Cryo-Imaging of Fluorescently Tagged Cells in the Mouse

描述(由申请人提供)：凯斯西储大学的研究人员和BioInVision，Inc.将开发一种冷冻成像系统，用于对小鼠进行3D成像。它将在干细胞再生医学、转移性癌症和病原体/免疫系统反应等方面提供应用。通过交替切片和成像，该系统将使1能够获得3D高分辨率彩色和荧光电子显微镜图像。该系统将对标记有GFP或其他报告基因的细胞进行成像，这些基因可以产生荧光蛋白。通过高分辨率和高灵敏度的成像，我们将建立一种识别老鼠体内单个或多个标记细胞的方法。该系统应该能够识别干细胞、微转移瘤、细菌、淋巴细胞、神经元和其他专门组织。一旦识别了细胞，就可以在高对比度的3D彩色电子显微镜图像中相对于组织解剖绘制细胞位置图。此外，还可以获得组织标本，用于进一步描述细胞微环境和干细胞分化。在生物学研究和制药工业中还有其他潜在的应用，包括小鼠的解剖表型鉴定、药物评价、显像剂评价、药物输送评价、疾病研究等。冷冻成像在所有活体和显微技术中是独一无二的，因为它允许在非常大的3D视场上进行微米分辨率和信息丰富的对比机制。它将填补整个动物体内成像和组织学之间的空白，允许1沿着小鼠-器官-组织结构-细胞-亚细胞区域的连续体对小鼠进行成像。我们将开发一种介于活体小动物成像和组织学之间的成像系统。该系统将使研究人员能够非常详细地研究荧光标记的细胞在体内的位置，它们是如何变化的，以及它们如何对微环境做出反应。这将有助于干细胞治疗、神经细胞发育、免疫反应和转移性癌症等领域的研究。该系统将帮助研究人员了解生理和疾病机制，并促进治疗研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Case Western Reserve University researchers and BioInVision, Inc. will develop a cryo-imaging system for 3D imaging of mice. It will serve applications in stem cell regenerative medicine, metastatic cancer, and pathogen/immune system response, among others. By alternately sectioning and imaging, the system will enable 1 to acquire 3D high-resolution color and fluorescence episcopic images. This system will image cells tagged with GFP, or other reporter genes which create fluorescent proteins. By imaging with high resolution and sensitivity, we will establish a method for identifying single or multiple tagged cells within a mouse. The system should enable identification of stem cells, micro-metastases, bacteria, lymphocytes, neurons, and other specialized tissues. Once cells are identified, cell locations can be mapped relative to the tissue anatomy in the high contrast, 3D color episcopic images. In addition, histological samples can be obtained for further characterization of the cellular microenvironment and stem cell differentiation. There are other potential applications in biological research and in the pharmaceutical industry, including mouse anatomical phenotype identification, drug evaluation, imaging agent evaluation, drug delivery evaluation, study of diseases, etc. Cryo-imaging is unique among all in vivo and microscopic techniques in that it allows micron resolution and information-rich contrast mechanisms over very large 3D fields of view. It will fill the gap between whole animal in vivo imaging and histology, allowing 1 to image a mouse along the continuum from the mouse -> organ -> tissue structure -> cell -> sub-cellular domains. We will develop an imaging system that lies within the continuum between in vivo small animal imaging and histology. This sytem will enable researchers to study in great detail where fluoresently tagged cells go in the body, how they change, and how they respond to their microenvironment. This will aid research in stem cell therapy, nerve cell development, immune response, and metastatic cancer, among others. This system will help researchers understand physiology and disease mechanisms and promote research for cures.