Optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a new tool for xenograft development assessment: automated radiomics on OCT/OCT-angiography data of an in ovo xenograft model derived from colorectal cancer liver metastasis

A self-built benchtop microscope-based system for swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) is used for imaging of an in ovo xenograft model derived from a colorectal cancer liver metastasis. The OCT system enables, besides morphological contrast, the assessment of the vascularization. The non-destructive acquisition of label-free, cross-sectional and three-dimensional data facilitates automated analysis using radiomics approaches. The development of the xenograft can be studied over time. Access to those quantifications paves the way for investigating and understanding tumor growth, biology and its markers and could be used to assess the effectiveness of applied therapeutic strategies in the future.