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Nguyen HTM, Das N, Ricks M, Zhong X, Takematsu E, Wang Y, Ruvalcaba C, Mehadji B, Roncali E, Chan CKF, Pratx G. Ultrasensitive and multiplexed tracking of single cells using whole-body PET/CT. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk5747. [PMID: 38875333 PMCID: PMC11177933 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk5747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
In vivo molecular imaging tools are crucially important for elucidating how cells move through complex biological systems; however, achieving single-cell sensitivity over the entire body remains challenging. Here, we report a highly sensitive and multiplexed approach for tracking upward of 20 single cells simultaneously in the same subject using positron emission tomography (PET). The method relies on a statistical tracking algorithm (PEPT-EM) to achieve a sensitivity of 4 becquerel per cell and a streamlined workflow to reliably label single cells with over 50 becquerel per cell of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). To demonstrate the potential of the method, we tracked the fate of more than 70 melanoma cells after intracardiac injection and found they primarily arrested in the small capillaries of the pulmonary, musculoskeletal, and digestive organ systems. This study bolsters the evolving potential of PET in offering unmatched insights into the earliest phases of cell trafficking in physiological and pathological processes and in cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hieu T. M. Nguyen
- School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Neeladrisingha Das
- School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Matthew Ricks
- School of Medicine, Department of Radiological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Xiaoxu Zhong
- School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Eri Takematsu
- School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yuting Wang
- School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Carlos Ruvalcaba
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Brahim Mehadji
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Emilie Roncali
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Charles K. F. Chan
- School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Guillem Pratx
- School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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2
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Pellico J, Vass L, Carrascal-Miniño A, Man F, Kim J, Sunassee K, Parker D, Blower PJ, Marsden PK, T M de Rosales R. In vivo real-time positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) and single particle PET. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 19:668-676. [PMID: 38242986 PMCID: PMC11106003 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01589-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) enables 3D localization and tracking of single positron-emitting radiolabelled particles with high spatiotemporal resolution. The translation of PEPT to the biomedical imaging field has been limited due to the lack of methods to radiolabel biocompatible particles with sufficient specific activity and protocols to isolate a single particle in the sub-micrometre size range, below the threshold for capillary embolization. Here we report two key developments: the synthesis and 68Ga-radiolabelling of homogeneous silica particles of 950 nm diameter with unprecedented specific activities (2.1 ± 1.4 kBq per particle), and the isolation and manipulation of a single particle. We have combined these developments to perform in vivo PEPT and dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of a single radiolabelled sub-micrometre size particle using a pre-clinical positron emission tomography/computed tomography scanner. This work opens possibilities for quantitative assessment of haemodynamics in vivo in real time, at the whole-body level using minimal amounts of injected radioactive dose and material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pellico
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Laurence Vass
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Amaia Carrascal-Miniño
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Francis Man
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jana Kim
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kavitha Sunassee
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David Parker
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Philip J Blower
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paul K Marsden
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rafael T M de Rosales
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
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3
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Jones-Salkey O, Nicusan AL, Windows-Yule CRK, Ingram A, Werner D, Clifford S, Reynolds GK. Application of Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) for the evaluation of powder behaviour in an incline linear blender for Continuous Direct Compression (CDC). Int J Pharm 2023; 645:123361. [PMID: 37673280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) is a non-invasive measurement technique which offers the ability to track the motion of individual particles with high temporal and spatial resolution, and thus build up an understanding of the bulk behaviour of a system from its microscopic (particle level) dynamics. Using this measurement technique, we have developed a series of novel metrics to better understand the behaviours of powders during the steady-state operation of a continuous blender system. Results are presented concerning the response of particle motion to processing parameters (mixing blade configuration and RPM), quantifying the motion in terms of predicted mixing performance. It was found that both increasing rpm and increasing hold-up mass (by selecting fewer transport blades and more mixing blades) provided improved mixing conditions. Interestingly, under specific conditions, there is evidence of convection-like mixing occurring at the interface of the transport and mixing region. This suggests the existence of a potential 'folding region' whereby powder is transported up the barrel (and away from the powder bulk bed) before being reconstituted back into the bulk mass. The results also provide valuable experimental data for the development, calibration and validation of future Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Jones-Salkey
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK; Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, UK.
