Fast automatic segmentation of anatomical structures in x-ray computed images to improve fluorescence molecular tomography reconstruction.

The recent development of hybrid imaging scanners that integrate fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) and x-ray computed tomography (XCT) allows the utilization of x-ray information as image priors for improving optical tomography reconstruction. To fully capitalize on this capacity, we consider a framework for the automatic and fast detection of different anatomic structures in murine XCT images. To accurately differentiate between different structures such as bone, lung, and heart, a combination of image processing steps including thresholding, seed growing, and signal detection are found to offer optimal segmentation performance. The algorithm and its utilization in an inverse FMT scheme that uses priors is demonstrated on mouse images

Hybrid FMT/XCT system validated with ex-vivo fluorescence.

Fluorescence tomography can resolve fluorescence biodistribution in vivo with high sensitivity. We use structural information from X-ray CT as priors in the fluorescence reconstruction for improved accuracy, as shown previously [1]. The method was tested on different phantoms and animal models and cross-validated with XCT data, histology and ex vivo fluorescence

Hybrid system for simultaneous fluorescence and X-Ray computed tomography.

A hybrid imaging system for simultaneous fluorescence tomography and X-ray computed tomography (XCT) of small animals has been developed and presented. The system capitalizes on the imaging power of a 360 degrees-projection free-space fluorescence tomography system, implemented within a microcomputed tomography scanner. Image acquisition is based on techniques that automatically adjust a series of imaging parameters to offer a high dynamic range dataset. Image segmentation further allows the incorporation of structural priors in the optical reconstruction problem to improve the imaging performance. The functional system characteristics are showcased, and images from a brain imaging study are shown, which are reconstructed using XCT-derived priors into the optical forward problem

Hybrid fluorescence tomography / X-ray tomography improves reconstruction quality.

A novel hybrid imaging system for simultaneous X-ray and Fluorescence Tomography is presented, capitalizing on 360°-projection free-space fluorescence tomography. The system is implemented within a commercial micro-CT scanner allowing reconstructions with a resolution of 95μm. Acquired data sets are intrinsically coregistered in the same coordinate system and can be used to correctly localize reconstructed fluorescence distributions with morphological features. More importantly, the micro-CT data, automatically segmented into different organ and tissue segments can be used to guide the fluorescence reconstruction algorithm and reduce the illcoditioning of the inverse problem. We showcase the use of the system and the improvements in image quality for lesions in brain and lung

The heat shock protein HSP70 promotes mouse NK cell activity against tumors that express inducible NKG2D ligands.

The stress-inducible heat shock protein (HSP) 70 is known to function as an endogenous danger signal that can increase the immunogenicity of tumors and induce CTL responses. We show in this study that HSP70 also activates mouse NK cells that recognize stress-inducible NKG2D ligands on tumor cells. Tumor size and the rate of metastases derived from HSP70-overexpressing human melanoma cells were found to be reduced in T and B cell-deficient SCID mice, but not in SCID/beige mice that lack additionally functional NK cells. In the SCID mice with HSP70-overexpressing tumors, NK cells were activated so that they killed ex vivo tumor cells that expressed NKG2D ligands. In the tumors, the MHC class I chain-related (MIC) A and B molecules were found to be expressed. Interestingly, a counter selection was observed against the expression of MICA/B in HSP70-overexpressing tumors compared with control tumors in SCID, but not in SCID/beige mice, suggesting a functional relevance of MICA/B expression. The melanoma cells were found to release exosomes. HSP70-positive exosomes from the HSP70-overexpressing cells, in contrast to HSP70-negative exosomes from the control cells, were able to activate mouse NK cells in vitro to kill YAC-1 cells, which express NKG2D ligands constitutively, or the human melanoma cells, in which MICA/B expression was induced. Thus, HSP70 and inducible NKG2D ligands synergistically promote the activation of mouse NK cells resulting in a reduced tumor growth and suppression of metastatic disease