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Published on: November 4, 2012
Bioluminescence: imaging modality for in vitro and in vivo gene expression
Ruxana T Sadikot1, Timothy S Blackwell
1Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Veterans Affairs, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|December 17, 2008
Summary
Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) offers a noninvasive, low-cost method to visualize biological processes in living organisms. This technique uses luciferase reporter genes to track gene expression and disease progression in real-time, particularly in mouse models.
Area of Science:
- Molecular imaging
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
Background:
- Bioluminescence involves light emission from biochemical reactions within organisms.
- Traditionally, detecting luciferase activity required invasive tissue sampling.
- Molecular imaging provides novel ways to study biological processes in vivo.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and highlight the utility of bioluminescence imaging (BLI).
- To demonstrate BLI as a powerful tool for detecting reporter gene activity in vivo.
- To showcase BLI's potential for studying diseases in intact animal models.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing luciferase as a reporter gene in transgenic models.
- Employing bioluminescence imaging to detect light emission from reporter activity.
- Applying BLI to intact animal models for noninvasive monitoring.
Main Results:
- BLI enables detection of luciferase activity without tissue excision.
- This imaging modality facilitates real-time analysis of biological processes.
- BLI is effective for studying gene expression in vivo.
Conclusions:
- Bioluminescence imaging is a low-cost, noninvasive optical imaging technique.
- BLI has significant potential for elucidating lung disease pathobiology in mouse models.
- This method allows for in vivo monitoring of inflammation, infection, and cancer.
