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Cho Y, Laird MS, Bishop T, Li R, Jazwinska DE, Ruffo E, Lohmueller J, Zervantonakis IK. CAR T cell infiltration and cytotoxic killing within the core of 3D breast cancer spheroids under the control of antigen sensing in microwell arrays. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:036105. [PMID: 39049849 PMCID: PMC11268919 DOI: 10.1063/5.0207941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in blood cancers has intensified efforts to develop CAR T therapies for solid cancers. In the solid tumor microenvironment, CAR T cell trafficking and suppression of cytotoxic killing represent limiting factors for therapeutic efficacy. Here, we present a microwell platform to study CAR T cell interactions with 3D breast tumor spheroids and determine predictors of anti-tumor CAR T cell function. To precisely control antigen sensing, we utilized a switchable adaptor CAR system that covalently attaches to co-administered antibody adaptors and mediates antigen recognition. Following the addition of an anti-HER2 adaptor antibody, primary human CAR T cells exhibited higher infiltration, clustering, and secretion of effector cytokines. By tracking CAR T cell killing in individual spheroids, we showed the suppressive effects of spheroid size and identified the initial CAR T cell to spheroid area ratio as a predictor of cytotoxicity. We demonstrate that larger spheroids exhibit higher hypoxia levels and are infiltrated by CAR T cells with a suppressed activation state, characterized by reduced expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and granzyme B. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed lower CAR T cell numbers and cytotoxicity in the spheroid core compared to the periphery. Finally, increasing CAR T cell seeding density resulted in higher CAR T cell infiltration and cancer cell elimination in the spheroid core. Our findings provide new quantitative insight into CAR T cell function within 3D cancer spheroids. Given its miniaturized nature and live imaging capabilities, our microfabricated system holds promise for screening cellular immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngbin Cho
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, USA
| | - Matthew S. Laird
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, USA
| | - Teddi Bishop
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, USA
| | - Ruxuan Li
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, USA
| | - Dorota E. Jazwinska
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, USA
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Dias J, Garcia J, Agliardi G, Roddie C. CAR-T cell manufacturing landscape-Lessons from the past decade and considerations for early clinical development. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101250. [PMID: 38737799 PMCID: PMC11088187 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
CAR-T cell therapies have consolidated their position over the last decade as an effective alternative to conventional chemotherapies for the treatment of a number of hematological malignancies. With an exponential increase in the number of commercial therapies and hundreds of phase 1 trials exploring CAR-T cell efficacy in different settings (including autoimmunity and solid tumors), demand for manufacturing capabilities in recent years has considerably increased. In this review, we explore the current landscape of CAR-T cell manufacturing and discuss some of the challenges limiting production capacity worldwide. We describe the latest technical developments in GMP production platform design to facilitate the delivery of a range of increasingly complex CAR-T cell products, and the challenges associated with translation of new scientific developments into clinical products for patients. We explore all aspects of the manufacturing process, namely early development, manufacturing technology, quality control, and the requirements for industrial scaling. Finally, we discuss the challenges faced as a small academic team, responsible for the delivery of a high number of innovative products to patients. We describe our experience in the setup of an effective bench-to-clinic pipeline, with a streamlined workflow, for implementation of a diverse portfolio of phase 1 trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Dias
- Centre for Cell, Gene and Tissue Therapeutics, Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London NW3 2QG, UK
- Research Department of Haematology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - John Garcia
- Centre for Cell, Gene and Tissue Therapeutics, Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London NW3 2QG, UK
- Research Department of Haematology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Giulia Agliardi
- Centre for Cell, Gene and Tissue Therapeutics, Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London NW3 2QG, UK
- Research Department of Haematology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Claire Roddie
- Research Department of Haematology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
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Cho Y, Laird M, Bishop T, Li R, Ruffo E, Lohmueller J, Zervantonakis IK. CAR T cell infiltration and cytotoxic killing within the core of 3D breast cancer spheroids under control of antigen sensing in microwell arrays. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.14.585033. [PMID: 38654820 PMCID: PMC11037865 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.14.585033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in blood cancers has intensified efforts to develop CAR T therapies for solid cancers. In the solid tumor microenvironment, CAR T cell trafficking and suppression of cytotoxic killing represent limiting factors for therapeutic efficacy. Here, we present a microwell platform to study CAR T cell interactions with 3D tumor spheroids and determine predictors of anti-tumor CAR T cell function. To precisely control antigen sensing by CAR T cells, we utilized a switchable adaptor CAR system, that instead of directly binding to an antigen of interest, covalently attaches to co-administered antibody adaptors that mediate tumor antigen recognition. Following addition of an anti-HER2 adaptor antibody, primary human CAR T cells exhibited higher infiltration and clustering compared to the no adaptor control. By tracking CAR T cell killing at the individual spheroid level, we showed the suppressive effects of spheroid size and identified the initial CAR T cell : spheroid area ratio as a predictor of cytotoxicity. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed lower CAR T cell numbers and cytotoxicity in the spheroid core compared to the periphery. Finally, increasing CAR T cell seeding density, resulted in higher CAR T cell infiltration and cancer cell elimination in the spheroid core. Our findings provide new quantitative insights into CAR T cell-mediated killing of HER2+ breast tumor cells. Given the miniaturized nature and live imaging capabilities, our microfabricated system holds promise for discovering cell-cell interaction mechanisms that orchestrate antitumor CAR T cell functions and screening cellular immunotherapies in 3D tumor models.
