3-D Histology Lab

3-D images are essential for the study of tissue networks to characterize their morphologies in space. We establish tissue labeling and microscopic tools for high-definition 3-D imaging of mouse and human tissues.

Our featured cover images and illustrations

Team and collaborators

PI: Dr. Shiue-Cheng (Tony) Tang; Dr. Pankaj J. Pasricha; Dr. Yuan-Chiang Chung; Dr. Chia-Ning Shen; Dr. Michael German; Dr. Chester Chamberlain; Dr. Luc Baeyens; David Scheel; Dr. Yu-Wen Tien; Dr. Yung-Ming Jeng; Dr. Chih-Yuan Lee; Dr. Shien-Tung Pan; Dr. Ming-Yin Shen; Dr. Yung-Chi Hou, Dr. Tsung-Lin Yang; Dr. Jyuhn-Huarng Juang; Dr. Ya-Yuan Fu; Dr. Tzu-En Hua; Dr. Pei-Yu Lin; M.Sc. Yu-Chen Chiu; Dr. Yuan-An Liu; M.Sc. Shih-Jung Peng; M.Sc. Chia-Tung Hsu; Dr. Chien-Chang Huang; Ph.D. candidate Hung-Jen Chien; M.Sc. Ya-Hsien Chou; M.Sc. Fu-Ting Hsiao

Our laboratory develops optical and histological methods to acquire 3-D images of tissue microstructure, vasculature, and innervation. We prepare transparent specimens with optical clearing to reveal the fluorescently labeled tissue architectures in space. We specialize in digestive and metabolic tissues, such as the intestine and pancreas, in health and disease, and we perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of the 3-D image data of these tissues.

Our research topics include: 3-D imaging, illustration, and quantitation of interstitial cell of Cajal (ICC) in human colon, whole-villus neurohistology with optical clearing, imaging of the islet neural network, and characterization of islet neurovascular remodeling in obesity and diabetes.

At the Movies: 3-D Technology & Gastrointestinal Histology

About the PI

Shiue-Cheng (Tony) Tang, Ph.D.
sctang@life.nthu.edu.tw
Department of Medical Science
Institute of Biotechnology
National Tsing Hua University
101, Sec. 2, Kuang Fu Rd., Hsinchu, Taiwan, 30013
Tel: 886-3-574-2465

2017 American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Fellow

2015 Visiting Scholar, Diabetes Center, UCSF

2012-present
Professor, National Tsing Hua University, Institute of Biotechnology
Professor, National Tsing Hua University, Department of Medical Science
Professor, National Tsing Hua University, Department of Chemical Eng (joint appointment)

2008-2011
Associate Professor, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Dept. of Chemical Eng

2005-2008
Assistant Professor, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Dept. of Chemical Eng

2005 Jan-Jul
Assistant Professor, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Div. of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, School of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering

2004
Postdoctoral Training, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Stanford University School of Medicine

1998-2003
PhD Training, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Recent publications on 3-D histology

1. Fu YY, Lin CW, Enikolopov G, Sibley E, Chiang AS, and Tang SC. Microtome-free 3-dimensional confocal imaging method for visualization of mouse intestine with subcellular-level resolution. Gastroenterology. 137(2): p453-465, 2009.

2. Fu YY and Tang SC. At the movies: 3-dimensional technology and gastrointestinal histology. Gastroenterology, 139(4): p1100-1105, 2010.

3. Tang SC, Fu YY, Lo WF, Hua TE, and Tuan HY. Vascular labeling of luminescent gold nanorods enables 3-D microscopy of mouse intestinal capillaries. ACS Nano, 4(10):6278-84, 2010.

4. Fu YY and Tang SC. Optical clearing facilitates integrated 3D visualization of mouse ileal microstructure and vascular network with high definition. Microvascular Research, 80(3):512-21, 2010.

5. Fu YY, Lu CH, Lin CW, Juang JH, Enikolopov G, Sibley E, Chiang AS, Tang SC. Three-dimensional optical method for integrated visualization of mouse islet microstructure and vascular network with subcellular-level resolution. Journal of Biomedical Optics. 15(4), Article Number: 046018, 2010.

6. Tseng SJ, Lee YH, Chen ZH, Lin HH, Lin CY, and Tang SC. Integration of optical clearing and optical sectioning microscopy for three dimensional imaging of natural biomaterial scaffolds in thin sections. Journal of Biomedical Optics. 14(4), Article Number: 044004, 2009.

7. Liu YA, Chen Y, Chiang AS, Peng JS, Pasricha PJ, and Tang SC. Optical clearing improves the imaging depth and signal-to-noise ratio for digital analysis and 3-dimensional projection of the human enteric nervous system. Neurogastroenterology & Motility. 23:e446-457, 2011. Highlighted by Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 8: 600; “Improving 3D imaging of the enteric nervous system” http://www.nature.com/nrgastro/collection/enteric/index.html

8. Liu YA, Chung YC, Pan ST, Hou YC, Peng SJ, Pasricha PJ, and Tang SC. 3-D illustration of network orientations of interstitial cells of Cajal subgroups in human colon as revealed by deep-tissue imaging with optical clearing. American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 302:G1099-G1110, 2012. Selected as featured article on the May 15 issue: "3-D illustration of ICC network orientations"

9. Chiu YC, Hua TE, Fu YY, Pasricha PJ, and Tang SC. 3-D imaging and illustration of the perfusive mouse islet sympathetic innervation and its remodelling in injury. Diabetologia. 55:3252-3261, 2012. Featured article. Accompanied by a commentary “Islet nerves in focus – defining their neurobiological and clinical role” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23001378.

