Newsletter

Discover Real-Time Precision in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment with IVIM's Intravital In Vivo Imaging

Integrating intravital in vivo imaging into your research endeavors holds the promise of enhancing the precision and efficacy of your cancer diagnosis and treatment protocols. This advanced imaging technology provides unparalleled insight into the dynamic interactions within the tumor microenvironment (TME) in real-time, thereby revolutionizing cancer research. By precisely visualizing immune cell dynamics, tumor growth patterns, and drug delivery mechanisms, intravital in vivo imaging empowers researchers to tailor treatment strategies with pinpoint accuracy. Monitoring the response to therapy, identifying resistance mechanisms, and optimizing dosing regimens for enhanced efficacy become achievable through this technology.

In this newsletter, we explore the indispensable role of intravital in vivo imaging, providing real-time insights into pivotal aspects of cancer research. By scrutinizing the tumor microenvironment (TME), monitoring immune cell dynamics, tracking T cell infiltration rates, studying cancer cell growth, and analyzing the delivery of anti-cancer drugs with unprecedented precision and depth over the long term, we propel our understanding of these intricate processes beyond conventional methods.

The below panel depicts intravital in vivo imaging results showing the infiltration rate of myeloid cells over a span of nine days. Results revealed that LysM-GFP transgenic (TG) mice, expressing endogenous GFP signals, displayed significant cell-to-cell interactions and tumor infiltration by GFP-labeled monocyte/macrophages immediately following cancer cell inoculation, persisting up to the 9th day. Initially, no immune cell response interactions were evident within the 2 hours post-inoculation. However, from 24 hours onward to the first day, a noticeable increase in monocyte/macrophage response ensued, subsequently facilitating cancer cell infiltration. Notably, an increase in the immune cell infiltration capacity within cancer cells (depicted by internal blue dot lines) was observed. This real-time monitoring provides valuable insights into the degree of immune cell infiltration corresponding to cancer cell proliferation.

In this experimental setup, we investigated the real-time kinetics of T cell infiltration in response to the growth of melanoma cancer cells. Utilizing the DSC model, cancer cell inoculation was performed, with delineated dashed lines indicating the site of T cell activation. Subsequently, drug intervention was administered, and on the fourth day post-inoculation with B16F10-iRFP cancer cells, the dynamics of T cell infiltration around blood vessels and cancer cell peripheries were assessed. This examination included a detailed analysis of the interaction between CD8 Native T cells and tumor cells, along with the identification of initial starpoints indicative of T cell infiltration towards cancer cell loci. These observations offer valuable real-time insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of T cell responses tailored to the evolving landscape of cancer cell growth.

Figure 4: Imaging results of the abscopal effect of immunotherapy. Changes in the 4T-1 mammary carcinoma at the Spot 1 and Spot 2

The observed dynamic dendritic cell infiltration rate correlated with the growth of breast cancer cells, indicating an adaptive real-time response to tumor progression. This real-time approach provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying dendritic cell-mediated antitumor immunity.

Furthermore, using anti-PD-1 in breast cancer animal models, we examined the effects of inhibiting PD-1, a crucial factor influencing the tumor microenvironment. Following cancer cell inoculation within the DSC and subsequent drug administration, we observed cell-to-cell interactions and tumor infiltration of dendritic cells over a ten-day period utilizing the same animal without sacrifice.