title: Contrast-enhanced in vivo imaging of breast and prostate cancer cells by MRI.
abstract: The development of effective cancer therapies has been hampered, in part, by the inability to noninvasively follow tumor progression from the initial cancerous lesion through to metastasis. We have previously shown that superparamagnetic iron oxide particles can be used as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents to label embryonic, mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells in vivo. Improving the capacity to non-invasively image cancer progression is an appealing method that could be useful for assessing the efficacy of anticancer therapies. We have established that human prostate (LNCaP, DU145, PC3), rodent prostate (TRAMPC1, YPEN-1), human breast (MDA-MB-231) and mouse mammary (Myc/VEGF) cancer cell lines were readily labeled by fluorescent superparamagnetic sub-micron particles of iron oxide (MPIOs). The MPIOs were essentially inert with respect to cell proliferation and tumor formation. Fluorescence stereomicroscopy and three dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) determined that subcutaneous, intramuscular or orthotopically implanted labeled cancer cells could be imaged, in vivo, despite in some cases being undetectable by manual palpation. The MPIO-labeled cancer cells could also be imaged, in vivo, at least 6 weeks after implantation. The fluorescent MPIOs further allowed for the ex vivo identification of tumors cells from histological sections. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using fluorescent MPIOs in prostate and breast cancer cell lines as both a negative contrast agent for in vivo MRI as well as a fluorescent tumor marker for optical imaging in vivo and ex vivo.
authors.affiliation: Lombardi Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fricke
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dettin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: VanMeter
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Hai-Ning
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Mathew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casimiro
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ileva
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dagata
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lisanti
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koretsky
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albanese
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000032:analysis*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D004967:Estrogens; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A