10. Liu YA, Pan ST, Hou YC, Shen MY, Peng SJ, Tang SC and Chung YC. 3-D visualization and quantitation of microvessels in transparent human colorectal carcinoma. PLOS ONE. 8: e81857, 2013.

11. Fu YY, Peng SJ, Lin HY, Pasricha PJ, and Tang SC. 3-D imaging and illustration of mouse intestinal neurovascular complex. American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 304:G1-G11, 2013. Cover image.

12. Liu YA, Chung YC, Pan ST, Shen MY, Hou YC, Peng SJ, Pasricha PJ, and Tang SC. 3-D imaging, illustration, and quantitation of enteric glial network in transparent human colon mucosa. Neurogastroenterology & Motility. 25:e324-338, 2013.

13. Tang SC, Chiu YC, Hsu CT, Peng SJ, and Fu YY. Plasticity of Schwann cells and pericytes in response to islet injury in mice. Diabetologia. 56:2424-2434, 2013. Cover image of November issue.

14. Hua TE, Yang TL, Yang WC, Liu KJ, and Tang SC. 3-D neurohistology of transparent tongue in health and injury with optical clearing. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 7:36, 2013.

15. Hsu CT and Tang SC. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, Cover image 2014 Jan-Dec: Mouse islet Schwann cell network (winner of cover competition). http://www.nature.com/nrendo/journal/v10/n1/covers/index.html

16. Juang JH, Peng SJ, Kuo CH, and Tang SC. 3D islet graft histology: panoramic imaging of neural plasticity in sympathetic reinnervation of transplanted islets under the kidney capsule. American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism, 306:E559-E570, 2014.

17. Tang SC, Peng SJ, and Chien HJ. Imaging of the islet neural network. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 16 (Suppl. 1):77-86. 2014. Review.

18. Peng SJ and Tang SC. Nature Reviews Nephrology, Cover image 2015 Jan-Dec, all twelve issues: Projection of mouse renal pericytes and their association with glomeruli. http://www.nature.com/nrneph/volumes/11/issues/12

19. Liu YA, Chung YC, Shen MY, Pan ST, Kuo CW, Peng SJ, Pasricha PJ, and Tang SC. Perivascular interstitial cells of Cajal in human colon. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology. American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal, 1:102-119, 2015.

20. Juang JH, Kuo CH, Peng SJ, and Tang SC. 3-D imaging reveals participation of donor islet Schwann cells and pericytes in islet transplantation and graft neurovascular regeneration. EBioMedicine, 2:109-119, 2015. Cover image of February issue.

21. Chien HJ, Peng SJ, Hua TE, Kuo CH, Juang JH, and Tang SC. 3-D imaging of islets in obesity: formation of the islet-duct complex and neurovascular remodeling in young hyperphagic mice. International Journal of Obesity, 40: 685-697, 2016.

22. Lin PY, Peng SJ, Shen CN, Pasricha PJ, and Tang SC. PanIN-associated pericyte, glial, and islet remodeling in mice revealed by 3-D pancreatic duct lesion histology. American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 311: G412–G422, 2016.

23. Kulkarni S, Micci MA, Leser J, Shin C, Tang SC, Fu YY, Liu L, Li Q, Saha M, Li C, Enikolopov G, Becker L, Rakhilin N, Anderson M, Shen X, Dong X, Butte MJ, Song H, Southard-Smith EM, Kapur RP, Bogunovic M, Pasricha PJ. Adult enteric nervous system in health is maintained by a dynamic balance between neuronal apoptosis and neurogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA,114: E3709-E3718, 2017.

24. Tang SC, Shen CN, Lin PY, Peng SJ, Chien HJ, Chou YH, Chamberlain CE, and Pasricha PJ. Pancreatic neuro-insular network in young mice revealed by 3-D panoramic histology. Diabetologia. 61:158-167, 2018. Back-to-back featured article. Highly Cited Paper; JCI 2018 top 1% of Clinical Medicine.

25. Tang SC, Baeyens L, Shen CN, Peng SJ, Chien HJ, Scheel DW,
Chamberlain CE, and German MS. Human pancreatic neuro-insular network in health and fatty infiltration. Diabetologia. 61:168-181, 2018. Back-to-back featured article. Highly Cited Paper; JCI 2018 top 1% of Clinical Medicine.

26. Tang SC*, Jessup CF*, and Campbell-Thompson M*. The role of accessory cells in islet homeostasis. Current Diabetes Reports. 18(11):117, 2018. Review.

27. Peng SJ and Tang SC*. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, Cover image 2019 Jan-Dec: Peri-islet vasodilation and lymphocytic infiltration in experimental type 1 diabetes mellitus (winner of cover competition). http://www.nature.com/nrendo/journal/v15/n1/covers/index.html

28. Chien HJ, Chiang TC, Peng SJ, Chung MH, Chou YH, Lee CY, Jeng YM, Tien YW, and Tang SC*. Human pancreatic afferent and efferent nerves: mapping and 3-D illustration of exocrine, endocrine, and adipose innervation. American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 2019. Accepted.

29. Shen CN, Goh KS, Huang CR, Chiang TC, Lee CY, Jeng YM, Peng SJ, Chien HJ, Chung MH, Chou YH, Hsieh CC, Kulkarni S, Pasricha PJ, Tien YW*, and Tang SC*. Lymphatic vessel remodeling and invasion in pancreatic cancer progression. EBioMedicine, 2019. Accepted.