Multi-Modal Multi-Spectral Intravital Macroscopic Imaging of Signaling Dynamics in Real Time during Tumor–Immune Interactions

Abstract

A major obstacle in studying the interplay between cancer cells and the immune system has been the examination of proposed biological pathways and cell interactions in a dynamic, physiologically relevant system in vivo. Intravital imaging strategies are one of the few molecular imaging techniques that can follow biological processes at cellular resolution over long periods of time in the same individual. Bioluminescence imaging has become a standard preclinical in vivo optical imaging technique with ever-expanding versatility as a result of the development of new emission bioluminescent reporters, advances in genomic techniques, and technical improvements in bioluminescence imaging and processing methods. Herein, we describe an advance of technology with a molecular imaging window chamber platform that combines bioluminescent and fluorescent reporters with intravital macro-imaging techniques and bioluminescence spectral unmixing in real time applied to heterogeneous living systems in vivo for evaluating tumor signaling dynamics and immune cell enzyme activities concurrently.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Feb 25, 2021
Source ID
10.3390/cells10030489

Entities

People

  • David Fuentes
  • David Piwnica-Worms
  • Seth Gammon
  • Tracy Liu

Organizations

  • National Institutes of Health
  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • United States Department of Defense

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Chemistry
  • Physics

Readers

  • Marine Ecotoxicology
  • Medical Imaging.
  • Molecular and genetic basis of cancer.