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Verma A, Pandey V, Sherry C, James C, Matteson K, Smith JT, Rudkouskaya A, Intes X, Barroso M. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging for Quantification of Targeted Drug Delivery in Varying Tumor Microenvironments. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.12.575453. [PMID: 38293105 PMCID: PMC10827127 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.12.575453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Rationale Trastuzumab (TZM) is a monoclonal antibody that targets the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) and is clinically used for the treatment of HER2-positive breast tumors. However, the tumor microenvironment can limit the access of TZM to the HER2 targets across the whole tumor and thereby compromise TZM's therapeutic efficacy. An imaging methodology that can non-invasively quantify the binding of TZM-HER2, which is required for therapeutic action, and distribution within tumors with varying tumor microenvironments is much needed. Methods We performed near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence lifetime (FLI) Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) to measure TZM-HER2 binding, using in vitro microscopy and in vivo widefield macroscopy, in HER2 overexpressing breast and ovarian cancer cells and tumor xenografts, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was used to validate in vivo imaging results. Results NIR FLI FRET in vitro microscopy data show variations in intracellular distribution of bound TZM in HER2-positive breast AU565 and AU565 tumor-passaged XTM cell lines in comparison to SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells. Macroscopy FLI (MFLI) FRET in vivo imaging data show that SKOV-3 tumors display reduced TZM binding compared to AU565 and XTM tumors, as validated by ex vivo immunohistochemistry. Moreover, AU565/XTM and SKOV-3 tumor xenografts display different amounts and distributions of TME components, such as collagen and vascularity. Therefore, these results suggest that SKOV-3 tumors are refractory to TZM delivery due to their disrupted vasculature and increased collagen content. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that FLI is a powerful analytical tool to monitor the delivery of antibody drug tumor both in cell cultures and in vivo live systems. Especially, MFLI FRET is a unique imaging modality that can directly quantify target engagement with potential to elucidate the role of the TME in drug delivery efficacy in intact live tumor xenografts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Verma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Vikas Pandey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Catherine Sherry
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Christopher James
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Kailie Matteson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
- Current address: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jason T. Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
- Current address: Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA, 22102, USA
| | - Alena Rudkouskaya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Xavier Intes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Margarida Barroso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
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Harel M, Arbiv U, Ankri R. Multiplexed near infrared fluorescence lifetime imaging in turbid media. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2024; 29:026004. [PMID: 38425720 PMCID: PMC10902792 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.29.2.026004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Significance Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLI) plays a pivotal role in enhancing our understanding of biological systems, providing a valuable tool for non-invasive exploration of biomolecular and cellular dynamics, both in vitro and in vivo. Its ability to selectively target and multiplex various entities, alongside heightened sensitivity and specificity, offers rapid and cost-effective insights. Aim Our aim is to investigate the multiplexing capabilities of near-infrared (NIR) FLI within a scattering medium that mimics biological tissues. We strive to develop a comprehensive understanding of FLI's potential for multiplexing diverse targets within a complex, tissue-like environment. Approach We introduce an innovative Monte Carlo (MC) simulation approach that accurately describes the scattering behavior of fluorescent photons within turbid media. Applying phasor analyses, we enable the multiplexing of distinct targets within a single FLI image. Leveraging the state-of-the-art single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) time-gated camera, SPAD512S, we conduct experimental wide-field FLI in the NIR regime. Results Our study demonstrates the successful multiplexing of dual targets within a single FLI image, reaching a depth of 1 cm within tissue-like phantoms. Through our novel MC simulation approach and phasor analyses, we showcase the effectiveness of our methodology in overcoming the challenges posed by scattering media. Conclusions This research underscores the potential of NIR FLI for multiplexing applications in complex biological environments. By combining advanced simulation techniques with cutting-edge experimental tools, we introduce significant results in the non-invasive exploration of biomolecular dynamics, to advance the field of FLI research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meital Harel
- Ariel University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Science, Ariel, Israel
| | - Uri Arbiv
- Ariel University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Science, Ariel, Israel
| | - Rinat Ankri
- Ariel University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Science, Ariel, Israel
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Li M, Guo X, Verma A, Rudkouskaya A, McKenna AM, Intes X, Wang G, Barroso M. Contrast-enhanced photon-counting micro-CT of tumor xenograft models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.03.574097. [PMID: 38260707 PMCID: PMC10802390 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.03.574097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Photon-counting micro computed tomography (micro-CT) offers new potential in preclinical imaging, particularly in distinguishing materials. It becomes especially helpful when combined with contrast agents, enabling the differentiation of tumors from surrounding tissues. There are mainly two types of contrast agents in the market for micro-CT: small molecule-based and nanoparticle-based. However, despite their widespread use in liver tumor studies, there is a notable gap in research on the application of these commercially available agents for photon-counting micro-CT in breast and ovarian tumors. Herein, we explored the effectiveness of these agents in differentiating tumor xenografts from various origins (AU565, MDA-MB-231, and SKOV-3) in nude mice, using photon-counting micro-CT. Specifically, ISOVUE-370 (a small molecule-based agent) and Exitrone Nano 12000 (a nanoparticle-based agent) were investigated in this context. To improve tumor visualization, we proposed a novel color visualization method for photon-counting micro-CT, which changes color tones to highlight contrast media distribution, offering a robust alternative to traditional material decomposition methods with less computational demand. Our in vivo experiments confirm its effectiveness, showing distinct enhancement characteristics for each contrast agent. Qualitative and quantitative analyses suggested that Exitrone Nano 12000 provides superior vasculature enhancement and better quantitative consistency across scans, while ISOVUE-370 gives more comprehensive tumor enhancement but with a significant variance between scans due to its short blood half-time. This variability leads to high sensitivity to timing and individual differences among mice. Further, a paired t-test on mean and standard deviation values within tumor volumes showed significant differences between the AU565 and SKOV-3 tumor models with the nanoparticle-based (p-values < 0.02), attributable to their distinct vascularity, as confirmed by immunohistochemistry. These findings underscore the utility of photon-counting micro-CT in non-invasively assessing the morphology and anatomy of different tumor xenografts, which is crucial for tumor characterization and longitudinal monitoring of tumor development and response to treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhou Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Xiaodong Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Amit Verma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Alena Rudkouskaya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Antigone M. McKenna
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Xavier Intes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Ge Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Margarida Barroso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
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Gottlieb D, Asadipour B, Kostina P, Ung TPL, Stringari C. FLUTE: A Python GUI for interactive phasor analysis of FLIM data. BIOLOGICAL IMAGING 2023; 3:e21. [PMID: 38487690 PMCID: PMC10936343 DOI: 10.1017/s2633903x23000211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a powerful technique used to probe the local environment of fluorophores. The fit-free phasor approach to FLIM data is increasingly being used due to its ease of interpretation. To date, no open-source graphical user interface (GUI) for phasor analysis of FLIM data is available in Python, thus limiting the widespread use of phasor analysis in biomedical research. Here, we present Fluorescence Lifetime Ultimate Explorer (FLUTE), a Python GUI that is designed to fill this gap. FLUTE simplifies and automates many aspects of the analysis of FLIM data acquired in the time domain, such as calibrating the FLIM data, performing interactive exploration of the phasor plot, displaying phasor plots and FLIM images with different lifetime contrasts simultaneously, and calculating the distance from known molecular species. After applying desired filters and thresholds, the final edited datasets can be exported for further user-specific analysis. FLUTE has been tested using several FLIM datasets including autofluorescence of zebrafish embryos and in vitro cells. In summary, our user-friendly GUI extends the advantages of phasor plotting by making the data visualization and analysis easy and interactive, allows for analysis of large FLIM datasets, and accelerates FLIM analysis for non-specialized labs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale Gottlieb
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Bahar Asadipour
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Polina Kostina
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Thi Phuong Lien Ung
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Chiara Stringari
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
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Barroso M, Monaghan MG, Niesner R, Dmitriev RI. Probing organoid metabolism using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM): The next frontier of drug discovery and disease understanding. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 201:115081. [PMID: 37647987 PMCID: PMC10543546 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Organoid models have been used to address important questions in developmental and cancer biology, tissue repair, advanced modelling of disease and therapies, among other bioengineering applications. Such 3D microenvironmental models can investigate the regulation of cell metabolism, and provide key insights into the mechanisms at the basis of cell growth, differentiation, communication, interactions with the environment and cell death. Their accessibility and complexity, based on 3D spatial and temporal heterogeneity, make organoids suitable for the application of novel, dynamic imaging microscopy methods, such as fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and related decay time-assessing readouts. Several biomarkers and assays have been proposed to study cell metabolism by FLIM in various organoid models. Herein, we present an expert-opinion discussion on the principles of FLIM and PLIM, instrumentation and data collection and analysis protocols, and general and emerging biosensor-based approaches, to highlight the pioneering work being performed in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Barroso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Michael G Monaghan
- Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 02, Ireland
| | - Raluca Niesner
- Dynamic and Functional In Vivo Imaging, Freie Universität Berlin and Biophysical Analytics, German Rheumatism Research Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ruslan I Dmitriev
- Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Group, Department of Human Structure and Repair, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Ghent Light Microscopy Core, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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Zhou X, Bec J, Ehrlich K, Garcia AA, Marcu L. Pulse-sampling fluorescence lifetime imaging: evaluation of photon economy. OPTICS LETTERS 2023; 48:4578-4581. [PMID: 37656559 PMCID: PMC10883700 DOI: 10.1364/ol.490096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
This Letter presents an experimental study comparing the photon rate and photon economy of pulse sampling fluorescence lifetime imaging (PS-FLIm) with the conventional time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) technique. We found that PS-FLIm has a significantly higher photon detection rate (200 MHz) compared with TCSPC (2-8 MHz) but lower photon economy (4-5 versus 1-1.3). The main factor contributing to the lower photon economy in PS-FLIm is laser pulse variability. These results demonstrate that PS-FLIm offers 25× faster imaging speed than TCSPC while maintaining room light rejection in clinical settings. This makes PS-FLIm a robust technique for clinical applications.
