1
|
Liu N, Chen X, Kimm MA, Stechele M, Chen X, Zhang Z, Wildgruber M, Ma X. In vivo optical molecular imaging of inflammation and immunity. J Mol Med (Berl) 2021; 99:1385-1398. [PMID: 34272967 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-021-02115-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Inflammation is the phenotypic form of various diseases. Recent development in molecular imaging provides new insights into the diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of different inflammatory diseases as well as diseases involving inflammation such as cancer. While conventional imaging techniques used in the clinical setting provide only indirect measures of inflammation such as increased perfusion and altered endothelial permeability, optical imaging is able to report molecular information on diseased tissue and cells. Optical imaging is a quick, noninvasive, nonionizing, and easy-to-use diagnostic technology which has been successfully applied for preclinical research. Further development of optical imaging technology such as optoacoustic imaging overcomes the limitations of mere fluorescence imaging, thereby enabling pilot clinical applications in humans. By means of endogenous and exogenous contrast agents, sites of inflammation can be accurately visualized in vivo. This allows for early disease detection and specific disease characterization, enabling more rapid and targeted therapeutic interventions. In this review, we summarize currently available optical imaging techniques used to detect inflammation, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), bioluminescence, fluorescence, optoacoustics, and Raman spectroscopy. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of the different in vivo imaging applications with a special focus on targeting inflammation including immune cell tracking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85747, Garching, Germany
| | - Xiao Chen
- Klinik und Poliklinik IV, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie A Kimm
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81337, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Stechele
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81337, Munich, Germany
| | - Xueli Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, China
| | - Zhimin Zhang
- School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China
| | - Moritz Wildgruber
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81337, Munich, Germany
| | - Xiaopeng Ma
- School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gujrati V, Prakash J, Malekzadeh-Najafabadi J, Stiel A, Klemm U, Mettenleiter G, Aichler M, Walch A, Ntziachristos V. Bioengineered bacterial vesicles as biological nano-heaters for optoacoustic imaging. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1114. [PMID: 30846699 PMCID: PMC6405847 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09034-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in genetic engineering have enabled the use of bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) to deliver vaccines, drugs and immunotherapy agents, as a strategy to circumvent biocompatibility and large-scale production issues associated with synthetic nanomaterials. We investigate bioengineered OMVs for contrast enhancement in optoacoustic (photoacoustic) imaging. We produce OMVs encapsulating biopolymer-melanin (OMVMel) using a bacterial strain expressing a tyrosinase transgene. Our results show that upon near-infrared light irradiation, OMVMel generates strong optoacoustic signals appropriate for imaging applications. In addition, we show that OMVMel builds up intense heat from the absorbed laser energy and mediates photothermal effects both in vitro and in vivo. Using multispectral optoacoustic tomography, we noninvasively monitor the spatio-temporal, tumour-associated OMVMel distribution in vivo. This work points to the use of bioengineered vesicles as potent alternatives to synthetic particles more commonly employed for optoacoustic imaging, with the potential to enable both image enhancement and photothermal applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Gujrati
- Chair of Biological Imaging, TranslaTUM, Technische Universität München, Munich, 81675, Germany
- Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Jaya Prakash
- Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Jaber Malekzadeh-Najafabadi
- Chair of Biological Imaging, TranslaTUM, Technische Universität München, Munich, 81675, Germany
- Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Andre Stiel
- Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Uwe Klemm
- Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Gabriele Mettenleiter
- Research Unit Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Michaela Aichler
- Research Unit Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Axel Walch
- Research Unit Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Vasilis Ntziachristos
- Chair of Biological Imaging, TranslaTUM, Technische Universität München, Munich, 81675, Germany.
- Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ruscitti F, Ravanetti F, Donofrio G, Ridwan Y, van Heijningen P, Essers J, Villetti G, Cacchioli A, Vos W, Stellari FF. A Multimodal Imaging Approach Based on Micro-CT and Fluorescence Molecular Tomography for Longitudinal Assessment of Bleomycin-Induced Lung Fibrosis in Mice. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29708527 DOI: 10.3791/56443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease characterized by the progressive and irreversible destruction of lung architecture, which causes significant deterioration in lung function and subsequent death from respiratory failure. The pathogenesis of IPF in experimental animal models has been induced by bleomycin administration. In this study, we investigate an IPF-like mouse model induced by a double intratracheal bleomycin instillation. Standard histological assessments used for studying lung fibrosis are invasive terminal procedures. The goal of this work is to monitor lung fibrosis through noninvasive imaging techniques such as Fluorescent Molecular Tomography (FMT) and Micro-CT. These two technologies validated with histology findings could represent a revolutionary functional approach for real time non-invasive monitoring of IPF disease severity and progression. The fusion of different approaches represents a step further for understanding the IPF disease, where the molecular events occurring in a pathological condition can be observed with FMT and the subsequent anatomical changes can be monitored by Micro-CT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jeroen Essers
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Vascular Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC
| | - Gino Villetti
- Corporate Preclinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Baikejiang R, Zhao Y, Fite BZ, Ferrara KW, Li C. Anatomical image-guided fluorescence molecular tomography reconstruction using kernel method. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2017; 22:55001. [PMID: 28464120 PMCID: PMC5629124 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.22.5.055001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) is an important in vivo imaging modality to visualize physiological and pathological processes in small animals. However, FMT reconstruction is ill-posed and ill-conditioned due to strong optical scattering in deep tissues, which results in poor spatial resolution. It is well known that FMT image quality can be improved substantially by applying the structural guidance in the FMT reconstruction. An approach to introducing anatomical information into the FMT reconstruction is presented using the kernel method. In contrast to conventional methods that incorporate anatomical information with a Laplacian-type regularization matrix, the proposed method introduces the anatomical guidance into the projection model of FMT. The primary advantage of the proposed method is that it does not require segmentation of targets in the anatomical images. Numerical simulations and phantom experiments have been performed to demonstrate the proposed approach’s feasibility. Numerical simulation results indicate that the proposed kernel method can separate two FMT targets with an edge-to-edge distance of 1 mm and is robust to false-positive guidance and inhomogeneity in the anatomical image. For the phantom experiments with two FMT targets, the kernel method has reconstructed both targets successfully, which further validates the proposed kernel method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reheman Baikejiang
- University of California, Merced, School of Engineering, Merced, California, United States
| | - Yue Zhao
- University of California, Merced, School of Engineering, Merced, California, United States
| | - Brett Z. Fite
- University of California, Davis, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Davis, California, United States
| | - Katherine W. Ferrara
- University of California, Davis, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Davis, California, United States
| | - Changqing Li
- University of California, Merced, School of Engineering, Merced, California, United States
- Address all correspondence to: Changqing Li, E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ruscitti F, Ravanetti F, Essers J, Ridwan Y, Belenkov S, Vos W, Ferreira F, KleinJan A, van Heijningen P, Van Holsbeke C, Cacchioli A, Villetti G, Stellari FF. Longitudinal assessment of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis by Micro-CT correlates with histological evaluation in mice. Multidiscip Respir Med 2017; 12:8. [PMID: 28400960 PMCID: PMC5387277 DOI: 10.1186/s40248-017-0089-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The intratracheal instillation of bleomycin in mice induces early damage to alveolar epithelial cells and development of inflammation followed by fibrotic tissue changes and represents the most widely used model of pulmonary fibrosis to investigate human IPF. Histopathology is the gold standard for assessing lung fibrosis in rodents, however it precludes repeated and longitudinal measurements of disease progression and does not provide information on spatial and temporal distribution of tissue damage. Here we investigated the use of the Micro-CT technique to allow the evaluation of disease onset and progression at different time-points in the mouse bleomycin model of lung fibrosis. Micro-CT was throughout coupled with histological analysis for the validation of the imaging results. Methods In bleomycin-instilled and control mice, airways and lung morphology changes were assessed and reconstructed at baseline, 7, 14 and 21 days post-treatment based on Micro-CT images. Ashcroft score, percentage of collagen content and percentage of alveolar air area were detected on lung slides processed by histology and subsequently compared with Micro-CT parameters. Results Extent (%) of fibrosis measured by Micro-CT correlated with Ashcroft score, the percentage of collagen content and the percentage of alveolar air area (r2 = 0.91; 0.77; 0.94, respectively). Distal airway radius also correlated with the Ashcroft score, the collagen content and alveolar air area percentage (r2 = 0.89; 0.78; 0.98, respectively). Conclusions Micro-CT data were in good agreement with histological read-outs as micro-CT was able to quantify effectively and non-invasively disease progression longitudinally and to reduce the variability and number of animals used to assess the damage. This suggests that this technique is a powerful tool for understanding experimental pulmonary fibrosis and that its use could translate into a more efficient drug discovery process, also helping to fill the gap between preclinical setting and clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesca Ravanetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Jeroen Essers
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Vascular Surgery, and Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yanto Ridwan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Vascular Surgery, and Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Wim Vos
- Fluidda NV, Kontich, Belgium
| | | | - Alex KleinJan
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paula van Heijningen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Vascular Surgery, and Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Antonio Cacchioli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Franco Fabio Stellari
