Sensitive in vivo imaging of T cells using a membrane-bound Gaussia princeps luciferase. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • We developed a new approach to bioluminescent T cell imaging using a membrane-anchored form of the Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) enzyme, termed extGLuc, which we could stably express in both mouse and human primary T cells. In vitro, extGLuc+ cells emitted significantly higher bioluminescent signal when compared to cells expressing GLuc, Renilla luciferase (RLuc) or membrane-anchored RLuc (extRLuc). In vivo, mouse extGLuc+ T cells showed higher bioluminescent signal when compared to GLuc+ and RLuc+ T cells. Application of this imaging approach to human T cells genetically modified to express tumor-specific chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) enabled us to show in vivo CAR-mediated T cell accumulation in tumor, T cell persistence over time and concomitant imaging of T cells and tumor cells modified to express firefly luciferase. This sensitive imaging technology has application to many in vivo cell-based studies in a wide array of mouse models.

publication date

  • February 15, 2009

Research

keywords

  • Luciferases
  • T-Lymphocytes

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC2837150

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 62049084025

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1038/nm.1930

PubMed ID

  • 19219023

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 15

issue

  • 3