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Smith JT, Sinsuebphon N, Rudkouskaya A, Michalet X, Intes X, Barroso M. In vivo quantitative FRET small animal imaging: Intensity versus lifetime-based FRET. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2023; 3:100110. [PMID: 37251213 PMCID: PMC10209493 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2023.100110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy is used in numerous biophysical and biomedical applications to monitor inter- and intramolecular interactions and conformational changes in the 2-10 nm range. FRET is currently being extended to in vivo optical imaging, its main application being in quantifying drug-target engagement or drug release in animal models of cancer using organic dye or nanoparticle-labeled probes. Herein, we compared FRET quantification using intensity-based FRET (sensitized emission FRET analysis with the three-cube approach using an IVIS imager) and macroscopic fluorescence lifetime (MFLI) FRET using a custom system using a time-gated-intensified charge-coupled device, for small animal optical in vivo imaging. The analytical expressions and experimental protocols required to quantify the product fDE of the FRET efficiency E and the fraction of donor molecules involved in FRET, fD, are described in detail for both methodologies. Dynamic in vivo FRET quantification of transferrin receptor-transferrin binding was acquired in live intact nude mice upon intravenous injection of a near-infrared-labeled transferrin FRET pair and benchmarked against in vitro FRET using hybridized oligonucleotides. Even though both in vivo imaging techniques provided similar dynamic trends for receptor-ligand engagement, we demonstrate that MFLI-FRET has significant advantages. Whereas the sensitized emission FRET approach using the IVIS imager required nine measurements (six of which are used for calibration) acquired from three mice, MFLI-FRET needed only one measurement collected from a single mouse, although a control mouse might be needed in a more general situation. Based on our study, MFLI therefore represents the method of choice for longitudinal preclinical FRET studies such as that of targeted drug delivery in intact, live mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason T. Smith
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine (CeMSIM), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
| | - Nattawut Sinsuebphon
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine (CeMSIM), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
| | - Alena Rudkouskaya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York
| | - Xavier Michalet
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Xavier Intes
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine (CeMSIM), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
| | - Margarida Barroso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York
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Gili VF, Dupish D, Vega A, Gandola M, Manuzzato E, Perenzoni M, Gasparini L, Pertsch T, Setzpfandt F. Quantum ghost imaging based on a "looking back" 2D SPAD array. APPLIED OPTICS 2023; 62:3093-3099. [PMID: 37133155 DOI: 10.1364/ao.487084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Quantum ghost imaging (QGI) is an intriguing imaging protocol that exploits photon-pair correlations stemming from spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). QGI retrieves images from two-path joint measurements, where single-path detection does not allow us to reconstruct the target image. Here we report on a QGI implementation exploiting a two-dimensional (2D) single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array detector for the spatially resolving path. Moreover, the employment of non-degenerate SPDC allows us to investigate samples at infrared wavelengths without the need for short-wave infrared (SWIR) cameras, while the spatial detection can be still performed in the visible region, where the more advanced silicon-based technology can be exploited. Our findings advance QGI schemes towards practical applications.
