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In Vivo Dendritic Cell Tracking Using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging and Near-Infrared-Emissive Polymersomes

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Abstract

Purpose

Noninvasive in vivo cell-tracking techniques are necessary to advance the field of cellular-based therapeutics as well as to elucidate mechanisms governing in vivo cell biology. Fluorescence is commonly used for in vitro and postmortem biomedical studies but has been limited by autofluorescence at the whole-animal level.

Procedures

In this report, we demonstrate the ability of in vivo fluorescent lifetime imaging to remove autofluorescence and thereby enable in vivo dendritic cell tracking in naïve mice. Specifically, we track mature dendritic cells (DCs) labeled internally with near-infrared-emissive polymersomes (NIR-DCs).

Results

We establish the ability to detect labeled cells in vivo and image NIR-DC trafficking after both intravenous and subcutaneous delivery. In addition, we demonstrate the longitudinal capacity of this method by characterizing NIR-DC migration kinetics in the popliteal lymph node.

Conclusions

This work provides a tool to evaluate dendritic-cell-based immunotherapy and generates novel opportunities for in vivo fluorescence imaging.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants NIH EB003457 (D.A.H.), NIH/NCI R01-CA116779 (G.C.), NIH/NCI P50-CA083638 (G.C.), and NIH RO1CA115229 (M.J.T.). We also acknowledge the Optical Imaging Core at the University of Pennsylvania for access to the eXplore Optix instrument (NIH Grant CA 105008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, 210 S. 33rd Street Room 240 Skirkanich Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Natalie A. Christian & Daniel A. Hammer

  2. Center for Research on Ovarian Cancer Early Detection and Cure, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Fabian Benencia & George Coukos

  3. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Michael C. Milone

  4. Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Guizhi Li, Paul R. Frail & Michael J. Therien

Authors
  1. Natalie A. Christian
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  2. Fabian Benencia
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  3. Michael C. Milone
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  4. Guizhi Li
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  5. Paul R. Frail
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  6. Michael J. Therien
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  7. George Coukos
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  8. Daniel A. Hammer
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Correspondence to Daniel A. Hammer.

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Christian, N.A., Benencia, F., Milone, M.C. et al. In Vivo Dendritic Cell Tracking Using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging and Near-Infrared-Emissive Polymersomes. Mol Imaging Biol 11, 167–177 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-008-0184-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-008-0184-x

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