Monitoring the Progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Development of a Microscope to Observe the Progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The appearance of fatty liver captured with a three-dimensional bio-microscope.

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers have developed imaging technology that allows observation of the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). On the 14th, the research team led by Professor Pilhan Kim of the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced that they succeeded in simultaneously capturing the formation of lipid droplets within liver cells and the microvascular system in NAFLD using ultra-high-speed laser scanning 3D intravital microscopy technology. This research was published in the international journal Biomedical Optics Express.

Observing the Progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The degree of lipid droplet accumulation at each stage of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can be identified.

The research team developed an ultra-high-speed laser confocal and two-photon intravital microscope. This microscope tracks and corrects the movement of liver tissue inside the body in real time through a polygonal mirror rotating at speeds exceeding 380 km/h. It can capture high-resolution images of extremely small lipid droplets, less than a micrometer (μm, one-millionth of a meter) in size.

Using this technology, the team observed the formation and accumulation of lipid droplets within liver cells and the surrounding microvascular system during disease progression in an animal model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Lipid droplets refer to spherical fat droplets accumulated in the cytoplasm of liver cells.

As a result, they identified that the accumulation rate of lipid droplets within liver cells increases with the progression of non-alcoholic liver disease, and the size of individual lipid droplets also grows. Furthermore, they confirmed that the increase in lipid droplet size causes positional changes in the nuclei of liver cells, ultimately leading to changes in the shape of the liver cells.

Potential Applications in Various Diseases

Ultra-high-speed Laser Scanning 3D Biological Microscope System

Until now, most research on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has been conducted through histopathological analysis using resected liver tissue. Consequently, there have been limitations in precisely analyzing molecular and cellular level changes in three dimensions.

Professor Kim stated, "Real-time high-resolution imaging technology using 3D intravital microscopy for various diseases, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, enables precise observation of diverse cellular-level changes according to disease progression," adding, "3D intravital microscopy will provide groundbreaking assistance in diagnosing and developing treatments for many human diseases in the future biohealth industry."

Meanwhile, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is rapidly increasing in Korea due to westernized dietary habits and rising obesity rates. It encompasses a wide range of liver diseases, from simple fatty liver to chronic steatohepatitis and cirrhosis. Prevalence rates of up to 24% in healthy individuals and up to 74% in obese individuals have been reported.

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