Technology
This video illustrates PET reporter gene based imaging of therapeutic cells in the brain of a glioma patient. The PET image is superimposed over the brain MRI, showing the location and intensity of the PET reporter imaging probe [18F]FHBG before and after injection of HSV1-tk expressing cytolyticT cells.
CellSight allows therapy developers to "barcode" their cells or genes prior to introduction into living subjects (including humans) and then view these "barcoded" cells or genes at various time points after treatment. Information can be gathered not only for the injected therapeutic cells but also their progeny in the living subject.
Cell Kinetics data that can be obtained at multiple time points
- Cell Locations
- Cell Quantity at each Location
- Cell Survival
- Cell Proliferation
- Cell Status and Characteristics
Proven methods to image Cell Kinetics
- Direct Labeling with an Imaging Probe
- Genetic engineering of cells to express imaging reporter genes
Methods to perform reporter gene imaging in living subjects include
CellSight Technologies provides means to combine the three methods of gene imaging with a single tri-fusion multimodality reporter gene. You can then track implanted cells or genes from preclinical applications and then translate to clinical applications.
PET allows imaging in both small and large animals, a technique translatable to imaging in humans.
CellSight personnel have been granted FDA "Investigational New Drug" (IND) to image PET reporter gene expression in patients using [18F]FHBG. This is the only FDA approved molecular imaging probe to image cells in humans.
Therapy developers can use the same triple fusion gene during therapy development for imaging cells in vitro all the way to imaging living subjects.