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Fernandes S, Williams E, Finlayson N, Stewart H, Dhaliwal C, Dorward DA, Wallace WA, Akram AR, Stone J, Dhaliwal K, Williams GOS. Fibre-based fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy: a real-time biopsy guidance tool for suspected lung cancer. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2024; 13:355-361. [PMID: 38496695 PMCID: PMC10938104 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-23-638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early detection improves outcomes, however, existing sampling techniques are associated with suboptimal diagnostic yield and procedure-related complications. Autofluorescence-based fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), a technique which measures endogenous fluorophore decay rates, may aid identification of optimal biopsy sites in suspected lung cancer. Our fibre-based fluorescence-lifetime imaging system, utilising 488 nm excitation, which is deliverable via existing diagnostic platforms, enables real-time visualisation and lifetime analysis of distal alveolar lung structure. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the fibre-based fluorescence-lifetime imaging system to detect changes in fluorescence lifetime in freshly resected ex vivo lung cancer and adjacent healthy tissue as a first step towards future translation. The study compares paired non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and non-cancerous tissues with gold standard diagnostic pathology to assess the performance of the technique. Paired NSCLC and non-cancerous lung tissues were obtained from thoracic resection patients (N=21). A clinically compatible 488 nm fluorescence-lifetime endomicroscopy platform was used to acquire simultaneous fluorescence intensity and lifetime images. Fluorescence lifetimes were calculated using a computationally-lightweight, rapid lifetime determination method. Fluorescence lifetime was significantly reduced in ex vivo lung cancer, compared with non-cancerous lung tissue [mean ± standard deviation (SD), 1.79±0.40 vs. 2.15±0.26 ns, P<0.0001], and fluorescence intensity images demonstrated distortion of alveolar elastin autofluorescence structure. Fibre-based fluorescence-lifetime imaging demonstrated good performance characteristics for distinguishing lung cancer, from adjacent non-cancerous tissue, with 81.0% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity. Our novel fibre-based fluorescence-lifetime imaging system, which enables label-free imaging and quantitative lifetime analysis, discriminates ex vivo lung cancer from adjacent healthy tissue. This minimally invasive technique has potential to be translated as a real-time biopsy guidance tool, capable of optimising diagnostic accuracy in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Fernandes
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, NHS Lothian, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elvira Williams
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Neil Finlayson
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hazel Stewart
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Catharine Dhaliwal
- Department of Pathology, NHS Lothian, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David A. Dorward
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Pathology, NHS Lothian, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - William A. Wallace
- Department of Pathology, NHS Lothian, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ahsan R. Akram
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, NHS Lothian, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James Stone
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, The University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Kevin Dhaliwal
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, NHS Lothian, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gareth O. S. Williams
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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2
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Mohanan SMPC, Russell K, Duncan S, Kiang A, Lochenie C, Duffy E, Kennedy S, Prajna NV, Williams RL, Dhaliwal K, Williams GOS, Mills B. FluoroPi Device With SmartProbes: A Frugal Point-of-Care System for Fluorescent Detection of Bacteria From a Pre-Clinical Model of Microbial Keratitis. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2023; 12:1. [PMID: 37395707 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.12.7.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Rapid and accurate diagnosis of microbial keratitis (MK) could greatly improve patient outcomes. Here, we present the development of a rapid, accessible multicolour fluorescence imaging device (FluoroPi) and evaluate its performance in combination with fluorescent optical reporters (SmartProbes) to distinguish bacterial Gram status. Furthermore, we show feasibility by imaging samples obtained by corneal scrape and minimally invasive corneal impression membrane (CIM) from ex vivo porcine corneal MK models. Methods FluoroPi was built using a Raspberry Pi single-board computer and camera, light-emitting-diodes (LEDs), and filters for white-light and fluorescent imaging, with excitation and detection of bacterial optical SmartProbes: Gram-negative, NBD-PMX (exmax 488 nm); Gram positive, Merocy-Van (exmax 590 nm). We evaluated FluoroPi with bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) isolated from ex vivo porcine corneal models of MK by scrape (needle) and CIM with the SmartProbes. Results FluoroPi provides <1 µm resolution and was able to readily distinguish bacteria isolated from ex vivo models of MK from tissue debris when combined with SmartProbes, retrieved by both scrape and CIM. Single bacteria could be resolved within the field of view, with limits of detection demonstrated as 103 to 104 CFU/mL. Sample preparation prior to imaging was minimal (wash-free), and imaging and postprocessing with FluoroPi were straightforward, confirming ease of use. Conclusions FluoroPi coupled with SmartProbes provides effective, low-cost bacterial imaging, delineating Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria directly sampled from a preclinical model of MK. Translational Relevance This study provides a crucial stepping stone toward clinical translation of a rapid, minimally invasive diagnostic approach for MK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syam Mohan P C Mohanan
