Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) for Detection and Therapy Monitoring of Synovitis in Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Reinhard Meier
• Subject Area: Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy, Radiobiology ; Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 252288455

• Final Report Year: 2022

Final Report Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases, primarily causing inflammation of the joint. To evaluate multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) for the detection of rheumatoid arthritis, the extent of the inflammation in the joint was visualized in a murine model through inflammation targeting contrast agents. A collagen induced arthritis model was used as a rheumatoid arthritis model of the limb. MSOT imaging was performed with a near-infrared dye (NIR) and gold nanorods (AuNR) as contrast agents, both targeting the inflammatory surface proteins L- and P-selectin with polyanionic dendritic polyglycerol sulfate (dPGS). Contrast enhanced MR imaging as well as clinical observation, lymphocyte to granulocyte count and histopathology served as references. MSOT using a dPGS coated near-infrared dye (dPGS-NIR) as an inflammation targeting contrast agent allowed for accurate spatial diagnosis and for significant differentiation of inflamed to healthy joints (P = 0.023). Results regarding the assessment of therapeutic effectivity remained partly inconclusive due to a limited number of experiments though the results were promising. Furthermore, dPGS coated gold nanorods (AuNR-dPGS) were also able to accurately visualize arthritic inflammation in the joints. Overall, MSOT using an inflammation targeting photoacoustic contrast agent showed to be a reliable and accessible method to assess rheumatoid arthritis. This approach could easily be translated into clinical application as an inexpensive, easy-to-use, and user-independent imaging modality for the assessment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Publications

• (2014). Optoacoustic imaging and staging of inflammation in a murine model of arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol, 2014 Aug; 66(8), 2071-2078
  Beziere, N., von Schacky, C., Kosanke, Y., Kimm, M., Nunes, A., Licha, K., Aichler M., Walch A., Rummeny EJ., Ntziachristos V., Meier, R.
  
• Multispektrale Optoakustische Tomografie von Rheumatoider Arthritis. Deutscher Röntgenkongress 2014, 2014 May
  von Schacky, C., Beziere, N., Kosanke, Y., Kimm, M., Aichler M., Rummeny EJ., Ntziachristos V., Meier, R.
  
• Optoacoustic imaging and staging of rheumatoid arthritis. European Congress of Radiology 2014, 2014 Apr.
  von Schacky, C., Beziere, N., Kosanke, Y., Kimm, M., Aichler M., Rummeny EJ., Ntziachristos V., Meier, R.
  
• Polyglycerolsulfate functionalized gold nanorods as optoacoustic signal nanoamplifiers for in vivo bioimaging of rheumatoid arthritis. Theranostics, 2014 Mar; 4(6), 629-641
  Vonnemann, J., Beziere, N., Bottcher, C., Riese, S. B., Kuehne, C., Dernedde, J., Licha K., von Schacky, C, Kosanke, Y., Kimm, K., Meier, R, Ntziachristos, V., Haag, R.