ML-driven segmentation of microvascular features during histological examination of tissue-engineered vascular grafts.

Autor:	Danilov VV; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain.; Quantori, Cambridge, MA, United States., Laptev VV; Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia.; Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russia., Klyshnikov KY; Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russia., Stepanov AD; Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russia., Bogdanov LA; Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russia., Antonova LV; Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russia., Krivkina EO; Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russia., Kutikhin AG; Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russia., Ovcharenko EA; Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russia.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology [Front Bioeng Biotechnol] 2024 Jun 26; Vol. 12, pp. 1411680. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 26 (Print Publication: 2024).
DOI:	10.3389/fbioe.2024.1411680
Abstrakt:	Introduction: The development of next-generation tissue-engineered medical devices such as tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) is a leading trend in translational medicine. Microscopic examination is an indispensable part of animal experimentation, and histopathological analysis of regenerated tissue is crucial for assessing the outcomes of implanted medical devices. However, the objective quantification of regenerated tissues can be challenging due to their unusual and complex architecture. To address these challenges, research and development of advanced ML-driven tools for performing adequate histological analysis appears to be an extremely promising direction. Methods: We compiled a dataset of 104 representative whole slide images (WSIs) of TEVGs which were collected after a 6-month implantation into the sheep carotid artery. The histological examination aimed to analyze the patterns of vascular tissue regeneration in TEVGs in situ . Having performed an automated slicing of these WSIs by the Entropy Masker algorithm, we filtered and then manually annotated 1,401 patches to identify 9 histological features: arteriole lumen, arteriole media, arteriole adventitia, venule lumen, venule wall, capillary lumen, capillary wall, immune cells, and nerve trunks. To segment and quantify these features, we rigorously tuned and evaluated the performance of six deep learning models (U-Net, LinkNet, FPN, PSPNet, DeepLabV3, and MA-Net). Results: After rigorous hyperparameter optimization, all six deep learning models achieved mean Dice Similarity Coefficients (DSC) exceeding 0.823. Notably, FPN and PSPNet exhibited the fastest convergence rates. MA-Net stood out with the highest mean DSC of 0.875, demonstrating superior performance in arteriole segmentation. DeepLabV3 performed well in segmenting venous and capillary structures, while FPN exhibited proficiency in identifying immune cells and nerve trunks. An ensemble of these three models attained an average DSC of 0.889, surpassing their individual performances. Conclusion: This study showcases the potential of ML-driven segmentation in the analysis of histological images of tissue-engineered vascular grafts. Through the creation of a unique dataset and the optimization of deep neural network hyperparameters, we developed and validated an ensemble model, establishing an effective tool for detecting key histological features essential for understanding vascular tissue regeneration. These advances herald a significant improvement in ML-assisted workflows for tissue engineering research and development. Competing Interests: VD was employed by Quantori. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. (Copyright © 2024 Danilov, Laptev, Klyshnikov, Stepanov, Bogdanov, Antonova, Krivkina, Kutikhin and Ovcharenko.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
Externí odkaz:	Zobrazit plný text záznamu