Imaging in Stem Cell Transplant and Cell-based Therapy

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quantification of the tumor burden in humanized models (Fig. 6.3) [ 18 , 22 ]. A
decrease in emission of photons is attributed to the cytotoxic effects of the drug/
therapy as a result of either induction of cell death or a reduction in cell metabolic
ability. BLI has been used in a large number of preclinical, cancer pharmacology
and immunotherapeutic studies such as brain, breast, and lung carcinoma, sarcomas
including multiple myeloma [ 18 , 23 ]. Recently, we used BLI and showed signifi-
cant inhibition in myeloma tumor growth in NOD/SCID/IL2Rγnull-Hu mouse model
after ENK cell therapy, which successfully lead the way for clinical studies in

1.0E+10

1.0E+06

Day 0Day 14

Duration

Luciferase intensity(photons/sec/cm

2 /sr)

Day 28

Day 0 Day 14 Day 28 Luminescence

counts

60000

40000

20000

1.0E+07

1.0E+08

1.0E+09

Fig. 6.3 Bioluminescent imaging of myeloma growth in  vivo. Luciferase-transfected OPM2
myeloma cells were engrafted in the NOD/SCID/IL2Rγnull-hu mice. Weekly assessment by live
animal imaging shows a rapid growth of myeloma tumor (upper panel). Bioluminescence intensity
was analyzed immediately and depicted in photons/second/cm^2 /steradian (lower panel).
Bioluminescence intensity was increased with time and was highly correlated with increased cir-
culating hIg (Fig. 6.2)

T.K. Garg and T. Pandey