Story perspectives

MIT Pencil-Beam Images Blood-Brain Barrier 25× Faster.

4/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

MIT researchers created a pencil-beam that images the blood-brain barrier 25 times faster than the standard method.
The beam forms as laser light in a fiber self-organizes into a pencil, enabling Sixian You, assistant professor at MIT, and lead author Honghao Cao to capture 3D images of drug-absorbing cells without fluorescent tags.
Roger Kamm, Distinguished Professor at MIT, said the method lets pharma visualize brain entry and measure uptake rates.

1 of 1

Story summary

MIT researchers created a pencil-beam that images the blood-brain barrier 25 times faster than the standard method.
The beam forms as laser light in a fiber self-organizes into a pencil, enabling Sixian You, assistant professor at MIT, and lead author Honghao Cao to capture 3D images of drug-absorbing cells without fluorescent tags.
Roger Kamm, Distinguished Professor at MIT, said the method lets pharma visualize brain entry and measure uptake rates.