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kay Russell
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sheelagh Duncan
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alex Kiang
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Charles Lochenie
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Emma Duffy
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stephnie Kennedy
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - N Venkatesh Prajna
- Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India
| | - Rachel L Williams
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Kevin Dhaliwal
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gareth O S Williams
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Bethany Mills
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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3
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Benson S, Kiang A, Lochenie C, Lal N, Mohanan SMPC, Williams GOS, Dhaliwal K, Mills B, Vendrell M. Environmentally sensitive photosensitizers enable targeted photodynamic ablation of Gram-positive antibiotic resistant bacteria. Theranostics 2023; 13:3814-3825. [PMID: 37441588 PMCID: PMC10334829 DOI: 10.7150/thno.84187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial infections remain among the biggest challenges to human health, leading to high antibiotic usage, morbidity, hospitalizations, and accounting for approximately 8 million deaths worldwide every year. The overuse of antibiotics and paucity of antimicrobial innovation has led to antimicrobial resistant pathogens that threaten to reverse key advances of modern medicine. Photodynamic therapeutics can kill bacteria but there are few agents that can ablate pathogens with minimal off-target effects. Methods: We describe nitrobenzoselenadiazoles as some of the first environmentally sensitive organic photosensitizers, and their adaptation to produce theranostics with optical detection and light-controlled antimicrobial activity. We combined nitrobenzoselenadiazoles with bacteria-targeting moieties (i.e., glucose-6-phosphate, amoxicillin, vancomycin) producing environmentally sensitive photodynamic agents. Results: The labelled vancomycin conjugate was able to both visualize and eradicate multidrug resistant Gram-positive ESKAPE pathogens at nanomolar concentrations, including clinical isolates and those that form biofilms. Conclusion: Nitrobenzoselenadiazole conjugates are easily synthesized and display strong environment dependent ROS production. Due to their small size and non-invasive character, they unobtrusively label antimicrobial targeting moieties. We envisage that the simplicity and modularity of this chemical strategy will accelerate the rational design of new antimicrobial therapies for refractory bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Benson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- IRR Chemistry Hub, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Alex Kiang
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Charles Lochenie
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- IRR Chemistry Hub, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Navita Lal
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | | | - Gareth O. S. Williams
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Kevin Dhaliwal
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Bethany Mills
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Marc Vendrell
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- IRR Chemistry Hub, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
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4
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Wang Q, Fernandes S, Williams GOS, Finlayson N, Akram AR, Dhaliwal K, Hopgood JR, Vallejo M. Deep learning-assisted co-registration of full-spectral autofluorescence lifetime microscopic images with H&E-stained histology images. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1119. [PMID: 36271298 PMCID: PMC9586936 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04090-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Autofluorescence lifetime images reveal unique characteristics of endogenous fluorescence in biological samples. Comprehensive understanding and clinical diagnosis rely on co-registration with the gold standard, histology images, which is extremely challenging due to the difference of both images. Here, we show an unsupervised image-to-image translation network that significantly improves the success of the co-registration using a conventional optimisation-based regression network, applicable to autofluorescence lifetime images at different emission wavelengths. A preliminary blind comparison by experienced researchers shows the superiority of our method on co-registration. The results also indicate that the approach is applicable to various image formats, like fluorescence in-tensity images. With the registration, stitching outcomes illustrate the distinct differences of the spectral lifetime across an unstained tissue, enabling macro-level rapid visual identification of lung cancer and cellular-level characterisation of cell variants and common types. The approach could be effortlessly extended to lifetime images beyond this range and other staining technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Susan Fernandes
