1
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Zafar H, Liu B, Nguyen HVT, Johnson JA. Caspase-3-Responsive, Fluorogenic Bivalent Bottlebrush Polymers. ACS Macro Lett 2024; 13:571-576. [PMID: 38647178 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Controlling the access of proteases to cleavable peptides placed at specific locations within macromolecular architectures represents a powerful strategy for biologically responsive materials design. Here, we report the synthesis of peptide-containing bivalent bottlebrush (co)polymers (BBPs) featuring polyethylene glycol (PEG) and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC) pendants on each backbone repeat unit. The AMCs are linked via caspase-3-cleavable peptides which, upon enzymatic cleavage, provide a "turn-on" fluorescence signal due to the release of free AMC. Time-dependent fluorscence measurements demonstrate that the caspase-3-induced peptide cleavage and AMC release from BBPs is strongly dependent on the BBP backbone length and the AMC-peptide linker location within the BBP architecture, revealing fundamental insights into the interactions of enzymes with BBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadiqa Zafar
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Hung V-T Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jeremiah A Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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2
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Bauer D, Cornejo MA, Hoang TT, Lewis JS, Zeglis BM. Click Chemistry and Radiochemistry: An Update. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:1925-1950. [PMID: 37737084 PMCID: PMC10655046 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The term "click chemistry" describes a class of organic transformations that were developed to make chemical synthesis simpler and easier, in essence allowing chemists to combine molecular subunits as if they were puzzle pieces. Over the last 25 years, the click chemistry toolbox has swelled from the canonical copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition to encompass an array of ligations, including bioorthogonal variants, such as the strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition and the inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction. Without question, the rise of click chemistry has impacted all areas of chemical and biological science. Yet the unique traits of radiopharmaceutical chemistry have made it particularly fertile ground for this technology. In this update, we seek to provide a comprehensive guide to recent developments at the intersection of click chemistry and radiopharmaceutical chemistry and to illuminate several exciting trends in the field, including the use of emergent click transformations in radiosynthesis, the clinical translation of novel probes synthesized using click chemistry, and the advent of click-based in vivo pretargeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bauer
- Department
of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Mike A. Cornejo
- Department
of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, New York 10021, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Hunter College, City University
of New York, New York, New York 10065, United States
- Ph.D.
Program in Chemistry, Graduate Center of
the City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Tran T. Hoang
- Department
of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, New York 10021, United States
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Jason S. Lewis
- Department
of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, New York 10021, United States
- Department
of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York 10021, New York United States
| | - Brian M. Zeglis
- Department
of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, New York 10021, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Hunter College, City University
of New York, New York, New York 10065, United States
- Ph.D.
Program in Chemistry, Graduate Center of
the City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, United States
- Department
of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York 10021, New York United States
- Ph.D.
Program
in Biochemistry, Graduate Center of the
City University of New York, New
York, New York 10016, United States
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3
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Engel BJ, Paolillo V, Uddin MN, Gonzales KA, McGinnis KM, Sutton MN, Patnana M, Grindel BJ, Gores GJ, Piwnica-Worms D, Beretta L, Pisaneschi F, Gammon ST, Millward SW. Gender Differences in a Mouse Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Revealed Using Multi-Modal Imaging. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3787. [PMID: 37568603 PMCID: PMC10417617 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The worldwide incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to rise, in part due to poor diet, limited exercise, and alcohol abuse. Numerous studies have suggested that the loss or mutation of PTEN plays a critical role in HCC tumorigenesis through the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling axis. The homozygous knockout of PTEN in the livers of mice results in the accumulation of fat (steatosis), inflammation, fibrosis, and eventually progression to HCC. This phenotype bears a striking similarity to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which is thought to occupy an intermediate stage between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), fibrosis, and HCC. The molecular and physiological phenotypes that manifest during the transition to HCC suggest that molecular imaging could provide a non-invasive screening platform to identify the hallmarks of HCC initiation prior to the presentation of clinical disease. We have carried out longitudinal imaging studies on the