Portable two-color in vivo flow cytometer for real-time detection of fluorescently-labeled circulating cells.
The recent introduction of the in vivo flow cytometer for real-time, noninvasive detection and quantification of cells circulating in the vasculature of small animals has provided a powerful tool for tracking the roles of different types of cells in disease progression. We describe a portable version of the device, which provides the capability to: a) excite and detect fluorescence at two distinct colors simultaneously, and b) perform data analysis in real time. These advances improve significantly the utility of the instrument and provide a means of increasing detection specificity. As examples, we present the depletion kinetics of circulating green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled breast cancer cells in the vasculature of mice, and the specific detection of circulating hematopoietic stem cells labeled in vivo with two antibodies.
Boutrus
Steven
S
Tufts University, Biomedical Engineering Department, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA.
Greiner
Cherry
C
Hwu
Derrick
D
Chan
Michael
M
Kuperwasser
Charlotte
C
Lin
Charles P
CP
Georgakoudi
Irene
I
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003199:Computer Systems; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D036641:Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008904:Miniaturization; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins