Strongly absorbing molecules make tissue transparent: a new insight for understanding tissue optical clearing

Light Sci Appl. 2025 Jan 1;14(1):10. doi: 10.1038/s41377-024-01675-z.

Abstract

Optical imaging plays a central role in the field of biomedicine, but it suffers from the light scattering of tissues. The research group from Stanford University has reported a counterintuitive observation that strongly absorbing molecules could achieve optical transparency in live animals, providing a new insight for understanding tissue optical clearing. It empowers scientists to leverage optical imaging techniques for in vivo observation of a wide range of deep-seated structures and activities.