Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) of human brown adipose tissue and skeletal muscle

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Optoacoustic imaging of composition and metabolic processes in human brown adipose tissue and skeletal muscle is a core asset essential for our research unit. We therefore apply for a portable handheld Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) unit. This device will be customized to redesign and improve the optoacoustic imaging of metabolism by increasing the penetration depth and sensitivity of MSOT. The MSOT unit will be used to capacity in pilot human studies of P2 and P5, and in the FatCalEx study (P6). It provides a fast, label-free, safe and versatile imaging modality for the static and dynamic assessment of metabolic processes in humans. In the selected target tissues, MSOT will enable real-time imaging of local changes in composition, oxidative metabolism, vascularization, and lipid transport. Research in RU5298 will apply this optoacoustic imaging modality to monitor metabolic processes at baseline, and in response to acute metabolic challenges, such as cold exposure, test meals, and exercise. We expect to see large inter-individual variability in these responses, and impaired metabolic flexibility in people with obesity. Caloric restriction intervention, either alone, or combined with exercise, may to variable degree reconstitute metabolic flexibility, as assessed by MSOT. This offers a so far unseen imaging modality to observe individual variation and plasticity in local tissue responses. We expect that our human studies will reveal novel biomarkers for the metabolic derangements in people with obesity. These biomarkers will be of diagnostic value for the development of new personalized interventions in the treatment of obesity.