liver-specific PTEN knockout mouse model using CT, MRI, and multi-tracer PET to interrogate liver size, steatosis, inflammation, and apoptosis. In male PTEN knockout mice, significant steatosis was observed as early as 3 months using both magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and computed tomography (CT). Enhanced uptake of the apoptosis tracer 18F-TBD was also observed in the livers of male PTEN homozygous knockout mice between 3 and 4 months of age relative to heterozygous knockout controls. Liver uptake of the inflammation tracer [18F]4FN remained relatively low and constant over 7 months in male PTEN homozygous knockout mice, suggesting the suppression of high-energy ROS/RNS with PTEN deletion relative to heterozygous males where the [18F]4FN liver uptake was elevated at early and late time points. All male PTEN homozygous mice developed HCC lesions by month 10. In contrast to the male cohort, only 20% (2 out of 10) of female PTEN homozygous knockout mice developed HCC lesions by month 10. Steatosis was significantly less pronounced in the female PTEN homozygous knockout mice relative to males and could not accurately predict the eventual occurrence of HCC. As with the males, the [18F]4FN uptake in female PTEN homozygous knockout mice was low and constant throughout the time course. The liver uptake of 18F-TBD at 3 and 4.5 months was higher in the two female PTEN knockout mice that would eventually develop HCC and was the most predictive imaging biomarker for HCC in the female cohort. These studies demonstrate the diagnostic and prognostic role of multi-modal imaging in HCC mouse models and provide compelling evidence that disease progression in the PTEN knockout model is highly dependent on gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J. Engel
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Vincenzo Paolillo
- Cyclotron Radiochemistry Facility, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Md. Nasir Uddin
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kristyn A. Gonzales
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kathryn M. McGinnis
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Margie N. Sutton
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Madhavi Patnana
- Department of Abdominal Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Brian J. Grindel
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - David Piwnica-Worms
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Laura Beretta
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Federica Pisaneschi
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Seth T. Gammon
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Steven W. Millward
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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4
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Xu HD, Cheng X, Sun X, Chen P, Zhan W, Liu X, Wang X, Hu B, Liang G. Caspase-3-Triggered Intracellular Gadolinium Nanoparticle Formation for T 1-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Apoptosis In Vivo. NANO LETTERS 2023. [PMID: 37363812 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Apoptosis, with a hallmark of upregulated protease Caspase-3, has been frequently imaged with various probes to reveal the therapeutic efficiencies of different drugs. However, activatable molecular probes with programmable self-assembling behaviors that enable enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of apoptosis remain scarce. Herein, taking advantage of a CBT-Cys click reaction, we rationally designed a Caspase-3-activatable self-assembling probe Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-Cys(StBu)-Lys(DOTA(Gd))-CBT (DEVDCS-Gd-CBT) for apoptosis imaging in vivo. After Caspase-3 cleavage in apoptotic cells, DEVDCS-Gd-CBT underwent CBT-Cys click reaction to form a cyclic dimer, which self-assembled into Gd nanoparticles. With this probe, enhanced T1-weighted MR images of apoptosis were achieved at low magnetic fields in vitro, in cis-dichlorodiamineplatinum-induced apoptotic cells and in tail-amputation-simulated apoptotic zebrafish. We anticipate that the smart probe DEVDCS-Gd-CBT could be applied for T1-weighted MRI of apoptosis-related diseases in the clinic in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Dong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Xiaotong Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Xianbao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Peiyao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Wenjun Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Xiaoyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Xinliang Wang
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Bing Hu
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Gaolin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China
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5
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Pisaneschi F, Viola NT. Development and Validation of a PET/SPECT Radiopharmaceutical in Oncology. Mol Imaging Biol 2022; 24:1-7. [PMID: 34542804 PMCID: PMC8760224 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-021-01645-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In oncology, biomarker research aimed to provide insights on cancer biology via positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) imaging has seen an incredible growth in the past two decades. Despite the increased number of publications on PET/SPECT radiopharmaceuticals, the field lacked standardization of in vitro and in vivo parameters necessary for the characterization of any radiotracer. Through the efforts of the World Molecular Imaging Society Education Committee, this white paper lays down validation studies that are essential to chemically and biologically characterize new radiopharmaceuticals derived from small molecules, peptides or proteins. Finally, a brief overview of the steps toward translation is also presented.Herein, we discuss the following: Chemistry and radiochemistry metrics to establish the identity of the imaging agent. In vitro and in vivo studies to examine the radiotracer's mechanism of action, which includes target specificity, pharmacokinetics and in vivo metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Pisaneschi
