Techniques for Molecular Imaging Applications

BLUsH: bioluminescence imaging using hemodynamics A groundbreaking advancement in neuroimaging has been achieved with the development of BLUSH, a technique that translates bioluminescence into MRI-detectable hemodynamic signals. This novel method overcomes the inherent limitations of traditional optical imaging in deep tissues, offering unprecedented spatial resolution and depth penetration for in vivo studies. By converting photon emission into localized vascular responses, BLUSH enables real-time visualization of biological processes with applications spanning from neural circuit mapping to tumor tracking. This technology holds immense potential to accelerate neuroscience research and clinical translation. BLUSH, with its ability to convert bioluminescence into MRI-detectable signals, opens up a vast array of potential applications in biomedical research: 1. Tracking Cellular Dynamics in Real-Time - Cancer research: Monitoring tumor growth, metastasis, and response to therapy. - Immunology: Studying immune cell trafficking and response to pathogens or inflammation. - Stem cell research: Tracking cell differentiation and migration in vivo. 2. Neurological Studies - Neural circuit mapping: Visualizing neural activity patterns in real-time. - Neurodegenerative diseases: Monitoring disease progression and therapeutic efficacy. - Brain tumors: Tracking tumor growth and response to treatment. 3. Drug Delivery and Pharmacokinetics - Monitoring drug distribution: Tracking the movement of drug-carrying nanoparticles or cells. - Assessing drug efficacy: Evaluating the impact of therapeutics on target tissues. 4. Developmental Biology - Embryonic development: Studying cell fate determination and organogenesis. - Regenerative medicine: Monitoring tissue regeneration and repair. Technical Challenges and Future Directions While BLUSH represents a significant advancement, there are still technical challenges to overcome: - Uniform photosensitization: Achieving consistent bPAC expression in blood vessels across different tissue types remains a challenge. - Spatial resolution: Further improvements in MRI resolution and image processing techniques are needed to enhance spatial accuracy. - Quantitative analysis: Developing quantitative methods to correlate BLUSH signals with bioluminescence intensity is essential for accurate data interpretation. Future research should focus on addressing these challenges, as well as exploring the potential of BLUSH in combination with other imaging modalities for multimodal analysis. By overcoming these limitations, BLUSH has the potential to revolutionize biomedical research and drug development. #neuroscience #biomedicalengineering #imaging #bioluminescence #MRI #research #neuroscience

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴? Photoacoustic imaging, an emerging technique in the past decade, holds promise for both research and clinical diagnoses due to its versatility and radiation-free nature. This imaging modality operates on the photoacoustic effect, wherein sound waves are generated following light absorption in a material. In this method, technicians use a non-ionizing laser to illuminate the target tissue with short-pulse light at close range. Chromophores in the tissue absorb specific wavelengths' photon energy, inducing molecular vibrations that lead to tissue expansion. This expansion generates acoustic waves in the ultrasound range, capable of propagating through thin tissue layers with minimal scattering. These waves are then detected by a tomographic array. Advanced algorithms in image-reconstructing software convert these signals into 2D or 3D images, offering anatomical and pathological insights to researchers and physicians. Different chromophores like deoxygenated and oxygenated hemoglobin exhibit unique absorption profiles, responding with varying strength to multi-spectral laser pulses. Besides hemoglobin, this imaging method identifies melanin, lipids, collagen, water, and contrast agents tailored to locate diverse biomarkers. Video and more: https://lnkd.in/gQJy-Wmk

🔥 New photoacoustic probes enable deep brain tissue imaging, with potential to report on #neuronal activity by Ivy Kuper European School of Molecular Medicine (SEMM) Laboratory Via Phys.org 🔷 To understand the #brain better, we need new methods to observe its activity. That is at the heart of a #molecular #engineering project, spearheaded by two research groups at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory(#EMBL), that has resulted in a #novel approach to create #photoacoustic probes for neuroscience applications. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. 🔷 Photoacoustics offer a way to capture imagery of an entire mouse brain, but we just lacked the right probes to visualize a neuron's activity," said Robert Prevedel, an EMBL group leader and a senior author on this paper. To overcome this technological challenge, he worked with Claire Deo, another EMBL group leader and also a senior author on the paper. She and her team specialize in chemical engineering. 🔷 "We have been able to show that we can actually #label #neurons in #specific brain areas with probes bright enough to be detected by our customized photoacoustic microscope," Prevedel said. 👉https://lnkd.in/eWrCcgyX #neuroscience #neurotech #biotechnology #molecular #technology #biology #brain #braintissue #computational #healthtech #digitalhealth Credit: Isabel Romero Calvo EMBL