Visualizing human prostate cancer cells in mouse skeleton using bioconjugated near-infrared fluorescent quantum dots.
OBJECTIVE
To visualize human prostate cancer cells in mouse bone with bioconjugated near-infrared quantum dot (QD) probes. Near-infrared fluorescent probes using QDs can visualize tumors in deep tissues in vivo.


METHODS
Human prostate cancer C4-2B xenografts grown in mouse tibia were detected by prostate-specific membrane antigen antibody conjugated with QDs emitting light at the near-infrared range of 800 nm (QD800). Images in culture and in vivo were acquired using the IVIS Imaging System.


RESULTS
As few as 5000 cells can be detected subcutaneously when tagged with QD800 conjugate and injected directly into mice. QD800 conjugate injected intravenously in mice harboring C4-2B tumors in tibia detected signals from a minimum of 500 000 cells. The maximal light emission was detected 30 minutes after intravenous injection of QD800 conjugate in mice with established C4-2B tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
Bioconjugated near-infrared QD probes are highly sensitive molecular imaging tools for human prostate cancer micrometastases in mice.
Department of Urology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
Chunmeng
C
Shi
Ying
Y
Zhu
Zhihui
Z
Xie
Weiping
W
Qian
Chia-Ling
CL
Hsieh
Shuming
S
Nie
Yongping
Y
Su
Haiyen E
HE
Zhau
Leland W K
LW
Chung
D000818:Animals; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D013977:Tibia; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen