Are you interested in exploring plaque-associated inflammation? QPS Neuropharmacology, a division of QPS (a leading CRO for drug development), is your partner for the visualization and quantification of plaque-associated inflammation. With our on-site, highly predictive disease models and extensive experience with clinical studies, QPS Neuropharmacology is an excellent choice for biopharmaceutical companies of all sizes focusing on CNS diseases, mental disorders, or orphan diseases.
The photos included in this post depict an exemplary quantification process to evaluate microglia (labeled Iba1) adjacent to amyloid-beta plaques (labeled 6E10). Multichannel immunofluorescence (of up to four different antibodies, plus DAPI labeling in one experiment), whole-slide imaging, and quantitative image analysis allowed for the detailed evaluation of pathological changes. To ensure the fast and cost-efficient quantification of large batches of images, we used Image-Pro 10 software to conduct macro-based image analysis.
The results of this analysis are consistent, operator-independent, and fully reproducible.
In Figure A, above, you can see the immunolabeling of a 10-month-old 5xFAD mouse brain section. The image shows the merged signal of amyloid-beta (6E10 in red) and microglia (Iba1 in white). The cell nuclei are labeled DAPI (blue).
In Figure B, to the left, you can see the results of the quantification process. After we identified the immunoreactive positive objects (plaques) through adequate thresholding and morphological filtering, we created mask images of the evaluated 6E10-positive area. In the image, we have quantified the Iba1-positive objects (the activated microglia) in the vicinity of the amyloid-beta plaques.
Since 1995, QPS has provided discovery, preclinical, and clinical drug development services. An award-winning leader focused on bioanalytics and clinical trials, QPS is known for proven quality standards, technical expertise, a flexible approach to research, client satisfaction and turnkey laboratories and facilities. For more information, visit www.qps.com or email info@qps.com.
