title: Multiscale image analysis reveals structural heterogeneity of the cell microenvironment in homotypic spheroids.
abstract: Three-dimensional multicellular aggregates such as spheroids provide reliable in vitro substitutes for tissues. Quantitative characterization of spheroids at the cellular level is fundamental. We present the first pipeline that provides three-dimensional, high-quality images of intact spheroids at cellular resolution and a comprehensive image analysis that completes traditional image segmentation by algorithms from other fields. The pipeline combines light sheet-based fluorescence microscopy of optically cleared spheroids with automated nuclei segmentation (F score: 0.88) and concepts from graph analysis and computational topology. Incorporating cell graphs and alpha shapes provided more than 30 features of individual nuclei, the cellular neighborhood and the spheroid morphology. The application of our pipeline to a set of breast carcinoma spheroids revealed two concentric layers of different cell density for more than 30,000 cells. The thickness of the outer cell layer depends on a spheroid's size and varies between 50% and 75% of its radius. In differently-sized spheroids, we detected patches of different cell densities ranging from 5 × 105to 1 × 106cells/mm3. Since cell density affects cell behavior in tissues, structural heterogeneities need to be incorporated into existing models. Our image analysis pipeline provides a multiscale approach to obtain the relevant data for a system-level understanding of tissue architecture.
authors.affiliation: Physical Biology/Physikalische Biologie (IZN, FB 15), Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt - Macromolecular Complexes (CEF - MC), Goethe Universität - Frankfurt am Main (Campus Riedberg), Max-von-Laue-Straße 15 - D-60348 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.affiliation: Physical Biology/Physikalische Biologie (IZN, FB 15), Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt - Macromolecular Complexes (CEF - MC), Goethe Universität - Frankfurt am Main (Campus Riedberg), Max-von-Laue-Straße 15 - D-60348 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Physical Biology/Physikalische Biologie (IZN, FB 15), Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt - Macromolecular Complexes (CEF - MC), Goethe Universität - Frankfurt am Main (Campus Riedberg), Max-von-Laue-Straße 15 - D-60348 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mattheyer
authors.affiliation: Physical Biology/Physikalische Biologie (IZN, FB 15), Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt - Macromolecular Complexes (CEF - MC), Goethe Universität - Frankfurt am Main (Campus Riedberg), Max-von-Laue-Straße 15 - D-60348 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pampaloni
authors.affiliation: Physical Biology/Physikalische Biologie (IZN, FB 15), Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt - Macromolecular Complexes (CEF - MC), Goethe Universität - Frankfurt am Main (Campus Riedberg), Max-von-Laue-Straße 15 - D-60348 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Ernst H K
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Stelzer
mesh_terms: D002452:Cell Count; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000473:pathology*