In vivo visualization of gold-loaded cells in mice using x-ray computed tomography

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cell tracking using X-ray computed tomography (CT) with gold nanoparticles has been established for ex vivo samples.
• Malignant brain tumors present unique challenges for in vivo imaging due to their location and potential for diffuse spread.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the feasibility of in vivo cell tracking for malignant brain tumors using CT and gold nanoparticles in a small-animal model.
• To investigate the impact of radiation dose constraints on the visibility of cell clusters.

Main Methods:

• Developed and applied an in vivo cell tracking method using CT and exogenous gold nanoparticle loading in a mouse model of malignant brain tumors.
• Utilized Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the influence of X-ray entrance doses and spatial resolution on cell cluster visibility.
• Experimentally validated the method on mice implanted with F98 tumor cells.

Main Results:

• Successfully visualized small clusters of exogenously gold nanoparticle-loaded cells in vivo within a small-animal brain tumor model.
• Monte Carlo simulations accurately predicted the visibility of cell clusters under varying radiation dose and resolution parameters.
• Confirmed the potential of the method for in vivo assessment, despite radiation dose limitations.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully proved the concept of in vivo cell tracking for malignant brain tumors using CT and gold nanoparticles.
• The findings suggest that this method can visualize small cell clusters, offering potential for early tumor detection and monitoring.
• Radiation dose constraints need careful consideration, but the method shows promise for preclinical applications.