Flexible peritoneal windows for quantitative fluorescence and bioluminescence preclinical imaging

Area of Science:

• Preclinical imaging
• Biomedical optics
• Cancer research

Background:

• In vivo fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging are crucial for tracking disease in preclinical models.
• Optical quantitation is often hindered by tissue light scattering, absorption, and endogenous fluorophores.
• Existing methods for enhancing in vivo imaging lack compatibility with multimodal imaging and can restrict animal movement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel, flexible, surgically implanted transparent windows.
• To enhance quantitative in vivo fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging of optical reporters.
• To overcome limitations of light scattering, absorption, and endogenous fluorophores in preclinical imaging.

Main Methods:

• Development of metal- and glass-free transparent windows for surgical implantation.
• Compatibility testing with computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and single-photon emission computed tomography.
• Evaluation in athymic nude mice inoculated with bioluminescent human ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3ip.1-luc).

Main Results:

• Surgically implanted windows significantly enhanced in vivo imaging sensitivity, showing up to 48-fold gains.
• The windows are metal and glass free, ensuring compatibility with multiple imaging modalities.
• Few complications were observed, and the windows allowed for wide-field visualization of early-stage ovarian cancer metastasis.

Conclusions:

• The developed transparent windows are effective tools for improving quantitative in vivo optical imaging in preclinical research.
• These windows facilitate the study of disease progression, such as ovarian cancer metastasis, with increased sensitivity and broader visualization.
• The metal- and glass-free design offers versatility for multimodal imaging applications and minimal impact on animal welfare.