Real-Time Longitudinal Evaluation of Tumor Blood Vessels Using a Compact Preclinical Fluorescence Imaging System

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Tumor angiogenesis is crucial for tumor growth and metastasis, necessitating effective monitoring.
• Current technologies for observing tumor vasculature are complex, expensive, and lab-bound.
• The development of anti-angiogenic drugs highlights the need for accessible monitoring tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a preclinical optical imaging system for real-time observation of tumor angiogenesis.
• To assess the dynamics of blood vessel volume and flow during tumor progression and in response to treatment.
• To establish a simplified method for screening the efficacy of angiogenesis inhibitors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a preclinical optical imaging system for small animal studies.
• Administered indocyanine green to tumor-bearing mice for fluorescence imaging.
• Employed time-lapse sequential imaging to capture blood vessel development and dynamics.
• Analyzed fluorescence dynamics to quantify vessel volume and blood flow.

Main Results:

• Successfully observed the entire process of blood vessel development in tumors in real-time.
• Demonstrated that tumor vessel volume and blood flow increase with tumor progression.
• Showed a decrease in vascular parameters upon treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors.
• Validated the system's ability to rapidly screen drug effects on tumor vasculature.

Conclusions:

• The developed optical imaging system provides a non-invasive, real-time method for monitoring tumor angiogenesis.
• This technology facilitates easy and rapid screening of anti-angiogenic drug efficacy in a preclinical setting.
• The findings support the use of this system for evaluating therapeutic strategies targeting tumor vasculature.