Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42020380›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Interferometric ultra-high resolution 3D imaging through brain sections.

Hao-Cheng Gao, Fan Xu, Xi Cheng, Tailong Chen, Cheng Bi, Yue Zheng, Yilun Li, Yumian Li, Alexander A Chubykin, Fang Huang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Hao-Cheng Gao *Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-4026-0127
Fan Xu *Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. xufan@bit.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6298-5587
Xi ChengDepartment of Biological Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Tailong ChenSchool of Optics and Photonics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6045-9911
Cheng BiWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0601-0985
Yue ZhengWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9851-1965
Yilun LiWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-6935-8840
Yumian LiSchool of Optics and Photonics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
Alexander A ChubykinDepartment of Biological Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. chubykin@purdue.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8224-9296
Fang HuangWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. fanghuang@purdue.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1301-1799

Funding

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) GM119785U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) MH116500U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) MH123401
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Single-molecule super-resolution microscopy allows pinpointing individual molecular positions in cells with nanometer precision. However, achieving molecular resolution through tissues is often difficult because of optical scattering and aberrations. We introduced 4Pi single-molecule nanoscopy for the brain with in-situ point spread function retrieval through opaque tissue (4Pi-BRAINSPOT), integrating 4Pi single-molecule switching nanoscopy with dynamic in-situ coherent PSF modeling, single-molecule compatible tissue clearing, light-sheet illumination, and a quantitative analysis pipeline utilizing the highly accurate 3D molecular coordinates. This approach enables the quantification of protein distribution with sub-15-nm resolution in all three dimensions within complex tissue specimens. We demonstrated 4Pi-BRAINSPOT's capacities in revealing the molecular arrangements in various sub-cellular organelles and resolved the membrane morphology of individual dendritic spines through 50-µm mouse brain slices. This ultra-high-resolution approach allows us to decipher nanoscale organelle architecture and molecular distribution in both isolated cells and native tissue environments with precision down to a few nanometers.

Indexed as

BrainImaging, Three-DimensionalInterferometrySingle Molecule ImagingAnimalsDendritic SpinesMice

Identifiers

PMID42020380
PMCPMC13287808

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.