Imaging and quantification of the tumor microenvironment of triple negative breast cancer using TPEF and scanning laser optical tomography

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that has a poor five-year survival rate. The tumor’s extracellular matrix is a major compartment of its microenvironment and influences the proliferation, migration and the formation of metastases. The study of such dependencies requires methods to analyze the tumor matrix in its native form. In this work, the limits of SHG-microscopy, namely limited penetration depth, sample size and specificity, are addressed by correlative three-dimensional imaging. We present the combination of scanning laser optical tomography (SLOT) and multiphoton microscopy, to depict the matrix collagen on different scales. Both methods can be used complementarily to generate full-volume views and allow for in-depth analysis. Additionally, we explore the use of SHG as a contrast mechanism for complex samples in SLOT. It was possible to depict the overall collagen structure and specific fibers using marker free imaging on different scales. An appropriate sample preparation enables the fixation of the structures while simultaneously conserving the fluorescence of antibody staining. We find that SHG is a suitable contrast mechanism to depict matrix collagen even in complex samples and using SLOT. The insights presented here shall further facilitate the study of the tumor extracellular matrix by correlative 3d imaging.