Molecular imaging using labeled donor tissues reveals patterns of engraftment, rejection, and survival in transplantation.
Tissue regeneration and transplantation of solid organs involve complex processes that can only be studied in the context of the living organism, and methods of analyzing these processes in vivo are essential for development of effective transplantation and regeneration procedures. We utilized in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to noninvasively visualize engraftment, survival, and rejection of transplanted tissues from a transgenic donor mouse that constitutively expresses luciferase. Dynamic early events of hematopoietic reconstitution were accessible and engraftment from as few as 200 transplanted whole bone marrow (BM) cells resulted in bioluminescent foci in lethally irradiated, syngeneic recipients. The transplantation of autologous pancreatic Langerhans islets and of allogeneic heart revealed the tempo of transplant degeneration or immune rejection over time. This imaging approach is sensitive and reproducible, permits study of the dynamic range of the entire process of transplantation, and will greatly enhance studies across various disciplines involving transplantation.
Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
Yu-An
YA
Cao
Michael H
MH
Bachmann
Andreas
A
Beilhack
Yang
Y
Yang
Masashi
M
Tanaka
Rutger-Jan
RJ
Swijnenburg
Robert
R
Reeves
Cariel
C
Taylor-Edwards
Stephan
S
Schulz
Timothy C
TC
Doyle
C Garrison
CG
Fathman
Robert C
RC
Robbins
Leonore A
LA
Herzenberg
Robert S
RS
Negrin
Christopher H
CH
Contag
D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000473:pathology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000473:pathology*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D008156:Luciferases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D014019:Tissue Donors
D000199:Actins; D008156:Luciferases