Citation Details

Journal Article

Bioware, Xen29, Animals, Bacteria/chemistry/ genetics, Bacterial Infections/diagnosis/ microbiology, Biofilms/ growth & development, Diagnostic Imaging/methods, Luminescent Measurements/ methods IVIS, Xenogen, Xen5, Xen44

Whole body biophotonic imaging (BPI) is a technique that has contributed significantly to the way researchers study bacterial pathogens and develop pre-clinical treatments to combat their ensuing infections in vivo. Not only does this approach allow disease profiles and drug efficacy studies to be conducted non-destructively in live animals over the entire course of the disease, but in many cases, it enables investigators to observe disease profiles that could otherwise easily be missed using conventional methodologies. The principles of this technique are that bacterial pathogens engineered to express bioluminescence (visible light) can be readily monitored from outside of the living animal using specialized low-light imaging equipment, enabling their movement, expansion and treatment to be seen completely non-invasively. Moreover, because the same group of animals can be imaged at each time-point throughout the study, the overall number of animals used is dramatically reduced, saving lives, time, and money. Also, as each animal acts as its own control over time, the issues associated with animal-to-animal variation are circumvented, thus improving the quality of the biostatistical data generated. The ability to monitor infections in vivo in a longitudinal fashion is especially appealing to assess chronic infections such as those involving implanted devices. Typically, bacteria grow as biofilms on these foreign bodies and are reputably difficult to monitor with conventional methods. Because of the non-destructive and non-invasive nature of BPI, the procedure can be performed repeatedly in the same animal, allowing the biofilm to be studied in situ without detachment or disturbance. This ability not only allows unique patterns of disease relapse to be seen following termination of antibiotic therapy but also in vivo resistance development during prolonged treatment, both of which are common occurrences with device-related infections. This chapter describes the bioluminescent engineering of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and overviews their use in device-associated infections in several anatomical sites in a variety of animal models.

Journal Article

Bioware; Diagnostic Imaging; Genes, Reporter; Humans; Male; Molecular Probe Techniques; Neoplasm Proteins; PC-3M-luc; Prostatic Neoplasms; Tumor Markers, Biological

Prostate cancer remains an important and growing health problem. Advances in imaging of prostate cancer may help to achieve earlier and more accurate diagnosis and treatment. We review the various strategies using reporter genes for molecular imaging of prostate cancer. These approaches are emerging as valuable tools for monitoring gene expression in laboratory animals and humans. Further development of more sensitive and selective reporters, combined with improvements in detection technology, will consolidate the position of reporter gene imaging as a versatile method for understanding of intracellular biological processes and the underlying molecular basis of prostate cancer, as well as potentially establishing a future role in the clinical management of patients afflicted with this disease.

Journal Article

Bioware; Imaging systems; PC-3M-luc; Spectroscopy, fluorescence and luminescence

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Journal Article

Bioware; Lovo-6-luc-1 cells

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the United States with an estimated 130,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Many cases are asymptomatic and not diagnosed until late stage of disease. Identification of primary tumors at an earlier stage is advantageous in treatment planning and aids in decreasing the morbidity/mortality rate from recurrence. The aim of our studies is to establish a xenograft system for monitoring tumor growth and metastasis in vivo which allows continual evaluation of drug and drug regimen efficacy at all stages of tumor progression. LoVo-6-luc-1, a luciferase expressing cell line derived from LoVo human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells, was injected by various routes (subcutaneous, intraperitoneal and intracecal) into female SCID-bg mice. Tumor growth and metastatic spread was monitored weekly by in vivo imaging using the Xenogen IVISTM imaging platform. Visible bioluminescence signals were detected immediately after injection and high tumor take was seen in all of the models. In the subcutaneous model, we found a high correlation between mean bioluminescence and mean tumor volume. In the intraperitoneal and ceacum injected models, the onset of tumor spread was rapid and ex vivo imaging confirmed metastasis to multiple organs such as liver, lung, kidney, adrenal gland, spleen and ovary.

Journal Article

Bioware; MDA-MB-231-D3H2LN cells

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