Recent advances in targeted endoscopic imaging: Early detection of gastrointestinal neoplasms

Figure 1 Images from wide-field endoscopy videos after topical application of fluorescence-labeled peptides. The left and right columns represent frames from white light and fluorescence endoscopy, respectively. A: Multiple adenomas; B: Single adenoma in a CPC; Apc mouse. The fluorescently labeled target peptide shows positive binding to multiple adenomas and a single adenoma; C: The control peptide shows minimal binding to a single adenoma; D:Control mouse lacking Cre recombinase transgene; E:The hyperplastic epithelium in a mutant K-ras mouse model. The target peptide also shows minimal binding to control mouse and hyperplastic epithelium. White arrows identify adenomas. Reproduced from Miller et al[30].

Figure 2 Confocal laser scanning microscopy images of colon cancer cells treated with cetuximab-conjugated magnetofluorescent nanoparticles. A: A bright field image; B: Nuclear staining with DAPI; C: RITC (Rhodamine B isothiocyanate) fluorescent image; D: Overlay of B and C. Cellular uptake was so significant that the outer cell membranes of HCT116 cells can be clearly delineated by the images of the particles.

Figure 3 Imaging of vascular endothelial growth factor in the biopsy specimen of human colorectal adenocarcinoma. A: Nonspecific nuclear and cellular staining using acriflavine; B: VEGF-specific staining using AF488-labeled antibodies. The antibody accumulates in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells, but not the nuclei. Reproduced with permission from Foersch et al[39].