Issues

The cover image shows a multiphoton microscopic image of an azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt focus (ACF) in the colon of a mouse (300 × magnification). The ACF is an early neoplastic lesion comprised of aberrant crypts lined by cells with low-grade dysplasia as defined by elongated and crowded nuclei within epithelial cells (green) and is surrounded by a thick band of connective tissue (red). Mucin is also observed within the aberrant crypts (blue). Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) uses endogenous signals from fresh tissue to generate images and is able to recapitulate tissue morphology at a level of detail comparable to standard hematoxylin and eosin staining. This image demonstrates the ability of MPM to visualize neoplastic lesions within the colon and provides the basis for potential “optical biopsies” for the early detection of neoplasia. See article by Makino et al. (beginning on page 1280) for more information.