  Optical imaging of metabolism can provide key information about health and
disease progression in cells and tissues, however, current methods have lacked
gold-standard information about histological structure. Conversely, histology
and virtual histology methods have lacked metabolic contrast. Here we present a
novel microscopy technology, Metabolic Light Absorption, Scattering and
Emission (MetaLASE) microscopy, which rapidly provides a virtual histology and
optical metabolic readout simultaneously. Photoacoustic remote sensing
microscopy achieves nuclei contrast and hematoxylin contrast using ultraviolet
absorption and an eosin contrast using the scattered ultraviolet light. The
same ultraviolet source excites endogenous NADH, FAD and collagen
autofluorescence allowing a measurable Optical Redox Ratios to see enhanced
metabolism in areas of invasive carcinoma in breast and prostate tissues
compared to benign regions. Benign chronic inflammation and glands also are
seen to exhibit hypermetabolism. MetaLASE microscopy offers promise for future
applications in intraoperative margin analysis, and in research applications
where greater insights into metabolic activity should be correlated with cell
and tissue types.
