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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Cell Trafficking: A Method of Cell Radiolabeling
Published on: October 27, 2023
Noninvasive imaging of cell-mediated therapy for treatment of cancer
Elizabeth J Akins1, Purnima Dubey
1Section on Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Abstract:
Cell-mediated therapy (immunotherapy) for the treatment of cancer is an active area of investigation in animal models and clinical trials. Despite many advances, objective responses to immunotherapy are observed in a small number of cases, for certain tumor types. To better understand differences in outcomes, it is critical to develop assays for tracking effector cell localization and function in situ. The fairly recent use of molecular imaging techniques to track cell populations has presented researchers and clinicians with a powerful diagnostic tool for determining the efficacy of cell-mediated therapy for the treatment of cancer. This review highlights the application of whole-body noninvasive radioisotopic, magnetic, and optical imaging methods for monitoring effector cells in vivo. Issues that affect sensitivity of detection, such as methods of cell marking, efficiency of cell labeling, toxicity, and limits of detection of imaging modalities, are discussed.
Insights
Molecular imaging tracks immune cells in cancer therapy. This helps understand why immunotherapy works in some patients and guides future treatment development.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Cell-mediated therapy (immunotherapy) shows promise for cancer treatment but has limited objective response rates.
- Understanding effector cell localization and function in situ is crucial for improving immunotherapy outcomes.
- Molecular imaging offers a powerful tool for tracking cell populations in vivo.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the application of noninvasive molecular imaging techniques for monitoring effector cells in cancer immunotherapy.
- To discuss challenges and considerations for sensitive detection of labeled cells in vivo.
Main Methods:
- Review of whole-body noninvasive imaging modalities: radioisotopic, magnetic, and optical imaging.
- Discussion of cell marking strategies, labeling efficiency, toxicity, and detection limits.
Main Results:
- Molecular imaging enables in vivo tracking of effector cells, providing insights into immunotherapy efficacy.
- Various imaging techniques offer different strengths for monitoring cell-mediated therapies.
- Cell labeling methods and imaging modality limitations impact detection sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- Molecular imaging is essential for evaluating cell-mediated cancer therapy by tracking effector cells in situ.
- Optimizing cell labeling and imaging techniques is key to enhancing sensitivity and understanding treatment responses.
- Further development in molecular imaging will advance the clinical application of cancer immunotherapies.
![Dynamic Imaging of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells with [18F]Tetrafluoroborate Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F62334.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
