Abstract 4104: Characterization and validation of an implantable chronic lung imaging window

Abstract Metastatic disease is the major cause of cancer mortality and is responsible for over 1/2 million deaths each year in the U.S. alone. Of the three most common sites of metastasis observed clinically (bone, lung and liver), the most difficult to study using intravital microscopy is the lung; a delicate organ in perpetual motion. Recent advances in intravital microscopy have enabled visualization of the live intact lung, but are limited in the duration over which they can be utilized (hours) and require major invasive surgeries. Both of these limitations reduce their usefulness in the study of single cell events in the lung and are susceptible to introducing artefacts. We report the development of a novel, minimally invasive surgical protocol for the implantation of a long-lasting lung imaging window. Once implanted, this window allows for the repeated, non-invasive visualization of living, breathing lung tissue over a period of two weeks without the need for ventilation, vacuum plates, or gated imaging equipment. Here we characterize and validate the use of this window in living mice. The window is well tolerated, does not cause infection or inflammation, and offers a 4mm view of the left lung. We utilize it to visualize, with single cell resolution, the progression of experimental metastasis from the arrival of a single cell to the formation of micro-metastases. The development of this novel optical window will allow visualization of, with single cell resolution, tumor microenvironments and metastatic progression within the lung over extended periods of time. This approach to imaging live lung tissue has the potential to reveal the mechanisms underlying many diseases affecting the lung as well as the means to directly evaluate responses to therapeutics in in real time and within a single animal. Citation Format: David Entenberg, Allison Harney, Sonia E. Voiculescu, Yarong Wang, Maja Oktay, John Condeelis. Characterization and validation of an implantable chronic lung imaging window. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4104.