T-cell tracking using Cerenkov and radioluminescence imaging.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Immunology
• Radiochemistry

Background:

• Cancer immunotherapy relies on immune cells to eliminate cancer cells.
• Effective T-cell therapies require noninvasive methods for tracking cell localization.
• Radionuclide labeling offers a potential solution for T-cell visualization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential of radionuclide-labeled T-cells for imaging in small animal models.
• To develop and test a protocol for labeling T-cells with Phosphorus-32 Adenosine Triphosphate (³²P-ATP).
• To assess the efficacy of Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) and radioluminescence imaging (RLI) for tracking labeled T-cells.

Main Methods:

• T-cells were labeled with ³²P-ATP.
• Cellular localization was monitored using in vivo and ex vivo CLI and RLI techniques.
• Flow cytometry was used for definitive confirmation of T-cell presence in tumor tissues.

Main Results:

• A protocol for labeling T-cells with ³²P-ATP was successfully established and evaluated.
• Both CLI and RLI enabled optical observation of T-cell biodistribution in small animal rodents.
• T-cell accumulation within tumor masses was confirmed via flow cytometry.

Conclusions:

• Radionuclide labeling of T-cells is a viable method for noninvasive tracking in preclinical cancer immunotherapy studies.
• CLI and RLI are effective imaging modalities for visualizing T-cell homing and biodistribution.
• This technique aids in understanding T-cell migration patterns crucial for optimizing cell-based therapies.