title: FMT-XCT: in vivo animal studies with hybrid fluorescence molecular tomography-X-ray computed tomography.
abstract: The development of hybrid optical tomography methods to improve imaging performance has been suggested over a decade ago and has been experimentally demonstrated in animals and humans. Here we examined in vivo performance of a camera-based hybrid fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) system for 360° imaging combined with X-ray computed tomography (XCT). Offering an accurately co-registered, information-rich hybrid data set, FMT-XCT has new imaging possibilities compared to stand-alone FMT and XCT. We applied FMT-XCT to a subcutaneous 4T1 tumor mouse model, an Aga2 osteogenesis imperfecta model and a Kras lung cancer mouse model, using XCT information during FMT inversion. We validated in vivo imaging results against post-mortem planar fluorescence images of cryoslices and histology data. Besides offering concurrent anatomical and functional information, FMT-XCT resulted in the most accurate FMT performance to date. These findings indicate that addition of FMT optics into the XCT gantry may be a potent upgrade for small-animal XCT systems.
authors.affiliation: Technische Universität München and Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Angelique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ale
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ermolayev
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cohrs
authors.forename: Martin Hrabé
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: de Angelis
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ntziachristos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D010013:Osteogenesis Imperfecta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D041622:Tomography, Optical / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*