Tumor angiogenesis, O2 saturation, glucose and amino acid metabolisms study using functional imaging

Abstract

This research is primarily focused on the study of tumors in experimental animal models using functional imaging in the presence of various contrast agents. The study of malignant tumor angiogenesis, oxygen saturation, glucose and amino acid metabolisms will lead to better methods for cancer detection as well as diagnosing and managing cancer. Non invasive in vivo diagnostic imaging technique is an area of great clinical interest in present days. In this study, noninvasive in vivo photoacoustic tomography and conventional fluorescence imaging together with multiphoton microscopic tomography were implemented to study the malignant tumor morphology and physiology. Tumor structure and angiogenesis were successfully imaged by photoacoustic tomography and conventional fluorescence imaging. The important malignant tumor cellular parameters such as oxygen saturation and αvβ3 integrin concentration were measured in living small animals (rodents) using the novel photoacoustic tomography technique. By implementing multiphoton microscopy using Cy3.5 NHS ester contrast agent, tumor amino acid metabolism was successfully studied in cell culture. This method will at least give you a relative concentration map of amino acid in cells. Non invasive in vivo imaging can be achieved by modifying the current multiphoton imaging setup. A new method for studying amino acid and glucose metabolisms of tumor cells using multiphoton imaging was developed.