3D dermatology imaging with the 3D Derm Score™ Assay.
What is the 3D Derm Score™ Assay
Advanced Analysis of the Skin Microenvironment
The 3D Derm Score™ Assay is an end-to-end 3D digital pathology assay for skin that measures the structure and cellular composition of the skin microenvironment. It combines high-resolution 3D tissue imaging with quantitative analysis of:
Skin architecture and layer organization
Peripheral innervation and nerve fiber density
Immune cell infiltration and clustering
Neuroimmune interactions in the epidermis and dermis
The assay is optimized for inflammatory and immune-mediated skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, alopecia, and prurigo nodularis. It can also be adapted to other dermatologic indications where nerve and immune dynamics matter.
Why 3D dermatology imaging matters
Traditional dermatology workflows rely on:
Single 2D sections that capture a small fraction of the biopsy volume
Clinical scores that can miss subtle changes in nerve and immune patterns
Limited ability to visualize neuro immune interactions in context
3D tissue imaging captures:
Long nerve fibers and branching patterns across the epidermis and dermis
Spatial relationships between nerves and immune cell clusters
Complex structures such as hair follicles and pilosebaceous units
By combining whole tissue 3D imaging with quantitative analysis, the 3D Derm Score assay turns qualitative impressions into reproducible metrics that support drug development and translational research.
3D Derm Score™ Assay: Workflow
The 3D Derm Score™ workflow is built on the Aurora™ 3D Spatial Biology Platform.
3D tissue imaging with the 3Di™: Skin biopsies are imaged on the Hybrid Open-Top Light-Sheet Microscope, which provides high-resolution 3D tissue imaging across whole blocks.
Data Management with 3Dm™: Large 3D datasets are ingested into 3Dm™ for automated data management, stitching, correction, and volume generation
AI-powered Analysis with 3Dai™: 3Dai™ applies AI and machine learning models to detect and quantify structures within the skin microenvironment.
3D Derm Score™ Assay: Marker Panels
Marker panels for skin and neuro-immune profiling
Different studies require different readouts. The 3D Derm Score™ assay offers flexible marker strategies that support standard and customized panels.
Option A
Select a pre-optimized panel
(Example markers shown)
Option B
Design your panel
Our platform supports easy marker swapping to accommodate the evolving needs of your experiments. We offer optimized markers for multiple species, including humans and mice.
Example 3D dermatology datasets
Scalp tissue imaging
3D imaging of scalp tissue stained with nuclear, immune, and neuronal markers reveals the epidermal layer, nerve distribution, and hair follicle bulb structure in measurable detail.
Atopic dermatitis lesion
High-resolution 3D imaging of a lesional atopic dermatitis sample shows intricate innervation within the epidermis and dermis, along with immune cell clusters positioned near specific nerve fibers. This enables quantification of nerve fiber density, immune infiltration, and neuro-immune distances.
Who uses the 3D Derm Score™ Assay
The 3D Derm Score™ Assay supports teams working in:
Dermatology drug discovery and early development
Clinical trials where objective imaging endpoints are needed
Translational research and biomarker discovery
Academic dermatology and neuro dermatology research
Getting started with 3D dermatology imaging
You can access the 3D Derm Score™ assay in several ways.
3D histology imaging services for dermatology
Send skin samples to Alpenglow Biosciences for full-service imaging and analysis.
Aurora™ 3D spatial biology solution in your lab
Implement the 3Di™, 3Dm™, and 3Dai™ modules in your own environment to run dermatology assays in-house.