22 May 2026
3DxN - Better understanding of disease through multi-modal imaging
Engineers and healthcare scientists from the University of Oxford and the University of Cape Town (South Africa) have come together to improve technologies for diagnosing disease and furthering our understanding of fundamental processes of disease.
Left: A three-dimensional image of a kidney biopsy. Right: Important anatomical landmarks such as tubule, which is shown in grey, and a glomerulus, which is a tiny network of blood vessels that is responsible for filtering the blood.
By advancing three-dimensional imaging of tissue at the microscopic scale, tissue-based analysis of changes in gene expression, and artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies, the team aims to generate new insights from tissue samples into health and disease. This £5M programme is made possible through funding from the Wellcome Trust Bioimaging Technology Development initiative.
Today, pathologists diagnose disease by analysing razor thin two-dimensional (2D) tissue sections under a microscope. But all components of the tissue, as for example cells and blood vessels, are three-dimensional (3D) objects. This is why the team will investigate how the analysis of the complex 3D tissue anatomy can aid the development of more informative disease models. Work in prostate cancer, bone marrow and skeletal health, and kidney disease, aims to connect fundamental pathological processes such as the build up of scar tissue (fibrosis), inflammation, and changes in the vasculature. Using a concrete set of studies, the research programme will demonstrate potential impact on human health.
The programme is led by Professor Jens Rittscher, and involves medical image analysis specialist Professor Konstantinos Kamnitsas, kidney disease expert Katherine Bull (Nuffield Department of Medicine), prostate cancer scientist Ian Mills (Department of Surgical Sciences), and bone marrow expert Daniel Royston (Radcliffe Department of Medicine). In Cape Town, Bianca Davidson leads the kidney disease study with clinical scientist Nicola Wearne (Groote Schuur Hospital), pathologist Brendon Price (Anatomical Pathology), and imaging expert Michael Reiche (Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine). Internationally, the team will collaborate with Yale University, Charite in Berlin and US National Cancer Institute.
Translating novel insights into benefits to patients is core to the programme: the team aims to develop better tests to detect lethal prostate cancers earlier than currently possible. As we age, bone health is a major factor of our well-being. A detailed analysis of the structure of the bone marrow will provide new ways to investigate changes in bone health. Finally, the researchers will look closely at how Lupus, an autoimmune condition, can cause damage to the kidneys. When Lupus affects the kidneys, it is called lupus nephritis.
“This project and the Wellcome Trust Bioimaging initiative as a whole gives us a unique opportunity to work across traditional divisions to develop technologies to take a new look at how we define and diagnose disease.”
Professor Jens Rittscher
Through the collaboration with the University of Cape Town the programme will establish a unique international network for lupus nephritis focused on the inclusion of patients that are typically under-represented. As a result, it will be possible to develop tests that allow predicting response to treatment to identify effective treatments as early as possible.