- Chiesi S.p.A., Pre-Clinical R & D, Parma, Italy.,Chiesi Farmaceutici, Pharmacology & Toxicology Department Corporate Pre-Clinical R & D, Largo Belloli, 11/A, Parma, 43122 Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Stellari FF, Ruscitti F, Pompilio D, Ravanetti F, Tebaldi G, Macchi F, Verna AE, Villetti G, Donofrio G. Heterologous Matrix Metalloproteinase Gene Promoter Activity Allows In Vivo Real-time Imaging of Bleomycin-Induced Lung Fibrosis in Transiently Transgenized Mice. Front Immunol 2017; 8:199. [PMID: 28298912 PMCID: PMC5331072 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a very common interstitial lung disease derived from chronic inflammatory insults, characterized by massive scar tissue deposition that causes the progressive loss of lung function and subsequent death for respiratory failure. Bleomycin is used as the standard agent to induce experimental pulmonary fibrosis in animal models for the study of its pathogenesis. However, to visualize the establishment of lung fibrosis after treatment, the animal sacrifice is necessary. Thus, the aim of this study was to avoid this limitation by using an innovative approach based on a double bleomycin treatment protocol, along with the in vivo images analysis of bleomycin-treated mice. A reporter gene construct, containing the luciferase open reading frame under the matrix metalloproteinase-1 promoter control region, was tested on double bleomycin-treated mice to investigate, in real time, the correlation between bleomycin treatment, inflammation, tissue remodeling and fibrosis. Bioluminescence emitted by the lungs of bleomycin-treated mice, corroborated by fluorescent molecular tomography, successfully allowed real time monitoring of fibrosis establishment. The reporter gene technology experienced in this work could represent an advanced functional approach for real time non-invasive assessment of disease evolution during therapy, in a reliable and translational living animal model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniela Pompilio
- Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., Corporate Pre-Clinical R&D, Parma, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesca Ravanetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Veterinarie, Università di Parma , Parma , Italy
| | - Giulia Tebaldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Veterinarie, Università di Parma , Parma , Italy
| | - Francesca Macchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Veterinarie, Università di Parma , Parma , Italy
| | | | - Gino Villetti
- Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., Corporate Pre-Clinical R&D , Parma , Italy
| | - Gaetano Donofrio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Veterinarie, Università di Parma , Parma , Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Diken M, Pektor S, Miederer M. Harnessing the potential of noninvasive in vivo preclinical imaging of the immune system: challenges and prospects. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2016; 11:2711-2722. [PMID: 27628499 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2016-0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical imaging has become a powerful method for investigation of in vivo processes such as pharmacokinetics of therapeutic substances and visualization of physiologic and pathophysiological mechanisms. These are important aspects to understand diseases and develop strategies to modify their progression with pharmacologic interventions. One promising intervention is the application of specifically tailored nanoscale particles that modulate the immune system to generate a tumor targeting immune response. In this complex interaction between immunomodulatory therapies, the immune system and malignant disease, imaging methods are expected to play a key role on the way to generate new therapeutic strategies. Here, we summarize examples which demonstrate the current potential of imaging methods and develop a perspective on the future value of preclinical imaging of the immune system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Diken
- TRON - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefanie Pektor
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Miederer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Stellari F, Bergamini G, Ruscitti F, Sandri A, Ravanetti F, Donofrio G, Boschi F, Villetti G, Sorio C, Assael BM, Melotti P, Lleo MM. In vivo monitoring of lung inflammation in CFTR-deficient mice. J Transl Med 2016; 14:226. [PMID: 27468800 PMCID: PMC4964274 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-016-0976-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Experimentally, lung inflammation in laboratory animals is usually detected by the presence of inflammatory markers, such as immune cells and cytokines, in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of sacrificed animals. This method, although extensively used, is time, money and animal life consuming, especially when applied to genetically modified animals. Thus a new and more convenient approach, based on in vivo imaging analysis, has been set up to evaluate the inflammatory response in the lung of CFTR-deficient (CF) mice, a murine model of cystic fibrosis. Methods Wild type (WT) and CF mice were stimulated with P. aeruginosa LPS, TNF-alpha and culture supernatant derived from P. aeruginosa (strain VR1). Lung inflammation was detected by measuring bioluminescence in vivo in mice transiently transgenized with a luciferase reporter gene under the control of a bovine IL-8 gene promoter. Results Differences in bioluminescence (BLI) signal were revealed by comparing the two types of mice after intratracheal challenge with pro-inflammatory stimuli. BLI increased at 4 h after stimulation with TNF-alpha and at 24 h after administration of LPS and VR1 supernatant in CF mice with respect to untreated animals. The BLI signal was significantly more intense and lasted for longer times in CF animals when compared to WT mice. Analysis of BALF markers: leukocytes, cytokines and histology revealed no significant differences between CF and WT mice. Conclusions In vivo gene delivery technology and non-invasive bioluminescent imaging has been successfully adapted to CFTR-deficient mice. Activation of bIL-8 transgene promoter can be monitored by non-invasive BLI imaging in the lung of the same animal and compared longitudinally in both CF or WT mice, after challenge with pro-inflammatory stimuli. The combination of these technologies and the use of CF mice offer the unique opportunity of evaluating the impact of therapies aimed to control inflammation in a CF background. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12967-016-0976-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Stellari
- Pharmacology & Toxicology Department Corporate Pre-Clinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Belloli, 11/A, 43122, Parma, Italy.
| | | | - Francesca Ruscitti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Biotecnologiche e Traslazionali, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Angela Sandri
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica e Salute Pubblica, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Ravanetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Gaetano Donofrio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Federico Boschi
- Dipartimento di Informatica, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Gino Villetti
- Pharmacology & Toxicology Department Corporate Pre-Clinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Belloli, 11/A, 43122, Parma, Italy
| | - Claudio Sorio
- Dipartimento di Medicina, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Barouk M Assael
- Centro Fibrosi Cistica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Paola Melotti
- Centro Fibrosi Cistica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Maria M Lleo
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica e Salute Pubblica, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy
| |
Collapse
|