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Nature Photonics 2, 13–14 (1 January 2008) | doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.260

Microscopy: Brillouin bioimaging

Peter So

Researchers at Harvard Medical School have developed a highly sensitive microscope that can image the mechanical properties of living tissues. Changes in tissue can often be a symptom of disease in the body. For example, coronary disease is accompanied by the loss of elasticity in arterial walls, fibrosis is marked by the hardening of the liver, osteoporosis involves weakening of the skeleton, and the calcification of some tissues can indicate the onset of cancer.