Open AccessIn vivo optical imaging of cancer cell function and tumor microenvironment
Author(s) -
Imamura Takeshi,
Saitou Takashi,
Kawakami Ryosuke
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.13544
Subject(s) - bioluminescence , in vivo , bioluminescence imaging , fluorescence , optical imaging , preclinical imaging , fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy , metastasis , molecular imaging , cancer , two photon excitation microscopy , biology , nanotechnology , microbiology and biotechnology , luciferase , materials science , optics , physics , cell culture , biochemistry , transfection , genetics
In vivo optical imaging using fluorescence and bioluminescence is superior to other methods in terms of spatiotemporal resolution and specificity, and represents a new technology for comprehensively studying living organisms in a less invasive way. Nowadays, it is an indispensable technology for studying many aspects of cancer biology, including dynamic invasion and metastasis. In observations of fluorescence or bioluminescence signals in a living body, various problems were caused by optical characteristics such as absorption and scattering and, therefore, observation of deep tissue was difficult. Recent developments in techniques for observation of the deep tissues of living animals overcame this difficulty by improving bioluminescent proteins, fluorescent proteins, and fluorescent dyes, as well as detection technologies such as two‐photon excitation microscopy. In the present review, we introduce these technological developments and in vivo application of bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging, and discuss future perspectives on the use of in vivo optical imaging technology in cancer research.