UC Irvine

Human skin is a highly complex and dynamic biological organ providing many critical functions for the human body. Thus, non-invasive and non-destructive technologies capable of providing multi-scale visualization of human skin with subcellular resolution would provide a means for robust characterization of skin structure and function. Recent advances in optical imaging technologies, such as multiphoton microscopy (MPM), have enhanced the feasibility of these approaches for clinical skin imaging. MPM allows for real time, in vivo, non-invasive, label-free imaging with sub-micrometer resolution and molecular contrast. In this work, we have used a commercial clinical MPM device to address critical unmet needs in skin biology, skin disease, and dermatology. Specifically, we used MPM, reflectance confocal microscopy, and single cell transcriptomics, to provide insights into the basic understanding of the biology of vitiligo and therapeutic response. Other applications included a characterization of benign melanocytic nevi in order to understand the specific morphology related to the evolution towards malignant melanoma, a cancer of the melanocytes; and an assessment of the biological hallmarks of melasma, a skin disorder associated with hyperpigmentation. Finally, based on the studies performed in this work, we identified and addressed technical limitations of the commercial MPM instrument related to limited scanning area and speed. Preliminary data on the performance of an MPM imaging platform, recently developed in our lab, demonstrate the ability of this new device to provide stable in vivo images of skin over macroscopic spatial scales with microscopic resolution and enhanced molecular contrast. This advanced imaging tool, highly optimized for efficient skin imaging, is a promising instrument that facilitates further understanding of the microscopic and molecular processes that underlie skin biology.