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Nerissa T. Viola
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA
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6
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Gammon ST, Engel BJ, Gores GJ, Cressman E, Piwnica-Worms D, Millward SW. Mistiming Death: Modeling the Time-Domain Variability of Tumor Apoptosis and Implications for Molecular Imaging of Cell Death. Mol Imaging Biol 2021; 22:1310-1323. [PMID: 32519246 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-020-01509-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Apoptosis, in the context of cancer, is a form of programmed cell death induced by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. As this is a central pathway in treatment response, considerable effort has been expended on the development of molecular imaging agents to non-invasively measure tumor apoptosis prior to quantitative changes in tumor dimensions. Despite these efforts, clinical trials directed at imaging apoptosis by PET, SPECT, and MRI have failed to robustly predict response to treatment with high sensitivity and specificity. Although these shortcomings may be linked to probe design, we propose that the combination of variability in the timing of maximal in vivo tumor apoptosis and sub-optimal sampling times fundamentally limits the predictive power of PET/SPECT apoptosis imaging. PROCEDURES Herein, we surveyed the literature describing the time course of therapy-induced tumor apoptosis in vivo and used these data to construct a mathematical model describing the onset, duration, amplitude, and variability of the apoptotic response. Uncertainty in the underlying time of initiation of tumor apoptosis was simulated by Gaussian, uniform, and Landau distributions centered at the median time-to-maximum apoptotic rate derived from the literature. We then computationally sampled these models for various durations to simulate PET/SPECT imaging agents with variable effective half-lives. RESULTS Models with a narrow Gaussian distribution of initiation times for tumor apoptosis predicted high contrast ratios and strong predictive values for all effective tracer half-lives. However, when uncertainty in apoptosis initiation times were simulated with uniform and Landau distributions, high contrast ratios and predictive values were only obtained with extremely long imaging windows (days). The imaging contrast ratios predicted in these models were consistent with those seen in pre-clinical apoptosis PET/SPECT imaging studies and suggest that uncertainty in the timing of tumor cell death plays a significant role in the maximal contrast obtainable. Moreover, when uncertainty in both apoptosis initiation and imaging start times were simulated, the predicted contrast ratios were dramatically reduced for all tracer half-lives. CONCLUSIONS These studies illustrate the effect of uncertainty of apoptosis initiation on the predictive power of PET/SPECT apoptosis imaging agents and suggest that long integration times are required to surmount uncertainty in the time domain of this biological process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth T Gammon
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brian J Engel
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Erik Cressman
- Department of Interventional Radiology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David Piwnica-Worms
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Steven W Millward
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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7
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Dang XW, Pan Q, Lin ZH, Wang HH, Li LH, Li L, Shen DQ, Wang PJ. Overexpressed DEPDC1B contributes to the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by CDK1. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:20094-20115. [PMID: 34032605 PMCID: PMC8436915 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main type of primary liver cancer and shows a heavy burden worldwide. Its recurrence and mortality rate are still uncontrolled by the usage of present treatments. More attention has been focused on exploring specific genes that play important roles in HCC procession, and the function of DEP domain containing 1B (DEPDC1B) in HCC has not been researched. METHODS Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression level of DEPDC1B in tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. After DEPDC1B and CDK1 knockdown in cell lines HEP3B2.1-7 and SK-HEP-1, MTT assay and colony formation assay was used to detect cell growth, flow cytometry assay was used to investigate cell apoptosis and cell cycle, wound-healing assay and Transwell assay were used to examine the tumor cell migration. Moreover, a xenograft model was constructed to research functions of DEPDC1B in tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS The results show that DEPDC1B knockdown inhibit the progression of HCC, through inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, colony formation, leading to G2 phase arrest, and promoting cell apoptosis in vitro, and CDK1 was selected for further mechanic research according to the results of Human GeneChip prime view. The results of recovery experiment displayed that the functions of DEPDC1B on HCC progression were mediated by CDK1. DEPDC1B knockdown can also inhibit tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS The study confirmed that DEPDC1B knockdown restrains the tumor growth in vitro and vivo, and it can interact with CDK1 and rescued by CDK1. The study suggested that DEPDC1B was as a potential therapeutic target involved in HCC growth and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Wei Dang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Qi Pan