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gareth O S Williams
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Neil Finlayson
- Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ahsan R Akram
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kevin Dhaliwal
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James R Hopgood
- Institute for Digital Communications, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marta Vallejo
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
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5
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Mathieson L, O'Connor RA, Stewart H, Shaw P, Dhaliwal K, Williams GOS, Megia-Fernandez A, Akram AR. Fibroblast Activation Protein Specific Optical Imaging in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:834350. [PMID: 35359378 PMCID: PMC8961646 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.834350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a cell surface propyl-specific serine protease involved in the regulation of extracellular matrix. Whilst expressed at low levels in healthy tissue, upregulation of FAP on fibroblasts can be found in several solid organ malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer, and chronic inflammatory conditions such as pulmonary fibrosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Their full role remains unclear, but FAP expressing cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been found to relate to a poor prognosis with worse survival rates in breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Optical imaging using a FAP specific chemical probe, when combined with clinically compatible imaging systems, can provide a readout of FAP activity which could allow disease monitoring, prognostication and potentially stratify therapy. However, to derive a specific signal for FAP any sequence must retain specificity over closely related endopeptidases, such as prolyl endopeptidase (PREP), and be resistant to degradation in areas of active inflammation. We describe the iterative development of a FAP optical reporter sequence which retains FAP specificity, confers resistance to degradation in the presence of activated neutrophil proteases and demonstrates clinical tractability ex vivo in NSCLC samples with an imaging platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Mathieson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A O'Connor
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hazel Stewart
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paige Shaw
- EaStCHEM, The University of Edinburgh School of Chemistry, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Dhaliwal
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth O S Williams
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ahsan R Akram
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Translational Healthcare Technologies Group, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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6
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Williams GOS, Williams E, Finlayson N, Erdogan AT, Wang Q, Fernandes S, Akram AR, Dhaliwal K, Henderson RK, Girkin JM, Bradley M. Full spectrum fluorescence lifetime imaging with 0.5 nm spectral and 50 ps temporal resolution. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6616. [PMID: 34785666 PMCID: PMC8595732 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26837-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of optical techniques to interrogate wide ranging samples from semiconductors to biological tissue for rapid analysis and diagnostics has gained wide adoption over the past decades. The desire to collect ever more spatially, spectrally and temporally detailed optical signatures for sample characterization has specifically driven a sharp rise in new optical microscopy technologies. Here we present a high-speed optical scanning microscope capable of capturing time resolved images across 512 spectral and 32 time channels in a single acquisition with the potential for ~0.2 frames per second (256 × 256 image pixels). Each pixel in the resulting images contains a detailed data cube for the study of diverse time resolved light driven phenomena. This is enabled by integration of system control electronics and on-chip processing which overcomes the challenges presented by high data volume and low imaging speed, often bottlenecks in previous systems. High data volumes from multidimensional imaging techniques can lead to slow collection and processing times. Here, the authors implement multispectral fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) that uses time-correlated photon counting technology to reach simultaneously high imaging rates combined with high spectral and temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth O S Williams
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Elvira Williams
- Centre for Advanced Instrumentation, Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Neil Finlayson
- School of Engineering, Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Ahmet T Erdogan
- School of Engineering, Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Qiang Wang
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Susan Fernandes
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Ahsan R Akram
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Kev Dhaliwal
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Robert K Henderson
- School of Engineering, Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | - John M Girkin
- Centre for Advanced Instrumentation, Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Mark Bradley
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ, UK.
