Tracking of dendritic cell migration into lymph nodes using molecular imaging with sodium iodide symporter and enhanced firefly luciferase genes

We sought to evaluate the feasibility of molecular imaging using the human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) gene as a reporter, in addition to the enhanced firefly luciferase (effluc) gene, for tracking dendritic cell (DCs) migration in living mice. A murine dendritic cell line (DC2.4) co-expressing hNIS and effluc genes (DC/NF) was established. For the DC-tracking study, mice received either parental DCs or DC/NF cells in the left or right footpad, respectively and combined I-124 PET/CT and bioluminescence imaging (BLI) were performed. In vivo PET/CT imaging with I-124 revealed higher activity of the radiotracer in the draining popliteal lymph nodes (DPLN) of the DC/NF injection site at day 1 than DC injection site ( p