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Mri Relaxation Rates: A Quantitative Approach To Track Tumour Cells Expressing Maga, Anindita Sengupta

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Using magnetic resonance imaging, relaxation rate measurements were

performed in cancer cells overexpressing a magnetotactic bacterial gene, MagA.

Measurements of magnetic resonance relaxation rates in this expression

system is important for optimizing cell detection and specificity, for developing

quantification methods, and for refinement of gene-based iron contrast using

magnetosome associated genes. We measured the total transverse

relaxation rate (R2^*), its irreversible and reversible components (R2 and R2^′,

respectively) and the longitudinal relaxation rate (R1) in MDA-MB-435 tumor cells.

Clonal lines overexpressing MagA were cultured in the presence and absence of

iron supplementation, and mounted in a …

From Isolated Tumour Cells To Overt Lymph Node Metastases: Biological And Imaging Studies On The Development Of Experimental Lymph Node Metastases, Michael M. Lizardo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Metastatic colonization and establishment of overt lymph node (LN) tumours indicates poor prognosis for cancer patients. However, the basic biology that influences the development of LN metastasis is poorly understood due to the lack of basic animal models. The following work provides a new lymph node experimental metastasis assay (LEMA) that permits the assessment of tumour cell fate after they arrest in draining LNs. In using this new model, we discovered that only 8% of the tumour cells that arrive in the LN are successful in forming overt tumours. This work also explored the use of imaging approaches to monitor …