Noninvasive Real-Time In Vivo Bloluminescent Imaging of Gene Expression and of Tumor Progression and Metastasis

It is clear from the work presented in this chapter and from work by others that BLI is perfectly suited to monitor gene expression in transgenic reporter mice and to detect and follow small numbers of cells noninvasively. As we have shown, it also enables the quantification of tumor cells within internal organs in animal models of cancer. BLI is a powerful tool in functional genomics of cancer development, progression, and metastasis and will allow us to identify in vivo molecular targets of cancer and their metastasis. The application of BLI in combination with new animal models for cancer will allow us to study very rapidly and conveniently the efficacy of new therapeutic approaches such as gene therapy stem cell therapy and antiangiogenic therapy, and when successful can be a first step towards clinical application. Furthermore, the development of new smart luciferase-based reporter constructs as well as new possibilities to create transgenic animals containing these reporter constructs will make noninvasive in vivo BLI also a powerful new tool in other small animal models of human biology and disease.