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The Cancer Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen-Hai Lin
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The Cancer Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao-Hao Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Lu-Hao Li
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Dong-Qi Shen
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Pei-Ju Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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8
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Beroske L, Van den Wyngaert T, Stroobants S, Van der Veken P, Elvas F. Molecular Imaging of Apoptosis: The Case of Caspase-3 Radiotracers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083948. [PMID: 33920463 PMCID: PMC8069194 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular imaging of apoptosis remains an important method for the diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of certain diseases and the evaluation of the efficacy of anticancer apoptosis-inducing therapies. Among the multiple biomarkers involved in apoptosis, activated caspase-3 is an attractive target, as it is the most abundant of the executioner caspases. Nuclear imaging is a good candidate, as it combines a high depth of tissue penetration and high sensitivity, features necessary to detect small changes in levels of apoptosis. However, designing a caspase-3 radiotracer comes with challenges, such as selectivity, cell permeability and transient caspase-3 activation. In this review, we discuss the different caspase-3 radiotracers for the imaging of apoptosis together with the challenges of the translation of various apoptosis-imaging strategies in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Beroske
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;
| | - Tim Van den Wyngaert
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
| | - Sigrid Stroobants
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
| | - Pieter Van der Veken
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;
| | - Filipe Elvas
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
- Correspondence:
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9
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Van de Wiele C, Ustmert S, De Spiegeleer B, De Jonghe PJ, Sathekge M, Alex M. Apoptosis Imaging in Oncology by Means of Positron Emission Tomography: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052753. [PMID: 33803180 PMCID: PMC7963162 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, a wide variety of potential PET-apoptosis imaging radiopharmaceuticals targeting apoptosis-induced cell membrane asymmetry and acidification, as well as caspase 3 activation (substrates and inhibitors) have been developed with the purpose of rapidly assessing the response to treatment in cancer patients. Many of these probes were shown to specifically bind to their apoptotic target in vitro and their uptake to be enhanced in the in vivo-xenografted tumours in mice treated by means of chemotherapy, however, to a significantly variable degree. This may, in part, relate to the tumour model used given the fact that different tumour cell lines bear a different sensitivity to a similar chemotherapeutic agent, to differences in the chemotherapeutic concentration and exposure time, as well as to the different timing of imaging performed post-treatment. The best validated cell membrane acidification and caspase 3 targeting radioligands, respectively 18F-ML-10 from the Aposense family and the radiolabelled caspase 3 substrate 18F-CP18, have also been injected in healthy individuals and shown to bear favourable dosimetric and safety characteristics. However, in contrast to, for instance, the 99mTc-HYNIC-Annexin V, neither of both tracers was taken up to a significant degree by the bone marrow in the healthy individuals under study. Removal of white and red blood cells from the bone marrow through apoptosis plays a major role in the maintenance of hematopoietic cell homeostasis. The major apoptotic population in normal bone marrow are immature erythroblasts. While an accurate estimate of the number of immature erythroblasts undergoing apoptosis is not feasible due to their unknown clearance rate, their number is likely substantial given the ineffective quote of the erythropoietic process described in healthy subjects. Thus, the clinical value of both 18F-ML-10 and 18F-CP18 for apoptosis imaging in cancer patients, as suggested by a small number of subsequent clinical phase I/II trials in patients suffering from primary or secondary brain malignancies using 18F-ML-10 and in an ongoing trial in patients suffering from cancer of the ovaries using 18F-CP18, remains to be proven and warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Van de Wiele
- Department of Nuclear Medicine AZ Groeninge, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; (S.U.); (P.-J.D.J.); (M.A.)
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, University Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-5663-4120
| | - Sezgin Ustmert
- Department of Nuclear Medicine AZ Groeninge, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; (S.U.); (P.-J.D.J.); (M.A.)
| | - Bart De Spiegeleer
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, DRUQUAR, University Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Pieter-Jan De Jonghe
- Department of Nuclear Medicine AZ Groeninge, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; (S.U.); (P.-J.D.J.); (M.A.)
| | - Mike Sathekge
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa;
| | - Maes Alex
- Department of Nuclear Medicine AZ Groeninge, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; (S.U.); (P.-J.D.J.); (M.A.)
