This paper introduces a novel approach for integrating 3D imaging with nuclear segmentation to thoroughly analyze cellular neighborhoods in human tissues. The authors highlight the limitations of traditional 2D histology, which loses crucial spatial information, and present their methodology as a way to overcome these challenges. Utilizing the CODA platform, their workflow enables high-resolution 3D reconstructions of tissue architecture and the detailed examination of nuclear morphological features, as demonstrated in a human pancreatic tissue sample. This advanced technique facilitates the spatial characterization of immune cell distribution and offers a more comprehensive understanding of tissue and nuclear structures relevant to disease progression. The study concludes by emphasizing the potential of this 3D nuclear segmentation approach to become a gold standard in digital pathology, despite current computational demands.

References:

• Forjaz A, Kramer D, Shen Y, et al. Integration of nuclear morphology and 3D imaging to profile cellular neighborhoods[J]. biorxiv, 2025: 2025.03. 31.646356.