Imaging Drug Response – Quantitative Optical Imaging Lab

Tumor drug resistance due to heterogeneous cell populations remains a significant challenge for cancer treatment. Optical imaging of the fluorescence lifetimes of NADH and FAD, coenzymes of metabolism, can be used to track anti-cancer drug response in a label-free, non-contact manner. This imaging technique, “optical metabolic imaging,” can be performed on cancer cells and tumors to evaluate novel anti-cancer drugs or investigate mechanisms of resistance. Furthermore, multiphoton microscopy provides depth imaging of 3D samples such as patient derived primary tumor organoids. Optical metabolic imaging of organoids provides a predictive screen for individualized patient cancer treatment.

Optical metabolic microscopy can be combined with image segmentation for quantification of intra-population heterogeneity. Our work measuring and modeling cellular population dynamics reveals inherent and drug induced heterogeneity within cancer cells, providing a unique identification method of drug resistant cells.