In vivo assessment of vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy effects on tumor microvasculature using ultrahigh-resolution functional optical coherence tomography

Vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP) is an emerging treatment for tumors. The change of tumor vasculatures, including a newly-formed microvascular, in response to VTP, is a key assessment parameter for optimizing the treatment effect. However, an accurate assessment of vasculature, particularly the microvasculature's changes in vivo, remains challenging due to the limited resolution afforded by existing imaging modalities. In this study, we demonstrated the in vivo imaging of VTP effects on an A431 tumor-bearing window chamber model of a mouse with an 800-nm ultrahigh-resolution functional optical coherence tomography (UHR-FOCT). We further quantitatively demonstrated the effects of VTP on the size and density of tumor microvasculature before, during, and after the treatment. Our results suggest the promising potential of UHR-FOCT for assessing the tumor treatment with VTP in vivo and in real time to achieve an optimal outcome.