Steven T. Wang

Central memory CD8+ T lymphocytes mediate lung allograft acceptance

Memory T lymphocytes are commonly viewed as a major barrier for long-term survival of organ allografts and are thought to accelerate rejection responses due to their rapid infiltration into allografts, low threshold for activation, and ability to produce inflammatory mediators. Because memory T cells are usually associated with rejection, preclinical protocols have been developed to target this population in transplant recipients. Here, using a murine model, we found that costimulatory blockade-mediated lung allograft acceptance depended on the rapid infiltration of the graft by central memory CD8+ T cells (CD44(hi)CD62L(hi)CCR7+). Chemokine receptor signaling and alloantigen recognition were required for trafficking of these memory T cells to lung allografts. Intravital 2-photon imaging revealed that CCR7 expression on CD8+ T cells was critical for formation of stable synapses with antigen-presenting cells, resulting in IFN-γ production, which induced NO and downregulated alloimmune responses. Thus, we describe a critical role for CD8+ central memory T cells in lung allograft acceptance and highlight the need for tailored approaches for tolerance induction in the lung.

Multispectral imaging in the extended near-infrared window based on endogenous chromophores

Abstract. To minimize the problem with scattering in deep tissues while increasing the penetration depth, we explored the feasibility of imaging in the relatively unexplored extended near infrared (exNIR) spectral region at 900 to 1400 nm with endogenous chromophores. This region, also known as the second NIR window, is weakly dominated by absorption from water and lipids and is free from other endogenous chromophores with virtually no autofluorescence. To demonstrate the applicability of the exNIR for bioimaging, we analyzed the optical properties of individual components and biological tissues using an InGaAs spectrophotometer and a multispectral InGaAs scanning imager featuring transmission geometry. Based on the differences in spectral properties of tissues, we utilized ratiometric approaches to extract spectral characteristics from the acquired three-dimensional “datacube”. The obtained images of an exNIR transmission through a mouse head revealed sufficient details consistent with anatomical structures.

Molecular thermometers for potential applications in thermal ablation procedures

Thermal ablation is a promising minimally invasive method for treating tumors without surgical intervention. Thermal ablation uses thermal sources such as lasers, radiowaves or focused ultrasound to increase the temperature of the tumor to levels lethal to cancer cells. This treatment based on heat therapy may be problematic as the temperature of the operation site is unknown. To address this problem, we developed optical molecular thermometers that can potentially measure the temperature on a molecular scale and be compatible with in vivo measurements. The thermometers are centered on a combination of two fluorophores emitting in two distinct spectral ranges and having different temperature-dependent emission properties. In this design, a fluorophore with relatively insensitive temperature-dependent fluorescence serves as a reference while another sensitive fluorophore serves as a sensor. We have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach using a coumarin-rhodamine conjugate. The sensitivity of the construct to the clinically relevant ablation temperatures (20-85 °C) was demonstrated in vitro.

Multi-spectral analysis of animal tissues in the second NIR window based on endogenous chromophores

To minimize the problem with scattering in deep tissues while increasing the penetration depth, we explored the feasibility of imaging in the previously unexplored extended NIR (exNIR) spectral region at 900 - 1400 nm with endogenous chromophores. This region, also known as second NIR window, is weakly dominated by absorption of water and lipids and free from other endogenous chromophores, with virtually no autofluorescence. To demonstrate the applicability of the exNIR in bioimaging, we analyzed optical properties of individual components and animal organs using InGaAs spectrophotometer and a multispectral InGaAs scanning imager featuring in transmission geometry.

Perfusion-based fluorescence imaging method delineates diverse organs and identifies multifocal tumors using generic near-infrared molecular probes

Rapid detection of multifocal cancer without the use of complex imaging schemes will improve treatment outcomes. In this study, dynamic fluorescence imaging was used to harness differences in the perfusion kinetics of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dyes to visualize structural characteristics of different tissues. Using the hydrophobic nontumor-selective NIR dye cypate, and the hydrophilic dye LS288, a high tumor-to-background contrast was achieved, allowing the delineation of diverse tissue types while maintaining short imaging times. By clustering tissue types with similar perfusion properties, the dynamic fluorescence imaging method identified secondary tumor locations when only the primary tumor position was known, with a respective sensitivity and specificity of 0.97 and 0.75 for cypate, and 0.85 and 0.81 for LS288. Histological analysis suggests that the vasculature in the connective tissue that directly surrounds the tumor was a major factor for tumor identification through perfusion imaging. Although the hydrophobic dye showed higher specificity than the hydrophilic probe, use of other dyes with different physical and biological properties could further improve the accuracy of the dynamic imaging platform to identify multifocal tumors for potential use in real-time intraoperative procedures.