Optical <i>in vivo</i> imaging detection of preclinical models of gut tumors through the expression of integrin αVβ3

Optical imaging and Fluorescent Molecular Tomography (FMT) are becoming increasingly important for the study of different preclinical models of cancer, providing a non-invasive method for the evaluation of tumor progression in a relatively simple and fast way. Intestinal tumors, in particular colorectal cancer (CRC), represent a major cause of cancer-related death in Western countries: despite the presence of a number of preclinical models of intestinal carcinogenesis, there is a paucity of information about the possibility to detect intestinal tumors using fluorescent probes and optical <i>in vivo</i> imaging. Herein, we identify the detection of integrin αvβ3 by FMT and optical imaging as an effective approach to assess the occurrence and progression of intestinal carcinogenesis in genetic and chemically-induced mouse models. For this purpose, a commercially available probe (IntegriSense), recognizing integrin αvβ3, was injected in APC^+/min mice bearing small intestinal adenomas or CRC: FMT analysis allowed a specific tumor detection, further confirmed by subsequent <i>ex vivo</i> imaging or conventional histology. In addition, IntegriSense detection by FMT allowed the longitudinal monitoring of tumor growth. Taken together, our data indicate the possibility to use integrin αvβ3 for the visualization of intestinal tumors in preclinical models.