Jana Collakova

Coherence-controlled holographic microscopy enabled recognition of necrosis as the mechanism of cancer cells death after exposure to cytopathic turbid emulsion.

Abstract. Coherence-controlled holographic microscopy (CCHM) in low-coherence mode possesses a pronounced coherence gate effect. This offers an option to investigate the details of cellular events leading to cell death caused by cytopathic turbid emulsions. CCHM capacity was first assessed in model situations that showed clear images obtained with low coherence of illumination but not with high coherence of illumination. Then, the form of death of human cancer cells induced by treatment with biologically active phospholipids (BAPs) preparation was investigated. The observed overall retraction of cell colony was apparently caused by the release of cell-to-substratum contacts. This was followed by the accumulation of granules decorating the nuclear membrane. Then, the occurrence of nuclear membrane indentations signaled the start of damage to the integrity of the cell nucleus. In the final stage, cells shrunk and disintegrated. This indicated that BAPs cause cell death by necrosis and not apoptosis. An intriguing option of checking the fate of cancer cells caused by the anticipated cooperative effect after adding another tested substance sodium dichloroacetate to turbid emulsion is discussed on grounds of pilot experiments. Such observations should reveal the impact and mechanism of action of the interacting drugs on cell behavior and fate that would otherwise remain hidden in turbid milieu.

The Role of Coherence in Image Formation in Holographic Microscopy

Abstract Off-axis digital holographic microscopes (DHM) working with incoherent light have been designed and constructed. Their imaging properties can be changed by variation of the coherence of light. This spans from emulation of classic coherent-light DHM allowing for numerical focusing to incoherent-light DHM characterized by high-quality imaging, no coherence noise, halved limit of lateral resolution, and by coherence-gating effect making imaging in turbid media and optical sectioning possible. We describe theoretically the imaging process of a holographic microscope (HM) and how it is influenced by the coherence of illumination. The 3D coherent transfer function (CTF) reveals the dependence of a spatial frequency passband on the coherence properties of a source. Reduction of coherence leads to the passband broadening i.e. to the resolution enhancement. This effect is obvious also from the form of 3D point spread functions, which allows us to characterize imaging by 3D convolution. Imaging and numerical focusing of planar objects are described by 2D CTF derived from 3D CTF for various defocusing. Results for 2D objects are presented also in a simplified approximate form, which gives deeper insight into the fundaments of imaging. In this approximation, the image formation in a turbid medium by coherence gating is elucidated. In addition, it is shown that the mutual lateral shift of the object and reference beams amplifies higher spatial frequencies of a defocused object and allows an object in a turbid medium to be imaged by diffuse (non-ballistic) light. Important theoretical results are verified experimentally.

Quantitative phase imaging through scattering media by means of coherence-controlled holographic microscope.

Abstract. A coherence-controlled holographic microscope (CCHM) enables quantitative phase imaging with coherent as well as incoherent illumination. The low spatially coherent light induces a coherence gating effect, which makes observation of samples possible also through scattering media. The paper describes theoretically and simulates numerically imaging of a two-dimensional object through a static scattering layer by means of CCHM, with the main focus on the quantitative phase imaging quality. The authors have investigated both strongly and weakly scattering media characterized by different amounts of ballistic and diffuse light. It is demonstrated that the phase information can be revealed also for the case of the static, strongly scattering layer. The dependence of the quality of imaging process on the spatial light coherence is demonstrated. The theoretical calculations and numerical simulations are supported by experimental data gained with a model phase object, as well as living carcinoma cells treated in an optically turbid emulsion.

Dynamic phase differences based on quantitative phase imaging for the objective evaluation of cell behavior.

Abstract. Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) brought innovation to noninvasive observation of live cell dynamics seen as cell behavior. Unlike the Zernike phase contrast or differential interference contrast, QPI provides quantitative information about cell dry mass distribution. We used such data for objective evaluation of live cell behavioral dynamics by the advanced method of dynamic phase differences (DPDs). The DPDs method is considered a rational instrument offered by QPI. By subtracting the antecedent from the subsequent image in a time-lapse series, only the changes in mass distribution in the cell are detected. The result is either visualized as a two-dimensional color-coded projection of these two states of the cell or as a time dependence of changes quantified in picograms. Then in a series of time-lapse recordings, the chain of cell mass distribution changes that would otherwise escape attention is revealed. Consequently, new salient features of live cell behavior should emerge. Construction of the DPDs method and results exhibiting the approach are presented. Advantage of the DPDs application is demonstrated on cells exposed to an osmotic challenge. For time-lapse acquisition of quantitative phase images, the recently developed coherence-controlled holographic microscope was employed.

