Multimodal Molecular Imaging of Integrin [alpha]v[Beta]3 for In Vivo Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease. Late detection of then nonresectable or metastasized tumors emphasizes the need for novel imaging approaches. Here, we report on so far nonexploited potentials of ... integrin-targeted molecular imaging technologies for detection of PDAC using genetically engineered mouse models. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used for characterization of ... expression in murine and human PDAC. We applied IntegriSense 680 fluorescence molecular tomography, intraoperative fluorescence imaging, and 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET for ... integrin molecular in vivo imaging of spontaneous PDAC occurring in ... mice. (NODAGA is 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4-bis[acetic acid]-7-[2-glutaric acid] and RGD is arginine-glycine-aspartic acid.) Results: ... integrin is expressed in tumor cells of human and murine PDAC. IntegriSense fluorescence molecular tomography and 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET enabled faithful visualization of PDAC. Furthermore, intraoperative optical imaging with IntegriSense 680 allowed good delineation of tumor borders. Imaging approaches targeting ... integrin expand the potential of molecular imaging for identification of ...-positive PDAC with potential implications in early detection, fluorescence-guided surgery, and therapy monitoring. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)