Imaging the pulmonary extracellular matrix

The pulmonary extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in the structure and function of lung. In many respiratory diseases profile ECM reflects pathological changes. capacity to visualize its alterations is considerable importance facilitate a better understanding eventually augment therapeutic solutions. This short review summarizes current novel possibilities for imaging by use computed tomography (CT), optical coherence (OCT), confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) molecular imaging. While not all these techniques are as yet implemented standard clinical practice, we address their main features along with key future.