Chk1 inhibition significantly potentiates activity of nucleoside analogs in TP53-mutated B-lymphoid cells

Treatment options for TP53-mutated lymphoid tumors are very limited. In experimental models, TP53-mutated lymphomas were sensitive to direct inhibition of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1), a pivotal regulator of replication. We initially tested the potential of the highly specific Chk1 inhibitor SCH900776 to synergize with nucleoside analogs (NAs) fludarabine, cytarabine and gemcitabine in cell lines derived from B-cell malignancies. In p53-proficient NALM-6 cells, SCH900776 added to NAs enhanced signaling towards Chk1 (pSer317/pSer345), effectively blocked Chk1 activation (Ser296 autophosphorylation), increased replication stress (p53 and γ-H2AX accumulation) and temporarily potentiated apoptosis. In p53-defective MEC-1 cell line representing adverse chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Chk1 inhibition together with NAs led to enhanced and sustained replication stress and significantly potentiated apoptosis. Altogether, among 17 tested cell lines SCH900776 sensitized four of them to all three NAs. Focusing further on MEC-1 and co-treatment of SCH900776 with fludarabine, we disclosed chromosome pulverization in cells undergoing aberrant mitoses. SCH900776 also increased the effect of fludarabine in a proportion of primary CLL samples treated with pro-proliferative stimuli, including those with TP53 disruption. Finally, we observed a fludarabine potentiation by SCH900776 in a T-cell leukemia 1 (TCL1)-driven mouse model of CLL. Collectively, we have substantiated the significant potential of Chk1 inhibition in B-lymphoid cells.

Distinctive behaviour of live biopsy-derived carcinoma cells unveiled using coherence-controlled holographic microscopy

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most aggressive tumours and is typically diagnosed too late. Late diagnosis requires an urgent decision on an effective therapy. An individualized test of chemosensitivity should quickly indicate the suitability of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. No ex vivo chemosensitivity assessment developed thus far has become a part of general clinical practice. Therefore, we attempted to explore the new technique of coherence-controlled holographic microscopy to investigate the motility and growth of live cells from a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma biopsy. We expected to reveal behavioural patterns characteristic for malignant cells that can be used to imrove future predictive evaluation of chemotherapy. We managed to cultivate primary SACR2 carcinoma cells from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma biopsy verified through histopathology. The cells grew as a cohesive sheet of suspected carcinoma origin, and western blots showed positivity for the tumour marker p63 confirming cancerous origin. Unlike the roundish colonies of the established FaDu carcinoma cell line, the SACR2 cells formed irregularly shaped colonies, eliciting the impression of the collective invasion of carcinoma cells. Time-lapse recordings of the cohesive sheet activity revealed the rapid migration and high plasticity of these epithelial-like cells. Individual cells frequently abandoned the swiftly migrating crowd by moving aside and crawling faster. The increasing mass of fast migrating epithelial-like cells before and after mitosis confirmed the continuation of the cell cycle. In immunofluorescence, analogously shaped cells expressed the p63 tumour marker, considered proof of their origin from a carcinoma. These behavioural traits indicate the feasible identification of carcinoma cells in culture according to the proposed concept of the carcinoma cell dynamic phenotype. If further developed, this approach could later serve in a new functional online analysis of reactions of carcinoma cells to therapy. Such efforts conform to current trends in precision medicine.

System for coherence-controlled holographic microscopy of living cells

Coherence Controlled Holographic Microscopy (CCHM) is a novel holographic technique for quantitative-phasecontrast (QPC) biological observations particularly of living cells. Owing to the ordinary (low coherence) illumination source, the CCHM images are of low noise, deprived of coherence noise (speckles) and the lateral resolution is improved by a factor of 2 compared to classic holographic microscopes. Long-lasting time-lapse experiments require elimination of the CCHM optical system instability in order to achieve precise QPC measurement and to maintain correct CCHM adjustment for its low-coherence operation. The critical part of CCHM is the interferometer, which is very sensitive to temperature fluctuations and air turbulences. The temperature stabilization of the whole microscope without air turbulences is therefore required to provide stability for long-term observations of living cells. Novel heated microscope box and stage designed and constructed for this purpose are described in the paper. The system maintains a constant temperature of both the microscope and of the sample set to 37 °C thus providing optimal living conditions for living human and animal cells. The system is completed with a novel flow-chamber for living-cells accommodation during observation. A service of the system to CCHM is demonstrated by a series of pictures of growing cells.

