Optical imaging of cancer and cell death

The aim of the work included in this PhD thesis was to explore the diverse application possibility of using NIR fluorescent probes with specific properties to visualize and characterize cancer and cell death. In this thesis, we mainly focus on optical imaging and its application, both at microscopic and macroscopic level. Because we believe optical imaging in particular represents a technology that has unique potential to exploit further our knowledge in preclinical research. First, we imaged breast tumors and their metastases using combinations of four NIR fluorescent probes that possess different optical imaging properties. Then, we studied two different NIR fluorescent probes, PSVue and a heat shock protein-90 alkylator (NIR fluorescent conjugate of GSAO), which can be used to non-invasively imaging cell death with different optical modules in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury. Next, we employed the NIR fluorescently tagged GSAO as a biomarker for monitoring breast cancer cell death after chemotherapy. Moreover, we provides a general discussion about the advantages and the challenging that the state-of-art optical imaging is facing and shares some future prospective. This thesis ends with a summary that outlined the major findings of studies described in different chapters and explored the clinical implications.Costs associated with the publication of this thesis were financially supported by PerkinElmer, Percuros BV, LI-COR Biosciences, Ilumicare BV and the Department of Radiology of Leiden University Medical Center.The studies presented in this thesis were supported by the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine, project MUSIS (grant 03O-202), the NetherlandsUBL - phd migration 201