Automated Detection of Nucleoplasmic Bridges for DNA Damage Scoring in Binucleated Cells

Quantification of DNA damage, which may be caused by radiation or exposure to chemicals, is very important and can be very time consuming and subject to variability if carried out visually. The quantification of scoring DNA damage includes biomarkers such as micronuclei, nucleoplasmic bridges, and nuclear buds as scored in cytokinesis-blocked binucleated cells. In this paper, we present a new algorithm based on a shortest path technique that enables us to detect the nucleoplasmic bridges joining two nuclei in cell images of binucleated cells. The effectiveness of our algorithm is illustrated using a set of cell images. We believe that this is the first time that a feasible automated nucleoplasmic bridge detection system has been reported.