Holographic microscopy in low coherence

Low coherence of the illumination substantially improves the quality of holographic and quantitative phase imaging (QPI) by elimination of the coherence noise and various artefacts and by improving the lateral resolution compared to the coherent holographic microscopy. Attributes of coherence-controlled holographic microscope (CCHM) designed and built as an off-axis holographic system allowing QPI within the range from complete coherent to incoherent illumination confirmed these expected advantages. Low coherence illumination also furnishes the coherence gating which constraints imaging of some spatial frequencies of an object axially thus forming an optical section in the wide sense. In this way the depth discrimination capability of the microscope is introduced at the price of restricting the axial interval of possible numerical refocusing. We describe theoretically these effects for the whole range of illumination coherence. We also show that the axial refocusing constraints can be overcome using advanced mode of imaging based on mutual lateral shift of reference and object image fields in CCHM. Lowering the spatial coherence of illumination means increasing its numerical aperture. We study how this change of the illumination geometry influences 3D objects QPI and especially the interpretation of live cells QPI in terms of the dry mass density measurement. In this way a strong dependence of the imaging process on the light coherence is demonstrated. The theoretical calculations and numerical simulations are supported by experimental data including a chance of time-lapse watching of live cells even in optically turbid milieu.

Coherence-controlled holographic microscopy for live-cell quantitative phase imaging

In this paper we present coherence-controlled holographic microscopy (CCHM) and various examples of observations of living cells including combination of CCHM with fluorescence microscopy. CCHM is a novel technique of quantitative phase imaging (QPI). It is based on grating off-axis interferometer, which is fully adapted for the use of incoherent illumination. This enables high-quality QPI free from speckles and parasitic interferences and lateral resolution of classical widefield microscopes. Label-free nature of QPI makes CCHM a useful tool for long-term observations of living cells. Moreover, coherence-gating effect induced by the use of incoherent illumination enables QPI of cells even in scattering media. Combination of CCHM with common imaging techniques brings the possibility to exploit advantages of QPI while simultaneously identifying the observed structures or processes by well-established imaging methods. We used CCHM for investigation of general parameters of cell life cycles and for research of cells reactions to different treatment. Cells were also visualized in 3D collagen gel with the use of CCHM. It was found that both the cell activity and movement of the collagen fibers can be registered. The method of CCHM in combination with fluorescence microscopy was used in order to obtain complementary information about cell morphology and identify typical morphological changes associated with different types of cell death. This combination of CCHM with common imaging technique has a potential to provide new knowledge about various processes and simultaneously their confirmation by comparison with known imaging method.

Quantitative phase imaging through scattering media

Coherence-controlled holographic microscope (CCHM) is an off-axis holographic system. It enables observation of a sample and its quantitative phase imaging with coherent as well as with incoherent illumination. The spatial and temporal coherence can be modified and thus also the quality and type of the image information. The coherent illumination provides numerical refocusing in wide depth range similarly to a classic coherent-light digital holographic microscopy (HM). Incoherent-light HM is characterized by a high quality, coherence-noise-free imaging with up to twice higher resolution compared to coherent illumination. Owing to an independent, free of sample reference arm of the CCHM the low spatial light coherence induces coherence-gating effect. This makes possible to observe specimen also through scattering media. We have described theoretically and simulated numerically imaging of a two dimensional object through a scattering layer by CCHM using the linear systems theory. We have investigated both strongly and weakly scattering media characterized by different amount of ballistic and diffuse light. The influence of a scattering layer on the quality of a phase signal is discussed for both types of the scattering media. A strong dependence of the imaging process on the light coherence is demonstrated. The theoretical calculations and numerical simulations are supported by experimental data gained with model samples, as well as real biologic objects particularly then by time-lapse observations of live cells reactions to substances producing optically turbid emulsion.