REVIEW article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1610539
3D Visualization of Uterus and Ovary: Tissue Clearing Techniques and Biomedical Applications
Provisionally accepted
- 1The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, China
- 2Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- 3The First School Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Recent advancements in tissue clearing and three-dimensional (3D) visualization technologies have enabled subcellular-level examination of entire organs, particularly in complex structures such as the ovary and uterus. Traditional histological approaches are limited by two-dimensional views, which restrict our understanding of female reproductive system functions. In this review, we highlight the innovations in 3D tissue clearing techniques applied to uterine and ovarian tissues, which, combined with analytical tools, facilitate comprehensive 3D visualization and image analysis. We evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of three primary categories of tissue clearing techniques: organic solvent-based, hydrogel-based, and hydrogel-embedded methods, specifically regarding the uterus and ovary. Light-sheet and multiphoton microscopy complement these techniques, providing unprecedented capabilities for high-resolution imaging of large tissue volumes. Tissue clearing technologies provide a robust strategy for early diagnosis of uterine and ovarian pathologies. Additionally, we explore the integration of tissue clearing technologies with spatial transcriptomics and AI-driven analytical tools to achieve comprehensive 3D molecular mapping. We hope this review contributes to a better understanding of tissue clearing techniques and can help researchers in navigating methodological choices for uterine and ovarian investigations.
Keywords: tissue clearing, 3D visualization, Ovary, Uterus, spatial omics, AI
Received: 12 Apr 2025; Accepted: 24 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 LIU, Song, Liu, Dong, Zheng, LEUNG and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: QIQI LIU, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.