Rae; Lee, Youngjeon
Digital microscope and M8 slidescanner in use for research into neurodegenerative diseases
According to a report of The Lancet Neurology of May 2019 neurological disorders is with 9,0 million deaths and 16,5% of global deaths, the second leading cause of death after heart disease and with 276 million DALYs and 11,6% of global DALYs, it is the leading cause of disability. In the scientific paper “Abnormal Mitochondria in a Non-human Primate Model of MPTP-induced Parkinson’s Disease: Drp1 and CDK5/p25 Signaling” Park J. et al examining abnormal Mitochondria of non-human primate and the impact of it on Parkinson disease.
Result: Our digital scanner M8 was used to generate the scans of tissue sections with the immunohistochemically stained mitochondria.
@article{nokey,
title = {Abnormal Mitochondria in a Non-human Primate Model of MPTP-induced Parkinson's Disease: Drp1 and CDK5/p25 Signaling},
author = {Junghyung Park and Jincheol Seo and Jinyoung Won and Hyeon-Gu Yeo and Yu-Jin Ahn and Keonwoo Kim and Yeung Bae Jin and Bon-Sang Koo and Kyung Seob Lim and Kang-Jin Jeong and Philyong Kang and Hwal-Yong Lee and Seung Ho Baek and Chang-Yeop Jeon and Jung-Joo Hong and Jae-Won Huh and Young-Hyun Kim and Sang-Je Park and Sun-Uk Kim and Dong-Seok Lee and Sang-Rae Lee and Youngjeon Lee},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31308800/},
doi = {10.5607/en.2019.28.3.414},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-05-24},
journal = {Experimental Neurobiology},
volume = {28},
issue = {3},
pages = {414-424},
abstract = {Mitochondria continuously fuse and divide to maintain homeostasis. An impairment in the balance between the fusion and fission processes can trigger mitochondrial dysfunction. Accumulating evidence suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction is related to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), with excessive mitochondrial fission in dopaminergic neurons being one of the pathological mechanisms of PD. Here, we investigated the balance between mitochondrial fusion and fission in the substantia nigra of a non-human primate model of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD. We found that MPTP induced shorter and abnormally distributed mitochondria. This phenomenon was accompanied by the activation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), a mitochondrial fission protein, through increased phosphorylation at S616. Thereafter, we assessed for activation of the components of the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling cascades, which are known regulators of Drp1(S616) phosphorylation. MPTP induced an increase in p25 and p35, which are required for CDK5 activation. Together, these findings suggest that the phosphorylation of Drp1(S616) by CDK5 is involved in mitochondrial fission in the substantia nigra of a non-human primate model of MPTP-induced PD.},
keywords = {M8},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Ren, Bin; Betz, Volker M.; Thirion, Christian; Salomon, Michael; Klar, Roland M.; Jansson, Volkmar; Müller, Peter E.; Betz, Oliver B.
Digital microscope and M8 slide scanner in use Genetics research
Bin Ren et al. deal with the topic of artificial expression of bone material via adipose tissue cells in their scientific report in the scientific journal Nature, “Genes activated adipose tissue fragments as advanced autologous biomaterials for bone regeneration: osteogenic differentiation within the tissue and implications for clinical translation”. The basis for this is genetics. A specific gene, the so-called BMP-2, which is responsible for the formation of bone material, must first be integrated into the fat cells. This is done via adeno-associated viruses, which act as a smuggler of genetic material. Once in the cell nucleus, this strand is to be read with the BMP-2 and thus the desired molecule is to be produced, which later leads to bone formation. The presence of the molecule, the hBMP-2, was quantitatively checked by various optical tests.
Result: Our M8 microscope was used in this process to take scans for histomorphometry and immunohistochemical staining.
@mastersthesis{nokey,
title = {Gene activated adipose tissue fragments as advanced autologous biomaterials for bone regeneration: osteogenic differentiation within the tissue and implications for clinical translation},
author = {Bin Ren and Volker M. Betz and Christian Thirion and Michael Salomon and Roland M. Klar and Volkmar Jansson and Peter E. Müller and Oliver B. Betz },
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-36283-6},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-36283-6},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-18},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
volume = {9},
pages = {224},
abstract = {Cost-effective, expedited approaches for bone regeneration are urgently needed in an ageing population. Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) stimulate osteogenesis but their efficacy is impeded by their short half-life. Delivery by genetically modified cells can overcome this problem. However, cell isolation and propagation represent significant obstacles for the translation into the clinic. Instead, complete gene activated fragments of adipose tissue hold great potential for bone repair. Here, using an in-vitro culture system, we investigated whether adenoviral transduction with human BMP-2 can promote osteogenic differentiation within adipose tissue fragments. Osteoinduction in adipose tissue fragments was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, immunohistology and histomorphometry. BMP-2 transduced adipose tissue synthesized BMP-2 protein over 30 days peaking by day six, which significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation as indicated by increased calcium depositions, up-regulation of bone marker genes, and bone-related protein expression. Our results demonstrate that cells within adipose tissue fragments can differentiate osteogenically after BMP-2 transduction of cells on the surface of the adipose tissue. BMP-2 gene activated adipose tissue represents an advanced osteo-regenerative biomaterial that can actively contribute to osteogenesis and potentially enable the development of a novel, cost-effective, one-step surgical approach to bone repair without the need for cell isolation.},
keywords = {M8},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {mastersthesis}
}
Yazid, Farinawati; Ghazali, Norzalina; Rosli, Muhammad Syafiq Asyraf; Apandi, Nurul Inaas Mahamad; Ibrahim, Norliwati
Digital microscope and M8 slidescanner used for pathology teaching
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic educations in medicine was facing new challenges, because of social distancing and new hygiene standards. With digitalization, education should overcome these challenges and because of these sudden changes, the process to come in to digital working was pushed forward very fast. Farinawati Yazid et al. published a study where they observed „The Use of Digital Microscope in Oral Pathology Teaching” by using our M8.
