TY - JOUR
T1 - Non-invasive in vivo tracking of fibrin degradation by fluorescence imaging
AU - Wolbank, Susanne
AU - Pichler, Valentin
AU - Ferguson, James Crawford
AU - Meinl, Alexandra
AU - Van Griensven, Martijn
AU - Goppelt, Andreas
AU - Redl, Heinz
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - Fibrin-based sealants consist of natural coagulation factors involved in the final phase of blood coagulation, during which fibrinogen is enzymatically converted by thrombin to form a solid-phase fibrin clot. For applications in tissue regeneration, a controlled process of matrix degradation within a certain period of time is essential for optimal wound healing. Hence, it is desirable to follow the kinetics of fibrinolysis at the application site. Non-invasive molecular imaging systems enable real-time tracking of processes in the living animal. In this study, a non-invasive fluorescence based imaging system was applied to follow and quantify site-specific degradation of fibrin sealant. To enable non-invasive tracking of fibrin in vivo, fibrin-matrix was labelled by incorporation of a fluorophore-conjugated fibrinogen component. Protein degradation and release of fluorescence were, in a first step, correlated in vitro. In vivo, fluorophore-labelled fibrin was subcutaneously implanted in mice and followed throughout the experiment using a multispectral imaging system. For the fluorescent fibrin, degradation correlated with the release of fluorescence from the clots in vitro. In vivo it was possible to follow and quantify implanted fibrin clots throughout the experiment, demonstrating degradation kinetics of approximately 16days in the subcutaneous compartment, which was further confirmed by histological evaluation of the application site.
AB - Fibrin-based sealants consist of natural coagulation factors involved in the final phase of blood coagulation, during which fibrinogen is enzymatically converted by thrombin to form a solid-phase fibrin clot. For applications in tissue regeneration, a controlled process of matrix degradation within a certain period of time is essential for optimal wound healing. Hence, it is desirable to follow the kinetics of fibrinolysis at the application site. Non-invasive molecular imaging systems enable real-time tracking of processes in the living animal. In this study, a non-invasive fluorescence based imaging system was applied to follow and quantify site-specific degradation of fibrin sealant. To enable non-invasive tracking of fibrin in vivo, fibrin-matrix was labelled by incorporation of a fluorophore-conjugated fibrinogen component. Protein degradation and release of fluorescence were, in a first step, correlated in vitro. In vivo, fluorophore-labelled fibrin was subcutaneously implanted in mice and followed throughout the experiment using a multispectral imaging system. For the fluorescent fibrin, degradation correlated with the release of fluorescence from the clots in vitro. In vivo it was possible to follow and quantify implanted fibrin clots throughout the experiment, demonstrating degradation kinetics of approximately 16days in the subcutaneous compartment, which was further confirmed by histological evaluation of the application site.
KW - Biomaterial degradation
KW - Fibrin
KW - Fluorescence
KW - Non-invasive imaging
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84938751576&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/term.1941
DO - 10.1002/term.1941
M3 - Article
C2 - 25044309
AN - SCOPUS:84938751576
SN - 1932-6254
VL - 9
SP - 973
EP - 976
JO - Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
JF - Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
IS - 8
ER -