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Kim H, Kim S, Lim H, Chung AJ. Expanding CAR-T cell immunotherapy horizons through microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1088-1120. [PMID: 38174732 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00622k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment, particularly in hematological malignancies. However, their application to solid tumors is limited, and they face challenges in safety, scalability, and cost. To enhance current CAR-T cell therapies, the integration of microfluidic technologies, harnessing their inherent advantages, such as reduced sample consumption, simplicity in operation, cost-effectiveness, automation, and high scalability, has emerged as a powerful solution. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the step-by-step manufacturing process of CAR-T cells, identifies existing difficulties at each production stage, and discusses the successful implementation of microfluidics and related technologies in addressing these challenges. Furthermore, this review investigates the potential of microfluidics-based methodologies in advancing cell-based therapy across various applications, including solid tumors, next-generation CAR constructs, T-cell receptors, and the development of allogeneic "off-the-shelf" CAR products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyelee Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health (PPH), Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Suyeon Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health (PPH), Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyunjung Lim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health (PPH), Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Aram J Chung
- Department of Bioengineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health (PPH), Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- MxT Biotech, 04785 Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Kayser C, Brauer A, Susanne S, Wandmacher AM. The challenge of making the right choice: patient avatars in the era of cancer immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1237565. [PMID: 37638045 PMCID: PMC10449253 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1237565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies are a key therapeutic strategy to fight cancer. Diverse approaches are used to activate tumor-directed immunity and to overcome tumor immune escape. The dynamic interplay between tumor cells and their tumor(immune)microenvironment (T(I)ME) poses a major challenge to create appropriate model systems. However, those model systems are needed to gain novel insights into tumor (immune) biology and a prerequisite to accurately develop and test immunotherapeutic approaches which can be successfully translated into clinical application. Several model systems have been established and advanced into so-called patient avatars to mimic the patient´s tumor biology. All models have their advantages but also disadvantages underscoring the necessity to pay attention in defining the rationale and requirements for which the patient avatar will be used. Here, we briefly outline the current state of tumor model systems used for tumor (immune)biological analysis as well as evaluation of immunotherapeutic agents. Finally, we provide a recommendation for further development to make patient avatars a complementary tool for testing and predicting immunotherapeutic strategies for personalization of tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Kayser
- Group of Inflammatory Carcinogenesis, Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Annika Brauer
- Group of Inflammatory Carcinogenesis, Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sebens Susanne
- Group of Inflammatory Carcinogenesis, Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Anna Maxi Wandmacher
- Group of Inflammatory Carcinogenesis, Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
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Wan Z, Floryan MA, Coughlin MF, Zhang S, Zhong AX, Shelton SE, Wang X, Xu C, Barbie DA, Kamm RD. New Strategy for Promoting Vascularization in Tumor Spheroids in a Microfluidic Assay. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2201784. [PMID: 36333913 PMCID: PMC10156888 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202201784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have developed vascularized tumor spheroid models to demonstrate the impact of intravascular flow on tumor progression and treatment. However, these models have not been widely adopted so the vascularization of tumor spheroids in vitro is generally lower than vascularized tumor tissues in vivo. To improve the tumor vascularization level, a new strategy is introduced to form tumor spheroids by adding fibroblasts (FBs) sequentially to a pre-formed tumor spheroid and demonstrate this method with tumor cell lines from kidney, lung, and ovary cancer. Tumor spheroids made with the new strategy have higher FB densities on the periphery of the tumor spheroid, which tend to enhance vascularization. The vessels close to the tumor spheroid made with this new strategy are more perfusable than the ones made with other methods. Finally, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are perfused under continuous flow into vascularized tumor spheroids to demonstrate immunotherapy evaluation using vascularized tumor-on-a-chip model. This new strategy for establishing tumor spheroids leads to increased vascularization in vitro, allowing for the examination of immune, endothelial, stromal, and tumor cell responses under static or flow conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengpeng Wan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Marie A Floryan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Mark F Coughlin
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Shun Zhang
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Amy X Zhong
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sarah E Shelton
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Xun Wang
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Chenguang Xu
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - David A Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Roger D Kamm
