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Non-invasive Optical Imaging of the Lymphatic Vasculature of a Mouse
Published on: March 8, 2013
Functional lymphatic imaging in tumor-bearing mice
Sunkuk Kwon1, Eva M Sevick-Muraca
1Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 1825 Pressler Street, SRB 330A, Houston, TX 77030, USA. sunkuk.kwon@uth.tmc.edu
Journal of Immunological Methods
|July 6, 2010
Summary
Tumor growth alters lymphatic drainage and function, impacting cancer metastasis. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging reveals these transient changes, potentially aiding in disease staging.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Medical Imaging
- Lymphatic Biology
Background:
- The lymphatic system is a key pathway for cancer metastasis.
- Tumor-induced changes in lymphatic function and architecture are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate transient changes in lymphatic drainage and function during tumor growth and metastasis.
- To assess the utility of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging for visualizing these lymphatic alterations.
Main Methods:
- Non-invasive dynamic NIR fluorescence imaging was employed in mice.
- Indocyanine green (ICG) was intradermally injected in tumor-bearing and control mice.
- Functional and architectural changes in lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes were assessed.
Main Results:
- Progressive glioma tumor growth led to transient alterations in lymphatic drainage pathways.
- Contractile function of regional lymphatic vessels was reduced or lost with increasing disease.
- NIR fluorescence imaging successfully visualized these dynamic lymphatic changes.
Conclusions:
- Transient changes in lymphatic architecture and function associated with progressive disease can be effectively imaged using NIR fluorescence.
- This imaging approach may offer a novel method for staging cancer metastasis.
- Understanding lymphatic dynamics is crucial for developing targeted anti-metastatic therapies.