- Department of Morphology and Imaging, University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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10
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Pi S, Nie G, Wei Z, Yang F, Wang C, Xing C, Hu G, Zhang C. Inhibition of ROS/NLRP3/Caspase-1 mediated pyroptosis alleviates excess molybdenum-induced apoptosis in duck renal tubular epithelial cells. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 208:111528. [PMID: 33157513 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Excess molybdenum (Mo) is harmful to the body, and the kidney is the vital target organ for Mo exposure. This study focused on the impacts of excess Mo on pyroptosis and the relationship between pyroptosis and apoptosis in kidney. METHODS The duck renal tubular epithelial cells were treated with (NH4)6Mo7O24·4H2O (0, 480, 720 and 960 μM Mo), N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) (100 μM), Z-YVAD-fluoromethylketone (YVAD) (10 μM) and the combination of Mo and NAC or YVAD for 12 h. The LDH release and IL-1β, IL-18 contents of cell supernatant were detected by LDH and ELISA kits. The MMP and ROS level were measured using MMP and ROS kits by flow cytometry. The apoptotic rate of cell was detected by AO/EB counterstaining. Pyroptosis and apoptosis-related factors mRNA and protein levels were assayed by real-time qPCR and western blot, respectively. RESULTS Excessive Mo markedly increased LDH, IL-18, IL-1β releases and induced overproduction of ROS, pyroptosis-related factors mRNA and protein levels. NAC and YVAD dramatically decreased pyroptosis induced by Mo. Simultaneously, YVAD significantly changed apoptosis-related factors mRNA and protein levels, and reduced cell apoptotic rate. CONCLUSION Excessive Mo exposure can induce pyroptosis by the ROS/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway in duck renal tubular epithelial cells, and restraining pyroptosis of Caspase-1 dependence might weaken excess Mo-induced apoptosis. The study provides theoretical basis for excess Mo exposure nephrotoxic researches on waterfowl and the interplay between pyroptosis and apoptosis highlights a new sight into the mechanism of Mo-induced nephrotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoxing Pi
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, PR China
| | - Gaohui Nie
- School of Information Technology, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang 330032, Jiangxi, PR China
| | - Zejing Wei
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, PR China
| | - Fan Yang
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, PR China
| | - Chang Wang
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, PR China
| | - Chenghong Xing
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, PR China
| | - Guoliang Hu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, PR China.
| | - Caiying Zhang
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, PR China.
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12
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García-Argüello SF, Lopez-Lorenzo B, Cornelissen B, Smith G. Development of [ 18F]ICMT-11 for Imaging Caspase-3/7 Activity during Therapy-Induced Apoptosis. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2191. [PMID: 32781531 PMCID: PMC7465189 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Insufficient apoptosis is a recognised hallmark of cancer. A strategy to quantitatively measure apoptosis in vivo would be of immense value in both drug discovery and routine patient management. The first irreversible step in the apoptosis cascade is activation of the "executioner" caspase-3 enzyme to commence cleavage of key structural proteins. One strategy to measure caspase-3 activity is Positron Emission Tomography using isatin-5-sulfonamide radiotracers. One such radiotracer is [18F]ICMT-11, which has progressed to clinical application. This review summarises the design and development process for [18F]ICMT-11, suggesting potential avenues for further innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Segundo Francisco García-Argüello
- Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, Fundación General Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain;
- Grupo de Arteriosclerosis, Prevención Cardiovascular y Metabolismo, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Beatriz Lopez-Lorenzo
- Biomedicina, Investigación Traslacional y Nuevas Tecnologías en Salud, Universidad de Málaga, 29016 Málaga, Spain;
- BIONAND-Centro Andaluz de Nanomedicina y Biotecnología (Junta de Andalucía—Universidad de Málaga), 29590 Málaga, Spain
| | - Bart Cornelissen
- Department of Oncology, CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Off Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK;
| | - Graham Smith
- Department of Oncology, CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Off Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK;
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13