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7
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Mills B, Megia-Fernandez A, Norberg D, Duncan S, Marshall A, Akram AR, Quinn T, Young I, Bruce AM, Scholefield E, Williams GOS, Krstajić N, Choudhary TR, Parker HE, Tanner MG, Harrington K, Wood HAC, Birks TA, Knight JC, Haslett C, Dhaliwal K, Bradley M, Ucuncu M, Stone JM. Molecular detection of Gram-positive bacteria in the human lung through an optical fiber-based endoscope. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2020; 48:800-807. [PMID: 32915268 PMCID: PMC7485201 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-020-05021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The relentless rise in antimicrobial resistance is a major societal challenge and requires, as part of its solution, a better understanding of bacterial colonization and infection. To facilitate this, we developed a highly efficient no-wash red optical molecular imaging agent that enables the rapid, selective, and specific visualization of Gram-positive bacteria through a bespoke optical fiber–based delivery/imaging endoscopic device. Methods We rationally designed a no-wash, red, Gram-positive-specific molecular imaging agent (Merocy-Van) based on vancomycin and an environmental merocyanine dye. We demonstrated the specificity and utility of the imaging agent in escalating in vitro and ex vivo whole human lung models (n = 3), utilizing a bespoke fiber–based delivery and imaging device, coupled to a wide-field, two-color endomicroscopy system. Results The imaging agent (Merocy-Van) was specific to Gram-positive bacteria and enabled no-wash imaging of S. aureus within the alveolar space of whole ex vivo human lungs within 60 s of delivery into the field-of-view, using the novel imaging/delivery endomicroscopy device. Conclusion This platform enables the rapid and specific detection of Gram-positive bacteria in the human lung. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00259-020-05021-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Mills
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK.
| | - Alicia Megia-Fernandez
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ, UK
| | - Dominic Norberg
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Sheelagh Duncan
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Adam Marshall
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Ahsan R Akram
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Thomas Quinn
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Irene Young
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Annya M Bruce
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Emma Scholefield
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Gareth O S Williams
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Nikola Krstajić
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Tushar R Choudhary
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK.,The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Helen E Parker
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK.,Department of Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael G Tanner
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK.,Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Kerrianne Harrington
- Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Harry A C Wood
- Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Timothy A Birks
- Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Jonathan C Knight
- Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Christopher Haslett
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Kevin Dhaliwal
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Mark Bradley
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ, UK.
| | - Muhammed Ucuncu
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ, UK. .,Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - James M Stone
- Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
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8
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Wang Q, Hopgood JR, Finlayson N, Williams GOS, Fernandes S, Williams E, Akram A, Dhaliwal K, Vallejo M. Deep Learning in ex-vivo Lung Cancer Discrimination using Fluorescence Lifetime Endomicroscopic Images. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2020; 2020:1891-1894. [PMID: 33018370 DOI: 10.1109/embc44109.2020.9175598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence lifetime is effective in discriminating cancerous tissue from normal tissue, but conventional discrimination methods are primarily based on statistical approaches in collaboration with prior knowledge. This paper investigates the application of deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for automatic differentiation of ex-vivo human lung cancer via fluorescence lifetime imaging. Around 70,000 fluorescence images from ex-vivo lung tissue of 14 patients were collected by a custom fibre-based fluorescence lifetime imaging endomicroscope. Five state-of-the-art CNN models, namely ResNet, ResNeXt, Inception, Xception, and DenseNet, were trained and tested to derive quantitative results using accuracy, precision, recall, and the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) as the metrics. The CNNs were firstly evaluated on lifetime images. Since fluorescence lifetime is independent of intensity, further experiments were conducted by stacking intensity and lifetime images together as the input to the CNNs. As the original CNNs were implemented for RGB images, two strategies were applied. One was retaining the CNNs by putting intensity and lifetime images in two different channels and leaving the remaining channel blank. The other was adapting the CNNs for two-channel input. Quantitative results demonstrate that the selected CNNs are considerably superior to conventional machine learning algorithms. Combining intensity and lifetime images introduces noticeable performance gain compared with using lifetime images alone. In addition, the CNNs with intensity-lifetime RGB image is comparable to the modified two-channel CNNs with intensity-lifetime two-channel input for accuracy and AUC, but significantly better for precision and recall.