| | - A L Nicusan
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK; School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - C R K Windows-Yule
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK; School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - A Ingram
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK; School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - D Werner
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK; School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - S Clifford
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, UK
| | - G K Reynolds
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, UK
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Nguyen HT, Das N, Wang Y, Ruvalcaba C, Mehadji B, Roncali E, Chan CK, Pratx G. Efficient and multiplexed tracking of single cells using whole-body PET/CT. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.23.554536. [PMID: 37662335 PMCID: PMC10473747 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.23.554536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
In vivo molecular imaging tools are crucially important for elucidating how cells move through complex biological systems, however, achieving single-cell sensitivity over the entire body remains challenging. Here, we report a highly sensitive and multiplexed approach for tracking upwards of 20 single cells simultaneously in the same subject using positron emission tomography (PET). The method relies on a new tracking algorithm (PEPT-EM) to push the cellular detection threshold to below 4 Bq/cell, and a streamlined workflow to reliably label single cells with over 50 Bq/cell of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). To demonstrate the potential of method, we tracked the fate of over 70 melanoma cells after intracardiac injection and found they primarily arrested in the small capillaries of the pulmonary, musculoskeletal, and digestive organ systems. This study bolsters the evolving potential of PET in offering unmatched insights into the earliest phases of cell trafficking in physiological and pathological processes and in cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hieu T.M. Nguyen
- Stanford University, School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics
| | - Neeladrisingha Das
- Stanford University, School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics
| | - Yuting Wang
- Stanford University, School of Medicine, Department of Surgery
| | - Carlos Ruvalcaba
- University of California, Davis, Department of Biomedical Engineering
| | - Brahim Mehadji
- University of California, Davis, Department of Radiology
| | - Emilie Roncali
- University of California, Davis, Department of Biomedical Engineering
- University of California, Davis, Department of Radiology
| | | | - Guillem Pratx
- Stanford University, School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics
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Leadbeater T, Buffler A, van Heerden M, Camroodien A, Steyn D. Development of Tracer Particles for Positron Emission Particle Tracking. NUCL SCI ENG 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/00295639.2023.2171234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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6
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Pellico J, Jadhav A, Vass L, Bricout A, Barigou M, Marsden PK, T.M. de Rosales R. Synthesis and 68Ga radiolabelling of calcium alginate beads for positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) applications. Chem Eng Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2022.118159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Autonomous digitizer calibration of a Monte Carlo detector model through evolutionary simulation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19535. [PMID: 36376375 PMCID: PMC9663564 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24022-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simulating the response of a radiation detector is a modelling challenge due to the stochastic nature of radiation, often complex geometries, and multi-stage signal processing. While sophisticated tools for Monte Carlo simulation have been developed for radiation transport, emulating signal processing and data loss must be accomplished using a simplified model of the electronics called the digitizer. Due to a large number of free parameters, calibrating a digitizer quickly becomes an optimisation problem. To address this, we propose a novel technique by which evolutionary algorithms calibrate a digitizer autonomously. We demonstrate this by calibrating six free parameters in a digitizer model for the ADAC Forte. The accuracy of solutions is quantified via a cost function measuring the absolute percent difference between simulated and experimental coincidence count rates across a robust characterisation data set, including three detector configurations and a range of source activities. Ultimately, this calibration produces a count rate response with 5.8% mean difference to the experiment, improving from 18.3% difference when manually calibrated. Using evolutionary algorithms for model calibration is a notable advancement because this method is novel, autonomous, fault-tolerant, and achieved through a direct comparison of simulation to reality. The software used in this work has been made freely available through a GitHub repository.
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Kottlan A, Glasser BJ, Khinast JG. Powder bed dynamics of a single-tablet-scale vibratory mixing process. POWDER TECHNOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2022.118029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Leadbeater TW, Seville JPK, Parker DJ. On trajectory and velocity measurements in fluidized beds using positron emission particle tracking (PEPT). CAN J CHEM ENG 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/cjce.24622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan P. K. Seville
- Positron Imaging Centre University of Birmingham Birmingham United Kingdom
- School of Chemical Engineering University of Birmingham Birmingham United Kingdom
| | - David J. Parker
- Positron Imaging Centre University of Birmingham Birmingham United Kingdom
- School of Physics and Astronomy University of Birmingham Birmingham United Kingdom
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Abstract
Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT), a powerful technique for studying fluid and granular flows, has been developed at Birmingham over the last 30 years. In PEPT, a “positron camera” is used to detect the pairs of back-to-back photons emitted from positron annihilation. Accurate high-speed tracking of small tracer particles requires a positron camera with high sensitivity and data rate. In this paper, we compare the sensitivity and data rates obtained from the three principal cameras currently used at Birmingham. The recently constructed SuperPEPT and MicroPEPT systems have much higher sensitivity than the longstanding ADAC Forte and can generate data at much higher rates, greatly extending the potential for PEPT studies.
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