Zooming into the Matrix: Using Nonlinear Optical Microscopy to Visualize Collagen Remodeling in Asthmatic Airways

• Published in: American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine Vol. 200; no. 4; pp. 403 - 405
• Main Authors: Snelgrove, Robert J., Patel, Dhiren F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Thoracic Society 15.08.2019
• Subjects: Airway management; Airway Remodeling; Allergies; Asthma; Biopsy; Collagen; Endoscopy; Extracellular matrix; Fibrillar Collagens; Fibroblasts; Humans; Inflammation; Mechanics; Microscopy; Morphology; Nonlinear Optical Microscopy; Patients; Signal transduction; Tensile strength
• ISSN: 1073-449X; 1535-4970; 1535-4970
• DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201904-0722ED

[...]an aberrant ECM, as is frequently seen in chronic lung diseases, is not only an end-stage pathological manifestation that compromises tissue functionality but also likely dictates the development and progression of the disease. Rationalizing these changes, the authors demonstrated that fibroblasts isolated from the airways of patients with asthma were defective in collagen I fiber formation relative to those derived from healthy control subjects. Furthermore, assessment of airway remodeling is rarely included as an outcome measure in clinical trials owing to the invasive nature of tissue biopsies, but the use of NLOM could facilitate a longitudinal interrogation of the effects of therapeutic interventions on changes to the ECM and ensuing disease control or remission. The ability to combine nonlinear optical microscopy with bronchoscopy to generate images of extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecular structure without the use of exogenous stains makes this approach an exciting, less invasive way to longitudinally assess airway remodeling in patients. 1.