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Wang Y, Weng J, Wen X, Hu Y, Ye D. Recent advances in stimuli-responsive in situ self-assembly of small molecule probes for in vivo imaging of enzymatic activity. Biomater Sci 2020; 9:406-421. [PMID: 32627767 DOI: 10.1039/d0bm00895h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive in situ self-assembly of small molecule probes into nanostructures has been promising for the construction of molecular probes for in vivo imaging. In the past few years, a number of intelligent molecular imaging probes with fluorescence, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron electron tomography (PET) or photoacoustic imaging (PA) modality have been developed based on the in situ self-assembly strategy. In this minireview, we summarize the recent advances in the development of different modality imaging probes through controlling in situ self-assembly for in vivo imaging of enzymatic activity. This review starts from the brief introduction of two different chemical approaches amenable for in situ self-assembly, including (1) stimuli-mediated proteolysis and (2) stimuli-triggered biocompatible reaction. We then discuss their applications in the design of fluorescence, MRI, PET, PA, and bimodality imaging probes for in vivo imaging of different enzymes, such as caspase-3, furin, gelatinase and phosphatase. Finally, we discuss the current and prospective challenges in the stimuli-responsive in situ self-assembly strategy for in vivo imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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14
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Mosayebnia M, Hajiramezanali M, Shahhosseini S. Radiolabeled Peptides for Molecular Imaging of Apoptosis. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:7064-7089. [PMID: 32532184 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666200612152655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a regulated cell death induced by extrinsic and intrinsic stimulants. Tracking of apoptosis provides an opportunity for the assessment of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases as well as monitoring of cancer therapy at early stages. There are some key mediators in apoptosis cascade, which could be considered as specific targets for delivering imaging or therapeutic agents. The targeted radioisotope-based imaging agents are able to sensitively detect the physiological signal pathways which make them suitable for apoptosis imaging at a single-cell level. Radiopeptides take advantage of both the high sensitivity of nuclear imaging modalities and favorable features of peptide scaffolds. The aim of this study is to review the characteristics of those radiopeptides targeting apoptosis with different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Mosayebnia
- Department of Radiopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maliheh Hajiramezanali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Radiopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Behesti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soraya Shahhosseini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Radiopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Behesti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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15
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Zhang D, Jin Q, Jiang C, Gao M, Ni Y, Zhang J. Imaging Cell Death: Focus on Early Evaluation of Tumor Response to Therapy. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 31:1025-1051. [PMID: 32150392 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cell death plays a prominent role in the treatment of cancer, because most anticancer therapies act by the induction of cell death including apoptosis, necrosis, and other pathways of cell death. Imaging cell death helps to identify treatment responders from nonresponders and thus enables patient-tailored therapy, which will increase the likelihood of treatment response and ultimately lead to improved patient survival. By taking advantage of molecular probes that specifically target the biomarkers/biochemical processes of cell death, cell death imaging can be successfully achieved. In recent years, with the increased understanding of the molecular mechanism of cell death, a variety of well-defined biomarkers/biochemical processes of cell death have been identified. By targeting these established cell death biomarkers/biochemical processes, a set of molecular imaging probes have been developed and evaluated for early monitoring treatment response in tumors. In this review, we mainly present the recent advances in identifying useful biomarkers/biochemical processes for both apoptosis and necrosis imaging and in developing molecular imaging probes targeting these biomarkers/biochemical processes, with a focus on their application in early evaluation of tumor response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjian Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
| | - Qiaomei Jin
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
| | - Cuihua Jiang
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
| | - Meng Gao
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
| | - Yicheng Ni
- Theragnostic Laboratory, Campus Gasthuisberg, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jian Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
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16
