Visualization of tumor vessels using synchrotron radiation-based micro computed tomography

Abstract

The visualization of the vascular network is a prerequisite to understand the formation of cancerous tissue. Synchrotron radiation-based micro computed tomography (SRμCT) provides the necessary micrometer resolution, to image the vessels down to the 3 to 5 μm wide capillaries, the contrast differences between vessels and surrounding tissue, however, are too weak. Thus, in the present study highly X-ray absorbing barium sulfate micro-particles, which cannot penetrate through healthy vessel walls, were injected into the vessels. The acquired tomography data show that the stained vessels of the tumor tissue have different morphology and density with respect to the surrounding healthy tissue. The vessels of the cancerous tissue often exhibit spiral shapes.