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In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of transgene expression

Nature Medicine volume 6, pages 351–354 (2000)Cite this article

Real-time imaging of gene expression in vivo at high spatial resolutions has been a long-cherished goal in molecular research. If such techniques were available, both endogenous and exogenous (for example, gene therapy) expression could be studied in live animals and potentially in a clinical setting. So far, most of our knowledge about gene expression has come from in vitro studies and is usually limited to observations among different animals. These studies are labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Approaches to imaging gene expression

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Figure 1: To demonstrate transgene expression in cells by MR imaging, several synergistic steps were used.
Figure 2: Histology and cellular analysis of ETR expression.
Figure 3: In vivo MR imaging of a single mouse with ETR+ (left arrowheads) and ETR− (right arrowheads) flank tumors.
Figure 4: MR microscopy of excised tumor specimen.
Figure 5: Correlation between ETR expression and MR signal.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge A. Bogdanov and C. Tung (Massachusetts General Hospital) for discussions; T. Rouault and J. Harford (National Institutes of Health) for supplying the plasmid; and S. Bredow (Massachusetts General Hospital) for doing the RT–PCR analysis. This work was funded in part by National Institutes of Health grant P41 RR 05959.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Molecular Imaging Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Building 149, 13th Street, 5403, Charlestown, 02129, Massachusetts, USA

    Ralph Weissleder, Anna Moore, Umar Mahmood, Rajeev Bhorade & James P. Basilion

  2. The Center for In vivo Microscopy, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina, USA

    Helene Benveniste

  3. Molecular Neurooncology Laboratory, Neurosurgery Service, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston , Massachusetts, USA

    E. Antonio Chiocca & James P. Basilion

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  1. Ralph Weissleder
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  7. James P. Basilion
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Correspondence to Ralph Weissleder.

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Weissleder, R., Moore, A., Mahmood, U. et al. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of transgene expression. Nat Med 6, 351–354 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/73219

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