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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Parikh AS, Yu VX, Flashner S, Okolo OB, Lu C, Henick BS, Momen-Heravi F, Puram SV, Teknos T, Pan Q, Nakagawa H. Patient-derived three-dimensional culture techniques model tumor heterogeneity in head and neck cancer. Oral Oncol 2023; 138:106330. [PMID: 36773387 PMCID: PMC10126876 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2023.106330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) outcomes remain stagnant, in part due to a poor understanding of HNSCC biology. The importance of tumor heterogeneity as an independent predictor of outcomes and treatment failure in HNSCC has recently come to light. With this understanding, 3D culture systems, including patient derived organoids (PDO) and organotypic culture (OTC), that capture this heterogeneity may allow for modeling and manipulation of critical subpopulations, such as p-EMT, as well as interactions between cancer cells and immune and stromal cells in the microenvironment. Here, we review work that has been done using PDO and OTC models of HNSCC, which demonstrates that these 3D culture models capture in vivo tumor heterogeneity and can be used to model tumor biology and treatment response in a way that faithfully recapitulates in vivo characteristics. As such, in vitro 3D culture models represent an important bridge between 2D monolayer culture and in vivo models such as patient derived xenografts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuraag S Parikh
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States; Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Victoria X Yu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Samuel Flashner
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ogoegbunam B Okolo
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chao Lu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Brian S Henick
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia Unversity, New York, NY, United States
| | - Fatemeh Momen-Heravi
- Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sidharth V Puram
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Theodoros Teknos
- Department of Otolaryngology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Quintin Pan
- Department of Otolaryngology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Hiroshi Nakagawa
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
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Paterson K, Zagnoni M. Microfluidic Protocols for the Assessment of Anticancer Therapies in 3D Tumor-Stromal Cocultures. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2679:127-139. [PMID: 37300612 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3271-0_8] [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] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic technologies allow the generation of large datasets using smaller quantities of cells and reagents than with traditional well plate assays. Such miniaturized methods can also facilitate the generation of complex 3D preclinical models of solid tumors with controlled size and cell composition. This is particularly useful in the context of recreating the tumor microenvironment for preclinical screening of immunotherapies and combination therapies at a scale, to reduce the experimental costs during therapy development while using physiologically relevant 3D tumor models, and to assess the therapy's efficacy. Here, we describe the fabrication of microfluidic devices and the associated protocols to culture tumor-stromal spheroids for assessing the efficacy of anticancer immunotherapies as monotherapies and as part of combination therapy regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Paterson
- Centre for Microsystems and Photonics, EEE Department, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
- ScreenIn3D Limited, Technology and Innovation Centre, Glasgow, UK
| | - Michele Zagnoni
- Centre for Microsystems and Photonics, EEE Department, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
- ScreenIn3D Limited, Technology and Innovation Centre, Glasgow, UK.
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John C, Jain K, Masanam HB, Narasimhan AK, Natarajan A. Recent Trends and Opportunities for the Targeted Immuno-Nanomaterials for Cancer Theranostics Applications. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:2217. [PMID: 36557516 PMCID: PMC9781111 DOI: 10.3390/mi13122217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The targeted delivery of cancer immunotherapies has increased noticeably in recent years. Recent advancements in immunotherapy, particularly in blocking the immune checkpoints (ICs) axis, have shown favorable treatment outcomes for multiple types of cancer including melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSLC). Engineered micromachines, including microparticles, and nanoplatforms (organic and inorganic), functionalized with immune agonists can effectively deliver immune-targeting molecules to solid tumors. This review focuses on the nanomaterial-based strategies that have shown promise in identifying and targeting various immunological markers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Nanomaterials-based cancer immunotherapy has improved treatment outcomes by triggering an immune response in the TME. Evaluating the expression levels of ICs in the TME also could potentially aid in diagnosing patients who would respond to IC blockade therapy. Detecting immunological checkpoints in the TME using noninvasive imaging systems via tailored nanosensors improves the identification of patient outcomes in immuno-oncology (IO). To enhance patient-specific analysis, lab-on-chip (LOC) technology is a rapid, cost-effective, and accurate way of recapitulating the TME. Such novel nanomaterial-based technologies have been of great interest for testing immunotherapies and assessing biomarkers. Finally, we provide a perspective on the developments in artificial intelligence tools to facilitate ICs-based nano theranostics toward cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clyde John
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Kaahini Jain
- Department of Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hema Brindha Masanam
- Advanced Nano-Theranostics (ANTs), Biomaterials Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ashwin Kumar Narasimhan
- Advanced Nano-Theranostics (ANTs), Biomaterials Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Arutselvan Natarajan
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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