In vivo assessment of vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy effects on tumor microvasculature using ultrahigh-resolution functional optical coherence tomography
Defu Chen, Wu Yuan, Hyeon‐Cheol Park, Xingde Li
Abstract
Vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP) is an emerging treatment for tumors. The change of tumor vasculatures, including a newly-formed microvascular, in response to VTP, is a key assessment parameter for optimizing the treatment effect. However, an accurate assessment of vasculature, particularly the microvasculature’s changes in vivo , remains challenging due to the limited resolution afforded by existing imaging modalities. In this study, we demonstrated the in vivo imaging of VTP effects on an A431 tumor-bearing window chamber model of a mouse with an 800-nm ultrahigh-resolution functional optical coherence tomography (UHR-FOCT). We further quantitatively demonstrated the effects of VTP on the size and density of tumor microvasculature before, during, and after the treatment. Our results suggest the promising potential of UHR-FOCT for assessing the tumor treatment with VTP in vivo and in real time to achieve an optimal outcome.