Result: Our digital microscope was used for scanning different slides on that the students could do the practical learning. We are proud that our microscope was part of this study. The digital transformation is a big step to overcome several challenges not only with Covid-19 but also challenges in distances coming with ongoing globalization and other problems that can be solved by digital solutions.
@article{nokey,
title = {The Use of Digital Microscope in Oral Pathology Teaching},
author = {Farinawati Yazid and Norzalina Ghazali and Muhammad Syafiq Asyraf Rosli and Nurul Inaas Mahamad Apandi and Norliwati Ibrahim},
url = {http://www.jidmr.com/journal/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/44-D18_746_Farinawati_Yazid.pdf},
issn = {1309-100X},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-05},
urldate = {2019-01-05},
journal = {Journal of International Dental and Medical Research},
issue = {12(3)},
pages = {1095-1099},
abstract = {Oral Pathology course has always been synonym with practical learning using microscope to identify histological features in order to diagnose. However, many students had expressed their difficulty in learning this subject when using light microscope (LM). The study was to evaluate the effectiveness of digital microscope (DM) as a teaching aid in Oral Pathology. 53 students of 4th year Dentistry at Dental Faculty, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) were required to view 20 pathological cases, both under LM and DM and diagnose them. Questionnaires on their preference microscope were evaluated. There were 92% response rate to the survey. 87% students preferred DM over LM. 92% students agreed that DM positively improved their learning and had sufficient resolution to allow identification and magnification of the slides viewed. 95% students agreed that DM was effective for the course purpose. For the diagnosis exercise, all participants managed to answer correctly using DM compared to LM. Therefore, it was shown that the students’ favored DM more than LM. Thus, indicating that this should certainly be integrated as a teaching tool to enhance the learning process within the dental curriculum in the future. },
keywords = {M8},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Gao, Jia; Ren, Jing; Ye, Hanjie; Chu, Wenhui; Ding, Xuankai; Ding, Lingzhi; Fu, Yongqian
M8 Microscope and Scanner Used in Research on ZIF-8 Sericin Hydrogel for Bone Regeneration Promoting Angiogenesis and Osteogenesis
A recent study used the M8 microscope and scanner to evaluate a novel bone regeneration scaffold. Designing scaffolds with optimal biodegradability, osteogenic potential, and angiogenic properties presents a significant challenge. Thymosin beta 10 (TMSB10), known for its roles in angiogenesis and osteogenic differentiation, faces activity preservation limitations. To address this, researchers engineered ZIF-8 as a carrier for TMSB10 (TMSB10@ZIF-8), integrating it into a self-assembled sericin hydrogel. Testing the composite in a rat cranial defect model revealed successful synthesis of TMSB10@ZIF-8 with an 88.21% encapsulation efficiency. The sustained release of TMSB10 from this composite significantly enhanced tube formation in HUVECs and promoted angiogenesis in the CAM model. Additionally, it notably improved osteogenic differentiation in MC 3 T3-E1 cells. Eight weeks post-implantation, the TMSB10@ZIF-8/Sericin hydrogel group demonstrated substantial bone healing (86.77 ± 8.91%), outperforming controls.
Result: Histological observation of the skulls was conducted using M8 microscope and scanner. The skulls were first decalcified, followed by dehydration using a graded series of ethanol. Subsequently, the samples were cleared in xylene and embedded in paraffin. Tissue slices were then obtained from the central area of each defect and subjected to staining with H&E, Masson\'s trichrome, and Sirius Red for microscopic evaluation. The approach enabled detailed examination and documentation of tissue morphology and composition within the bone defects, providing crucial insights into the efficacy of the TMSB10@ZIF-8/Sericin hydrogel scaffold in promoting bone regeneration.