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9
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Dunn IC, Woolliams JA, Wilson PW, Icken W, Cavero D, Jones AC, Quinlan-Pluck F, Williams GOS, Olori V, Bain MM. Genetic variation and potential for genetic improvement of cuticle deposition on chicken eggs. Genet Sel Evol 2019; 51:25. [PMID: 31164080 PMCID: PMC6549311 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-019-0467-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The cuticle is an invisible glycosylated protein layer that covers the outside of the eggshell and forms a barrier to the transmission of microorganisms. Cuticle-specific staining and in situ absorbance measurements have been used to quantify cuticle deposition in several pure breeds of chicken. For brown eggs, a pre-stain and a post-stain absorbance measurement is required to correct for intrinsic absorption by the natural pigment. For white eggs, a post-stain absorbance measurement alone is sufficient to estimate cuticle deposition. The objective of the research was to estimate genetic parameters and provide data to promote adoption of the technique to increase cuticle deposition and reduce vertical transmission of microorganisms. Results For all pure breeds examined here, i.e. Rhode Island Red, two White Leghorns, White Rock and a broiler breed, the estimate of heritability for cuticle deposition from a meta-analysis was moderately high (0.38 ± 0.04). In the Rhode Island Red breed, the estimate of the genetic correlation between measurements recorded at early and late times during the egg-laying period was ~ 1. There was no negative genetic correlation between cuticle deposition and production traits. Estimates of the genetic correlation of cuticle deposition with shell color ranged from negative values or 0 in brown-egg layers to positive values in white- or tinted-egg layers. Using the intrinsic fluorescence of tryptophan in the cuticle proteins to quantify the amount of cuticle deposition failed because of complex quenching processes. Tryptophan fluorescence intensity at 330 nm was moderately heritable, but there was no evidence of a non-zero genetic correlation with cuticle deposition. This was complicated furthermore by a negative genetic correlation of fluorescence with color in brown eggs, due to the quenching of tryptophan fluorescence by energy transfer to protoporphyrin pigment. We also confirmed that removal of the cuticle increased reflection of ultraviolet wavelengths from the egg. Conclusions These results provide additional evidence for the need to incorporate cuticle deposition into breeding programs of egg- and meat-type birds in order to reduce vertical and horizontal transmission of potentially pathogenic organisms and to help improve biosecurity in poultry. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12711-019-0467-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C Dunn
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK.
