title: In vivo label-free photoacoustic flow cytography and on-the-spot laser killing of single circulating melanoma cells.
abstract: Metastasis causes as many as 90% of cancer-related deaths, especially for the deadliest skin cancer, melanoma. Since hematogenous dissemination of circulating tumor cells is the major route of metastasis, detection and destruction of circulating tumor cells are vital for impeding metastasis and improving patient prognosis. Exploiting the exquisite intrinsic optical absorption contrast of circulating melanoma cells, we developed dual-wavelength photoacoustic flow cytography coupled with a nanosecond-pulsed melanoma-specific laser therapy mechanism. We have successfully achieved in vivo label-free imaging of rare single circulating melanoma cells in both arteries and veins of mice. Further, the photoacoustic signal from a circulating melanoma cell immediately hardware-triggers a lethal pinpoint laser irradiation to kill it on the spot in a thermally confined manner without causing collateral damage. A pseudo-therapy study including both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated the performance and the potential clinical value of our method, which can facilitate early treatment of metastasis by clearing circulating tumor cells from vasculature.
authors.affiliation: Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Lidai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Junhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Ruiying
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Lihong V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D061088:Photoacoustic Techniques; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis