Real-Time In Vivo Confocal Fluorescence Imaging of Prostate Cancer Bone-Marrow Micrometastasis Development at the Cellular Level in Nude Mice

J Cell Biochem. 2016 Nov;117(11):2533-7. doi: 10.1002/jcb.25545. Epub 2016 Apr 14.

Abstract

In the present report, we demonstrate in vivo fluorescence imaging of bone-marrow micrometastasis of prostate cancer at the cellular level in nude mice. PC-3 human prostate cancer cells labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) or red fluorescent protein (RFP) were injected into the left ventricle or intratibial bone marrow of nude mice. PC-3-GFP, as well as selected high metastatic variants of PC-3-GFP, PC-3-GFP-BM6 or PC-3-RFP were visualized by real-time fluorescence imaging, to traffic and grow in the bone marrow. Formation of bone marrow micrometastasis could be imaged at the single-cell level in live mice, using confocal microscopy. The ability to track bone marrow micrometastasis in real time at the cellular level provides a visual target for evaluating new therapeutics for this recalcitrant disease. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 2533-2537, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: BONE METASTASIS; FLUORESCENCE CELLULAR IMAGING; GFP; PC-3; PROSTATE CANCER; RFP.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Microscopy, Confocal / methods*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Skull Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Skull Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Green Fluorescent Proteins