@article{nokey,
title = {[No title]},
author = {Jia Gao and Jing Ren and Hanjie Ye and Wenhui Chu and Xuankai Ding and Lingzhi Ding and Yongqian Fu},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141813024023675},
doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131562},
journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules},
volume = {267},
abstract = {Angiogenesis is pivotal for osteogenesis during bone regeneration. A hydrogel that promotes both angiogenesis and osteogenesis is essential in bone tissue engineering. However, creating scaffolds with the ideal balance of biodegradability, osteogenic, and angiogenic properties poses a challenge. Thymosin beta 10 (TMSB10), known for its dual role in angiogenesis and osteogenesis differentiation, faces limitations due to protein activity preservation. To tackle this issue, ZIF-8 was engineered as a carrier for TMSB10 (TMSB10@ZIF-8), and subsequently integrated into the self-assembled sericin hydrogel. The efficacy of the composite hydrogel in bone repair was assessed using a rat cranial defect model. Characterization of the nanocomposites confirmed the successful synthesis of TMSB10@ZIF-8, with a TMSB10 encapsulation efficiency of 88.21 %. The sustained release of TMSB10 from TMSB10@ZIF-8 has significantly enhanced tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and promoted angiogenesis in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model in vivo. It has markedly improved the osteogenic differentiation ability of MC 3 T3-E1 cells in vitro. 8 weeks post-implantation, the TMSB10@ZIF-8/ Sericin hydrogel group exhibited significant bone healing (86.77 ± 8.91 %), outperforming controls. Thus, the TMSB10@ZIF-8/Sericin hydrogel, leveraging ZIF-8 for TMSB10 delivery, emerges as a promising bone regeneration scaffold with substantial clinical application potential.},
keywords = {M8},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Zimmermann,; A.,; Böge,; N.,; Schuster,; K.,; Staffeld,; A.,; Lang,; S.,; Gill,; S.,; Rupprecht,; H.,; & Frintrop,; L.,
Research Uses ViewPoint Software to Quantify Glial Changes and Corpus Callosum Dimensions in Anorexia Nervosa Mice Models
Using the software ViewPoint, a study on anorexia nervosa (AN) revealed emaciation and neuropsychological deficits, with observed brain atrophy. This study on chronically starved mice explored glial changes in the corpus callosum (CC) and hypothalamus, critical in feeding regulation. Immunohistochemistry revealed decreased densities of OLIG2+ oligodendrocytes, GFAP+ astrocytes, and IBA1+ microglia in the CC after chronic starvation. However, glial densities in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), a key feeding center, remained unchanged. Notably, neuropeptide Y (NPY) staining intensity increased, suggesting heightened orexigenic signaling. These findings propose a role for glial pathophysiology in AN, particularly in CC alterations during chronic starvation.
Result: GFAP staining utilized sections at Bregma − 1.12 mm, whereas IBA1 and OLIG2 staining used sections at Bregma − 1.54 mm. Two immunohistochemically stained sections were digitized for each analysis, with averaged results. ViewPoint software was used to quantify GFAP+, IBA1+, and OLIG2+ cell numbers, assessed by two blinded evaluators, and presented as cells per mm2. Counting included cells with visible nuclei. Corpus callosum (CC) measurements, taken in three regions, were averaged, excluding damaged regions. This meticulous approach ensured accuracy in evaluating glial markers, cellular distribution, and CC dimensions in the designated brain sections.
@article{nokey,
title = {Glial cell changes in the corpus callosum in chronically-starved mice},
author = {Zimmermann and A. and Böge and N. and Schuster and K. and Staffeld and A. and Lang and S. and Gill and S. and Rupprecht and H. and & Frintrop and L.},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40337-023-00948-z},
doi = {10.1186/s40337-023-00948-z},
journal = {Journal of Eating Disorders},
volume = {11},
issue = {1},
abstract = {Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by emaciation, hyperactivity, and amenorrhea. Imaging studies in AN patients have revealed reductions in grey and white matter volume, which correlate with the severity of neuropsychological deficits. However, the cellular basis for the observed brain atrophy is poorly understood. Although distinct hypothalamic centers, including the arcuate nucleus (ARC) are critically involved in regulating feeding behavior, little is known about potential hypothalamic modifications in this disorder. Since glia e.g. astrocytes and microglia influence neuronal circuits, we investigated the glial changes underlying pathophysiology of starvation in the corpus callosum (CC) and hypothalamus. Female mice were given a limited amount of food once a day and had unlimited access to a running wheel until a 20% weight reduction was achieved (acute starvation). This weight reduction was maintained for two weeks to mimic chronic starvation. Immunohistochemistry was used to quantify the density of astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and the staining intensity of neuropeptide Y (NPY), a potent orexigenic peptide. Chronic starvation induced a decreased density of OLIG2+ oligodendrocytes, GFAP+ astrocytes, and IBA1+ microglia in the CC. However, the densities of glial cells remained unchanged in the ARC following starvation. Additionally, the staining intensity of NPY increased after both acute and chronic starvation, indicating an increased orexigenic signaling. Chronic starvation induced glial cell changes in the CC in a mouse model of AN suggesting that glia pathophysiology may play a role in the disease.},
keywords = {ViewPoint},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}