Non-invasive imaging of cell-based therapies using acoustic reporter genes

Abstract

Cell-based therapies are a major emerging category of medicine. The ability of engineered cells to traffic to and function at specific anatomical locations is a major aspect of their performance. However, there is a lack of non-invasive, non-ionizing, cost-accessible methods to track these therapies inside the body and ensure proper function. Here, we establish a platform for in vivo imaging of primary cell therapies using ultrasound - a ubiquitously accessible technology for high-resolution non-invasive imaging. We introduce and optimize a lentiviral delivery system to express acoustic reporter genes based on gas vesicles in primary mammalian cells such as T cells, showing that this results in robust ultrasound contrast. Additionally, we develop genetic circuits making it possible to monitor T cell activation via activity-dependent promoters. We apply this technology to primary human T cells, using it to non-invasively track their accumulation and proliferation as a targeted therapy in a mouse tumor xenograft model and compare it to invasive, terminal measures such as immunohistology. By making it possible to visualize cell-based therapies and their function inside opaque living organs with unprecedented resolution and accessibility, this technology has the potential to significantly accelerate their development and effective use.