Functional Imaging of Cancer Mitochondria with Multiphoton Confocal Microscopy

• Author / Creator

  Haromy, Alois S

• Maximizing the possibility of effectively treating cancer requires timely assessment of its aggressiveness and susceptibility to drug intervention. During cancer surgery, the “fast biopsy” is a commonly employed technique to assess a tumor’s invasiveness and guide surgery. Unfortunately, it is of limited value in predicting a tumor’s metastatic potential and susceptibility to drug treatment. However, certain functional biomarkers, like mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species, which may be indicative of both aggressiveness and drug susceptibility, can be measured in “real time” using confocal microscopy. To this end, theoretical and practical aspects of functional confocal imaging are presented as a general overview and in conjunction with a clinical trial treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) using the metabolic modulating drug DCA. Functional imaging of biopsies from 40 GBM patients, various cancer and normal cell lines validated confocal microscopy as a tool assessing functional biomarkers and the effectiveness of DCA treatment.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Glioblastoma Multiforme
  • Dichloroacetate DCA
  • TMRM and Mitosox
  • Confocal Microscopy
  • Cancer Metabolic Modulators

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3GK9G

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.