New imaging system could reduce animal use in cancer treatment tests
A newly-devised imaging system could help boost progress for cancer treatments which involve cell transplants – and reduce the need for animal testing.
Scientists have created a technique for tracking cells inside the body for up to a week so doctors can gauge the effectiveness of therapies.
The system will speed up studies to test if these treatmentsare safe to use, researchers said.
Currently, cells are tagged with chemical agents that give out an infra-red light, but these agents degrade quickly and make it difficult to track them for more than two days.
Now, experts at the University of Edinburgh have developed new chemical agents that are stable enough for longterm imaging.
Professor Richard Mellanby, head of veterinary clinical research at the university, said: “Long-term tracking of cells in the body has been a major unmet need in biomedical research.
“We hope the development of these agents will help to speed up the development of cell-based therapies for use as treatments in people and animals.”
The infra-red light is found using body scanners – without the need for surgery – and pinpoints the location of labelled cells.
Studies with mice found cells tagged with the agents could be tracked inside the body for up to seven days.
The chemical did not affect the function of the cells and was not transferred to others.
Following the cells for longer periods of time is crucial for showing how they work and proving they are safe.
Researchers said the advance will speed up safety testing of cell-based therapies in both animal studies and human patients. It could also mean fewer animals are needed for testing.
Dr Marc Vendrell, senior lecturer in biomedical imaging, said: “The new agents are a significant advance in our ability to follow the fate of cells without surgery. We hope this will ultimately reduce the number of mice used in research and will improve the quality of biomedical imaging studies.”