Molecular imaging of small animals with fluorescent proteins: from projection to multimodality.
Fluorescent proteins (FPs) have been widely adopted in cell research for protein trafficking and reporter gene expression studies, as well as to study other biological processes. However, biological tissue has high light scattering and high absorption coefficients of visible light; hence, using FPs in small animal imaging remains a challenge, especially when the FPs are located deep in the tissue. In small animals, fluorescence molecular imaging could potentially address this difficulty. We constructed fluorescence molecular imaging systems that have two modes: a planner mode (projection imaging) and a multimodality mode (fluorescence molecular tomography and micro-CT). The planner mode can provide projection images of a fluorophore in the whole body of a small animal, whereas three-dimensional information can be offered by multimodality mode. The planner imaging system works in the reflection mode and is designed to provide fast imaging. The multimodality imaging system is designed to allow quantification and three-dimensional localization of fluorophores. A nude mouse with a tumour targeted with a far-red FP, which is appropriate for in vivo imaging, was adopted to validate the two systems. The results indicate that the planner imaging system is probably suitable for high throughput molecular imaging, whereas the multimodality imaging system is fit for quantitative research.
Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, PR China. yangxiaoquan@gmail.com
Xiaoquan
X
Yang
Hui
H
Gong
Jianwei
J
Fu
Guotao
G
Quan
Chuan
C
Huang
Qingming
Q
Luo
D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014963:X-Ray Intensifying Screens; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein