Visualization of human prenatal development by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
It is essential to visualize the structures of embryos and their internal organs three-dimensionally to analyze morphogenesis; this used to rely solely on serial histological sectioning and solid reconstruction, which were tedious and time-consuming. We have applied imaging with a magnetic resonance (MR) microscope equipped with a 2.35 T superconducting magnet to visualize human embryos; we were successful in acquiring high-resolution sectional images and in identifying the detailed structures of major organs. The imaging process was facilitated by using a super-parallel MR microscope. A dataset of MR images of more than 1,000 human embryos, now collected, will be important for future biomedical research and for education.
Shiota
Kohei
K
Congenital Anomaly Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. shiota@anat1.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Yamada
Shigehito
S
Nakatsu-Komatsu
Tomoko
T
Uwabe
Chigako
C
Kose
Katsumi
K
Matsuda
Yoshimasa
Y
Haishi
Tomoyuki
T
Mizuta
Shinobu
S
Matsuda
Tetsuya
T
D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional; D003196:Computer Graphics; D015509:Developmental Biology / Q000295:instrumentation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000473:pathology*; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008280:Magnetics; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors