Experimental Cerenkov luminescence tomography of the mouse model with SPECT imaging validation

TLDR

Cerenkov radiation–based optical molecular imaging is an emerging technique that promises new possibilities for small‑animal imaging, having been explored in both 2‑D planar and 3‑D homogeneous mouse models. The study applied 3‑D Cerenkov luminescence tomography to a heterogeneous mouse model with an implanted Na‑131I source, and used SPECT to validate the reconstructed source location. The authors demonstrated that 3‑D CLT accurately localizes and quantifies radioactive sources across concentrations, establishing a linear relationship between tracer activity and reconstructed intensity, and confirming the method’s validity with SPECT.

Abstract

Optical molecular imaging resulting from Cerenkov radiation has become a motivating topic recently and will potentially open new avenues for the study of small animal imaging. Cerenkov-based optical imaging taken from living animals in vivo has been studied with two-dimensional (2D) planar geometry and three-dimensional (3D) homogeneous mouse model. In this study, we performed 3D Cerenkov-based luminescence tomography (CLT) using a heterogeneous mouse model with an implanted Na(131)I radioactive source, which provided the accurate location for the reconstructed source. Furthermore, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was utilized to verify the results of 3D CLT. We reconstructed the localization and intensity of an embedded radioactive source with various concentrations, and established a quantitative relationship between the radiotracer activity and the reconstructed intensity. The results showed the ability of in vivo CLT to recover the radioactive probe distribution in the heterogeneous mouse model and the potential of a SPECT imaging validation strategy to verify the results of optical molecular tomography.