Key result
Advanced 3D volumetric imaging extends cardiac organoid visualization depth to >1000 μm.
Review outlines imaging strategies for cardiac organoids, suggesting advanced methods for research applications.
Cardiac organoids have emerged as pivotal models for cardiovascular disease research and drug development due to their ability to recapitulate the in vivo cardiac microenvironment, structure, and function. Imaging technologies are core tools for deciphering their three-dimensional (3D) complexity. This review outlines the key framework of cardiac organoid imaging research, focusing on pre-imaging sample processing, mainstream imaging technologies, image analysis workflows and applications in disease mechanisms and drug screening. We also provide guidelines for technique selection based on research objectives. Currently, long-term 4D imaging of cardiac organoids is still in its infancy. Future efforts should optimize imaging strategies and advance high-resolution dynamic techniques to deepen understanding of the temporal dynamics of cardiac pathology, providing technical support for cardiovascular research.
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Zhao et al. (2026) conducted a review in Cardiovascular disease modeled using 3D cardiac organoids. Advanced volumetric and functional imaging strategies (including tissue clearing, CLSM, TPM, LSFM, HREM, TEM, SEM, OCT, XPCT) vs. Conventional 2D imaging and thin-section immunohistochemistry was evaluated. Advanced 3D volumetric imaging and tissue clearing overcome the 100–200 μm depth limit of confocal microscopy, enabling >1000 μm visualization of cardiac organoid structure and function.
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