Cryo-Imaging of Fluorescently Tagged Cells in the Mouse

描述（由申请人提供）：凯斯西储大学研究人员和BioInVision，Inc.将开发一个冷冻成像系统，用于小鼠的3D成像。它将用于干细胞再生医学，转移性癌症和病原体/免疫系统反应等。通过交替切片和成像，该系统将使1获得3D高分辨率彩色和荧光反射图像。该系统将对标记有GFP或其他产生荧光蛋白的报告基因的细胞进行成像。通过高分辨率和高灵敏度的成像，我们将建立一种识别小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、细菌、淋巴细胞、神经元和其他专门组织。一旦识别出细胞，就可以在高对比度3D彩色episcopic图像中相对于组织解剖结构映射细胞位置。此外，可以获得组织学样品用于进一步表征细胞微环境和干细胞分化。还有其他潜在的应用在生物学研究和制药工业，包括小鼠解剖表型鉴定，药物评价，成像剂评价，药物输送评价，疾病的研究等冷冻成像是唯一的所有在体内和显微镜技术，因为它允许微米分辨率和信息丰富的对比机制在非常大的3D视野。它将填补整个动物体内成像和组织学之间的差距，允许I沿着从小鼠->器官->组织结构->细胞->亚细胞域的连续体对小鼠沿着成像。我们将开发一种成像系统，该系统位于体内小动物成像和组织学之间的连续体中。该系统将使研究人员能够详细研究荧光标记的细胞在体内的位置，它们如何变化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方面的研究。该系统将帮助研究人员了解生理学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.