3D imaging of neuronal inclusions and protein aggregates in human neurodegeneration by multiscale x-ray phase-contrast tomography.

ABSTRACT: This study leverages x-ray phase-contrast tomography (XPCT) for detailed analysis of neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on the three-dimensional (3D) visualization and quantification of neuropathological features within fixed human postmortem tissue. XPCT with synchrotron radiation offers micrometer and even sub-micron resolution, enabling us to examine intra- and extraneuronal aggregates and inclusions such as Lewy bodies (LBs), granulovacuolar degeneration (GvD), Hirano bodies (HBs), neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), β-amyloid plaques, and vascular amyloid deposits in three dimensions. In the reconstructions, we identified the highest electron densities in Hirano and LBs, while NFTs exhibited no significant increase in XPCT contrast. Using cutting-edge high-resolution x-ray synchrotron b

SUBMITTER: Franz J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12861568 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature