Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
J Intern Med. 2014 Dec;276(6):560-78. doi: 10.1111/joim.12278. Epub 2014 Aug 5.
Optical imaging is crucial for addressing fundamental problems in all areas of life science. With the use of confocal and two-photon fluorescence microscopy, complex dynamic structures and functions in a plethora of tissue and cell types have been visualized. However, the resolution of 'classical' optical imaging methods is poor due to the diffraction limit and does not allow resolution of the cellular microcosmos. On the other hand, the novel stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy technique, because of its targeted on/off-switching of fluorescence, is not hampered by a diffraction-limited resolution barrier. STED microscopy can therefore provide much sharper images, permitting nanoscale visualization by sequential imaging of individual-labelled biomolecules, which should allow previous findings to be reinvestigated and provide novel information. The aim of this review is to highlight promising developments in and applications of STED microscopy and their impact on unresolved issues in biomedical science.
光学成像是解决生命科学各个领域基本问题的关键。通过使用共聚焦和双光子荧光显微镜，已经观察到了大量组织和细胞类型中复杂的动态结构和功能。然而，由于衍射极限的限制，“经典”光学成像方法的分辨率较差，无法解析细胞的微观世界。另一方面，新型受激发射损耗（STED）显微镜技术由于其荧光的靶向开/关切换，不受衍射极限分辨率障碍的限制。因此，STED 显微镜可以提供更清晰的图像，通过对单个标记生物分子进行顺序成像来实现纳米级可视化，这应该允许重新研究以前的发现并提供新的信息。本综述的目的是强调 STED 显微镜的有前途的发展和应用及其对生物医学科学中未解决问题的影响。
