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Simultaneous visualization of tumour oxygenation, neovascularization and contrast agent perfusion by real-time three-dimensional optoacoustic tomography

  • Molecular Imaging
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

Intravital imaging within heterogenic solid tumours is important for understanding blood perfusion profiles responsible for establishment of multiple parameters within the tumour mass, such as hypoxic and nutrition gradients, cell viability, proliferation and drug response potentials.

Methods

Herein, we developed a method based on a volumetric multispectral optoacoustic tomography (vMSOT) for cancer imaging in preclinical models and explored its capacity for three-dimensional imaging of anatomic, vascular and functional tumour profiles in real time.

Results

In contrast to methods based on cross-sectional (2D) image acquisition as a basis for 3D rendering, vMSOT has attained concurrent observations from the entire tumour volume at 10 volumetric frames per second. This truly four dimensional imaging performance has enabled here the simultaneous assessment of blood oxygenation gradients and vascularization in solid breast tumours and revealed different types of blood perfusion profiles in-vivo.

Conclusion

The newly introduced capacity for high-resolution three-dimensional tracking of fast tumour perfusion suggests vMSOT as a powerful method in preclinical cancer research and theranostics. As the imaging setup can be equally operated in both stationary and handheld mode, the solution is readily translatable for perfusion monitoring in a clinical setting.

Key Points

• vMSOT visualizes 3D anatomic, vascular and functional tumour profiles in real time.

• Three types of blood perfusion profiles are revealed in breast tumour model.

• The method is readily adaptable to operate in a handheld clinical mode.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Sarah Glasl and Uwe Klemm for excellent technical assistance.

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Daniel Razansky, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, email: dr@tum.de. The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. This study has received funding by European Research Council under grant agreement ERC-2010-StG-260991. VN acknowledges funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) research grant MOBIMED (Molecular Imaging in Medicine) and sub-grant MOBITUM (Watching Tumour Biology by Molecular Imaging). No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Written informed consent was not required for this study because no patients were involved. Approval from the institutional animal care committee was obtained. Methodology: prospective, experimental, performed at one institution.

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Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI), Helmholtz Center Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraβe 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany

      Vladimir Ermolayev, Xose Luis Dean-Ben, Subhamoy Mandal, Vasilis Ntziachristos & Daniel Razansky

    2. Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straβe 22, 81675, Munich, Germany

      Vladimir Ermolayev, Vasilis Ntziachristos & Daniel Razansky

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    1. Vladimir Ermolayev
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    2. Xose Luis Dean-Ben
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    3. Subhamoy Mandal
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    4. Vasilis Ntziachristos
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    5. Daniel Razansky
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Daniel Razansky.

    Additional information

    Vladimir Ermolayev and Xose Luis Deán-Ben contributed equally to this work.

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    Ermolayev, V., Dean-Ben, X.L., Mandal, S. et al. Simultaneous visualization of tumour oxygenation, neovascularization and contrast agent perfusion by real-time three-dimensional optoacoustic tomography. Eur Radiol 26, 1843–1851 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3980-0

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3980-0

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