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Smith JT, Sinsuebphon N, Rudkouskaya A, Michalet X, Intes X, Barroso M. in vivo quantitative FRET small animal imaging: intensity versus lifetime-based FRET. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.24.525411. [PMID: 36747671 PMCID: PMC9900789 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.24.525411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) microscopy is used in numerous biophysical and biomedical applications to monitor inter- and intramolecular interactions and conformational changes in the 2-10 nm range. FRET is currently being extended to in vivo optical imaging, its main application being in quantifying drug-target engagement or drug release in animal models of cancer using organic dye or nanoparticle-labeled probes. Herein, we compared FRET quantification using intensity-based FRET (sensitized emission FRET analysis using 3-cube IVIS imager) and macroscopic fluorescence lifetime (MFLI) FRET using a time-resolved ICCD system in small animal optical in vivo imaging. The analytical expressions and experimental protocols required to quantify FRET efficiency E and the fraction of donor molecules actually involved in FRET, f D , are described in detail for both methodologies. Dynamic in vivo FRET quantification of transferrin receptor-transferrin binding was acquired in live intact nude mice upon intravenous injection of near infrared-labeled transferrin FRET pair and benchmarked against in vitro FRET using hybridized oligonucleotides. Even though both in vivo imaging techniques provided similar FRET quantification trends of receptor-ligand engagement, we demonstrate that MFLI FRET has significant advantages. Whereas the sensitized emission FRET approach using IVIS imager required 9 measurements (8 of which are used for calibration) acquired from three mice, MFLI FRET needed only one measurement collected from a single mouse. Hence, MFLI represents the method of choice for FRET measurements in intact, live mice to assess targeted drug delivery in longitudinal preclinical studies, as well as for many other in vivo biomedical applications. WHY IT MATTERS FRET measurements in live animals open a unique window into drug-target interaction monitoring, by sensing the close proximity between a donor and acceptor-labeled molecular probes. To perform these measurements, a 3-cube fluorescent intensity measurement strategy can be adopted, as is common for in vitro FRET microscopy studies. However, it is challenging to translate this already cumbersome approach to in vivo small animal imaging. Here, we compare this standard approach, for which we provide a revised analytical framework, to a conceptually much simpler and more powerful one based on fluorescence lifetime measurements. Our results demonstrate that the technical challenge of in vivo fluorescence lifetime macroscopic imaging is well worth surmounting to obtain quantitative, whole-animal information regarding molecular drug-target engagement.
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Michalet X, Ulku AC, Wayne MA, Weiss S, Bruschini C, Charbon E. NIR Fluorescence lifetime macroscopic imaging with a novel time-gated SPAD camera. PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE--THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR OPTICAL ENGINEERING 2023; 12384:1238409. [PMID: 37869412 PMCID: PMC10586139 DOI: 10.1117/12.2649227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
SwissSPAD3 is the latest of a family of widefield time-gated SPAD imagers developed for fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLI) applications. Its distinctive features are (i) the ability to define shorter gates than its predecessors (width W < 1 ns), (ii) support for laser repetition rates up to at least 80 MHz and (iii) a dual-gate architecture providing an effective duty cycle of 100%. We present widefield macroscopic FLI measurements of short lifetime NIR dyes, analyzed using the phasor approach. The results are compared with those previously obtained with SwissSPAD2 and to theoretical predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Michalet
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90095
| | - Arin C. Ulku
- AQUA Lab, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Michael A. Wayne
- AQUA Lab, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Shimon Weiss
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90095
| | - Claudio Bruschini
- AQUA Lab, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Edoardo Charbon
- AQUA Lab, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Gao S, Li M, Smith JT, Intes X. Design and characterization of a time-domain optical tomography platform for mesoscopic lifetime imaging. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2022; 13:4637-4651. [PMID: 36187247 PMCID: PMC9484415 DOI: 10.1364/boe.460216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We report on the system design and instrumental characteristics of a novel time-domain mesoscopic fluorescence molecular tomography (TD-MFMT) system for multiplexed molecular imaging in turbid media. The system is equipped with a supercontinuum pulsed laser for broad spectral excitation, based on a high-density descanned raster scanning intensity-based acquisition for 2D and 3D imaging and augmented with a high-dynamical range linear time-resolved single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array for lifetime quantification. We report on the system's spatio-temporal and spectral characteristics and its sensitivity and specificity in controlled experimental settings. Also, a phantom study is undertaken to test the performance of the system to image deeply-seated fluorescence inclusions in tissue-like media. In addition, ex vivo tumor xenograft imaging is performed to validate the system's applicability to the biological sample. The characterization results manifest the capability to sense small fluorescence concentrations (on the order of nanomolar) while quantifying fluorescence lifetimes and lifetime-based parameters at high resolution. The phantom results demonstrate the system's potential to perform 3D multiplexed imaging thanks to spectral and lifetime contrast in the mesoscopic range (at millimeters depth). The ex vivo imaging exhibits the prospect of TD-MFMT to resolve intra-tumoral heterogeneity in a depth-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Gao
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine (CeMSIM), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Mengzhou Li
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Jason T. Smith
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine (CeMSIM), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Xavier Intes
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine (CeMSIM), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
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