A new state-of-the-art tissue imaging system
21/05/2019
A first in Belgium: The Jules Bordet Institute acquires a new state-of-the-art tissue imaging system.
The Jules Bordet Institute has acquired, thanks to the financial support of the "Friends of the Bordet Institute", an innovative tissue imaging system. An acquisition that is a first for Belgium, establishing the Institute as the reference centre for this technology. The system will permit an improved understanding of the intracellular functioning of the tumour and its development in the biological micro-environment. This represents considerable progress in terms of study precision and a real step forward for research at the Bordet Institute.
In what way is this new tissue imaging system innovative?
Used in research into the biology of tumour cells, this system is equipped with an advanced multispectral camera. This is capable of taking several images of the tissue simultaneously and then decomposing them to identify up to seven different biological elements (known as biomarkers) distinguished by various colourations. This visual decomposition permits a detailed segmentation of the cells in the biological environment with far greater precision than is possible using the usual microscopy techniques that can only study one biomarker at a time (cfr image). In addition, intelligent software permits an in situ quantification of these different elements in a way that is complete, rapid, precise, economic and reliable.
One step further for immunology
This system of tissue imaging makes it possible to analyse – by virtue of the visual decomposition and quantification of the various biological elements - the intracellular functioning of the tumour and its evolution in the biological micro-environment. This acquisition is crucial in the context of developing research into immunology and immunotherapies in oncology. It means it is now possible to identify immune cells in the tumour micro-environment and to understand their role and interactions with the cancer cells in a solid tumour. It also provides a better understanding of the responses of tumour cells to immunotherapy treatment.
The Jules Bordet Institute, reference centre for this advanced technology
Although the Molecular Immunology Laboratory was the driving force behind the acquisition of this cutting-edge technology, it will benefit all the research groups at the Jules Bordet Institute that want to pursue a very precise study of tissues and their biological micro-environment. This new tissue imaging system can also be used beyond the field of oncology. That is why this sophisticated equipment will be at the heart of the future 10,000 m² devoted exclusively to cancer research at the future Jules Bordet Institute currently under construction on the Anderlecht campus. As the first to acquire this system in Belgium, the Jules Bordet Institute becomes the reference centre for technology of this kind. This progress would not have been possible without the "Friends of the Jules Bordet Institute" who financed a large part of the purchase of this machine and the associated software.