4D OCT imaging and bioimage informatics of embryonic mouse heart over development

The embryonic heart development is a unique biological process coupling not only morphogenesis and mechanobiology but also with active and evolving pumping dynamics that link to both the cardiac morphology and the mechanical forces. As such, 4D (3D+time) imaging is indispensable for studying this process, which is essential to improving the understanding of congenital heart defects and providing new strategies for heart regeneration. Focusing on the mouse model and using OCT, our lab has established novel approaches to achieve label-free, high-resolution 4D imaging and visualization of the embryonic mouse heart over development during the cardiac looping stage. I will discuss these approaches and the insights revealed from our works.