Applications of spectral imaging: Detection and analysis of human melanomaand its precursors

Light-based imaging has extensive applications for medicine and biology, an d recent advances in optical imaging modalities, such as confocal and multi -photon scanning fluorescence microscopy, bioluminescence, optical coherenc e tomography, and spectral imaging, have opened new avenues for visualizing and recording over time dynamic changes in genetic, developmental, and dis ease mechanisms that cannot be captured by conventional light microscopy, I n the present article, we focus on spectral imaging, and using human melano ma and its precursor lesions as an example, we describe the ability of spec tral imaging to detect early-stage disease, capture gene expression profile s in tissue specimens, and visualize gene functions in tumors growing in li ving animals.