Ocus®40 supports high-resolution H&E imaging in new open-access breast cancer research

How do tumors reshape the lymph nodes they spread to? In a new Nature Communications paper, the team used H&E brightfield imaging with the Grundium Ocus®40 to connect tissue morphology with advanced spatial biology.

Researchers at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital (Finland) have published an open-access study in Nature Communications exploring how breast cancer metastasis reshapes lymphatic vessels in sentinel lymph nodes — a key early site of cancer spread. The paper, “Breast cancer remodels lymphatics in sentinel lymph nodes,” was published on 17 November 2025. 

We’re proud to see that the team’s workflow included brightfield imaging of H&E-stained tissue sections using the Grundium Ocus^®40 slide scanner.

What the study investigated

Sentinel lymph node involvement is often an early indicator of potential disease progression in breast cancer. In this study, the authors combined single-cell RNA sequencing with high-resolution spatial transcriptomics, including Visium HD from 10x Genomics, to profile lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) subsets in paired metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes from treatment-naïve breast cancer patients

Among the reported findings:

• Tumor metastasis was associated with shifts in LEC populations, including reduced immunoregulatory subsets and an increase in a capillary-like LEC subset. 
• The gene Matrix Gla protein (MGP) was reported as strongly upregulated in metastatic lymph node LECs, and the authors describe functional links to cancer cell adhesion to lymphatic structures. 

Where Ocus^®40 fits in the workflow

High-quality tissue imaging remains a foundational step in many spatial biology workflows — especially when integrating molecular readouts with histological context.

In the Methods, the authors report that a serial section underwent hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining followed by brightfield imaging with the Ocus®40 slide scanner.

This type of slide imaging can help teams document tissue morphology and support alignment/interpretation alongside other imaging modalities and spatial data outputs.

Why this matters

Spatial and single-cell methods are moving fast — but they still depend on reliable sample handling and imaging to connect “where” (tissue structure) with “what” (cell types, states, and signals). Seeing Ocus^®40 included in a modern, multimodal research pipeline is a great example of how compact slide scanning can support advanced translational research.

Read the paper

The article is available open access in Nature Communications: “Breast cancer remodels lymphatics in sentinel lymph nodes.”