| | - John A Woolliams
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Peter W Wilson
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | | | | | - Anita C Jones
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Fiona Quinlan-Pluck
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Gareth O S Williams
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Maureen M Bain
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (MVLS), IBAHCM, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
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10
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Krstajić N, Mills B, Murray I, Marshall A, Norberg D, Craven TH, Emanuel P, Choudhary TR, Williams GOS, Scholefield E, Akram AR, Davie A, Hirani N, Bruce A, Moore A, Bradley M, Dhaliwal K. Low-cost high sensitivity pulsed endomicroscopy to visualize tricolor optical signatures. J Biomed Opt 2018; 23:1-12. [PMID: 29992799 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.23.7.076005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
A highly sensitive, modular three-color fluorescence endomicroscopy imaging platform spanning the visible to near-infrared (NIR) range is demonstrated. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were sequentially pulsed along with the camera acquisition to provide up to 20 frames per second (fps) three-color imaging performance or 60 fps single color imaging. The system was characterized for bacterial and cellular molecular imaging in ex vivo human lung tissue and for bacterial and indocyanine green imaging in ex vivo perfused sheep lungs. A practical method to reduce background tissue autofluorescence is also proposed. The platform was clinically translated into six patients with pulmonary disease to delineate healthy, cancerous, and fibrotic tissue autofluorescent structures. The instrument is the most broadband clinical endomicroscopy system developed to date (covering visible to the NIR, 500 to 900 nm) and demonstrates significant potential for future clinical utility due to its low cost and modular capability to suit a wide variety of molecular imaging applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Krstajić
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
- University of Edinburgh, Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, Edi, United Kingdom
- University of Dundee, School of Science and Engineering, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Bethany Mills
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Murray
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Marshall
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Dominic Norberg
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas H Craven
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Philip Emanuel
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Tushar R Choudhary
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
- Heriot-Watt University, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth O S Williams
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Scholefield
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Ahsan R Akram
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Davie
- Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, Department of Medical Physics, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nik Hirani
- University of Edinburgh, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Annya Bruce
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Moore
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Bradley
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
- University of Edinburgh, School of Chemistry, EaStChem, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Dhaliwal
- University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, EPSRC IRC Hub in Optical Molecular Sens, United Kingdom
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Williams GOS, Euser TG, Russell PSJ, MacRobert AJ, Jones AC. Highly Sensitive Luminescence Detection of Photosensitized Singlet Oxygen within Photonic Crystal Fibers. CHEMPHOTOCHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/cptc.201800028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gareth O. S. Williams
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry Joseph Black Building; The University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh EH9 3FJ UK
| | - Tijmen G. Euser
- Max-Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstr 2; 91058 Erlangen Germany
- NanoPhotonics Centre Cavendish Laboratory; University of Cambridge; J. J. Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0HE UK
| | | | - Alexander J. MacRobert
- Division of Surgery & Interventional Science; University College London; Charles Bell House London W1W 7TS UK
| | - Anita C. Jones
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry Joseph Black Building; The University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh EH9 3FJ UK
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12
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Williams GOS, Euser TG, Russell PSJ, Jones AC. Spectrofluorimetry with attomole sensitivity in photonic crystal fibres. Methods Appl Fluoresc 2013; 1:015003. [DOI: 10.1088/2050-6120/1/1/015003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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13
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Williams GOS, Chen JSY, Euser TG, Russell PSJ, Jones AC. Photonic crystal fibre as an optofluidic reactor for the measurement of photochemical kinetics with sub-picomole sensitivity. Lab Chip 2012; 12:3356-3361. [PMID: 22767267 DOI: 10.1039/c2lc40062f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Photonic crystal fibre constitutes an optofluidic system in which light can be efficiently coupled into a solution-phase sample, contained within the hollow core of the fibre, over long path-lengths. This provides an ideal arrangement for the highly sensitive monitoring of photochemical reactions by absorption spectroscopy. We report here the use of UV/vis spectroscopy to measure the kinetics of the photochemical and thermal cis-trans isomerisation of sub-picomole samples of two azo dyes within the 19-μm diameter core of a photonic crystal fibre, over a path length of 30 cm. Photoisomerisation quantum yields are the first reported for "push-pull" azobenzenes in solution at room temperature; such measurements are challenging because of the fast thermal isomerisation process. Rate constants obtained for thermal isomerisation are in excellent agreement with those established previously in conventional cuvette-based measurements. The high sensitivity afforded by this intra-fibre method enables measurements in solvents in which the dyes are too insoluble to permit conventional cuvette-based measurements. The results presented demonstrate the potential of photonic crystal fibres as optofluidic elements in lab-on-a-chip devices for photochemical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth O S Williams
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, King's Buildings, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ, United Kingdom
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