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Elvas F, Vanden Berghe T, Adriaenssens Y, Vandenabeele P, Augustyns K, Staelens S, Stroobants S, Van der Veken P, Wyffels L. Caspase-3 probes for PET imaging of apoptotic tumor response to anticancer therapy. Org Biomol Chem 2020; 17:4801-4824. [PMID: 31033991 DOI: 10.1039/c9ob00657e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a highly regulated process involved in the normal organism development and homeostasis. In the context of anticancer therapy, apoptosis is also studied intensively in an attempt to induce cell death in cancer cells. Caspase activation is a known key event in the apoptotic process. In particular, active caspase-3 and -7 are the common effectors in several apoptotic pathways, therefore effector caspase activation may be a promising biomarker for response evaluation to anticancer therapy. Quantitative imaging of apoptosis in vivo could provide early assessment of therapeutic effectiveness and could also be used in drug development to evaluate the efficacy as well as potential toxicity of novel treatments. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a highly sensitive molecular imaging modality that allows non-invasive in vivo imaging of biological processes such as apoptosis by using radiolabeled probes. Here we describe the development and evaluation of fluorine-18-labeled caspase-3 activity-based probes (ABPs) for PET imaging of apoptosis. ABPs were selected by screening of a small library of fluorine-19-labeled DEVD peptides containing different electrophilic warhead groups. An acyloxymethyl ketone was identified with low nanomolar affinity for caspase-3 and was radiolabeled with fluorine-18. The resulting radiotracer, [18F]MICA-302, showed good labeling of active caspase-3 in vitro and favorable pharmacokinetic properties. A μPET imaging experiment in colorectal tumor xenografts demonstrated an increased tumor accumulation of [18F]MICA-302 in drug-treated versus control animals. Therefore, our data suggest this radiotracer may be useful for clinical PET imaging of response to anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Elvas
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
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Qiu L, Wang W, Li K, Peng Y, Lv G, Liu Q, Gao F, Seimbille Y, Xie M, Lin J. Rational design of caspase-responsive smart molecular probe for positron emission tomography imaging of drug-induced apoptosis. Theranostics 2019; 9:6962-6975. [PMID: 31660080 PMCID: PMC6815954 DOI: 10.7150/thno.35084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of apoptosis is very important for early evaluation of tumor therapeutic efficacy. A stimuli-responsive probe based on the peptide sequence Asp-Glu-Val-Asp (DEVD), [18F]DEVD-Cys(StBu)-PPG(CBT)-AmBF3 ([18F]1), for PET imaging of tumor apoptosis was designed and prepared. This study aimed to develop a novel smart probe using a convenient radiosynthesis method and to fully examine the sensitivity and specificity of the probe response to the tumor treatment. Methods: The radiolabelling precursor DEVD-Cys(StBu)-PPG(CBT)-AmBF3 (1) was synthesized through multistep reactions. The reduction together with caspase-controlled macrocyclization and self-assembly of 1 was characterized and validated in vitro. After [18F]fluorination in the buffer (pH= 2.5), the radiolabelling yield (RLY), radiochemical purity (RCP) and stability of the probe [18F]1 in PBS and mouse serum were investigated by radio-HPLC. The sensitivity and specificity of [18F]1 for detecting the drug-induced apoptosis was fully evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The effect of cold precursor 1 on the cell uptake and tumor imaging of [18F]1 was also assessed. The level of activated caspase-3 in Hela cells and tumors with or without apoptosis induction was analyzed and compared by western blotting and histological staining. Results: The whole radiosynthesis process of [18F]1 was around 25 min with RLY of 50%, RCP of over 99% and specific activity of 1.45 ± 0.4 Ci/µmol. The probe was very stable in both PBS and mouse serum within 4 h. It can be activated by caspase-3 and then undergo an intermolecular cyclization to form nanosized particles. The retained [18F]1 in DOX-treated HeLa cells was 2.2 folds of that in untreated cells. Within 1 h microPET imaging of the untreated Hela-bearing mice, the injection of [18F]1 resulted in the increase of the uptake ratio of tumor to muscle (T/M) only from 1.74 to 2.18, while in the DOX-treated Hela-bearing mice T/M increased from 1.88 to 10.52 and the co-injection of [18F]1 and 1 even led to the increase of T/M from 3.08 to 14.81. Conclusions: A caspase-responsive smart PET probe [18F]1 was designed and prepared in a kit-like manner. Co-injection of [18F]1 and 1 generated remarkably enhanced tumor uptake and signal-to-noise ratio in the tumor-bearing mice with drug-induced apoptosis, which correlated well with the expression level of activated caspase-3. This early readout of treatment response ensured that the probe [18F]1 could serve as a promising PET imaging probe for timely and noninvasive evaluation of tumor therapy.
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18
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Ostapchenko VG, Snir J, Suchy M, Fan J, Cobb MR, Chronik BA, Kovacs M, Prado VF, Hudson RHE, Pasternak SH, Prado MAM, Bartha R. Detection of Active Caspase-3 in Mouse Models of Stroke and Alzheimer's Disease with a Novel Dual Positron Emission Tomography/Fluorescent Tracer [ 68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA. CONTRAST MEDIA & MOLECULAR IMAGING 2019; 2019:6403274. [PMID: 30755766 PMCID: PMC6348924 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6403274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a feature of stroke and Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet there is no accepted method to detect or follow apoptosis in the brain in vivo. We developed a bifunctional tracer [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA containing a cell-penetrating peptide separated from fluorescent Oregon Green and 68Ga-bound labels by the caspase-3 recognition peptide DEVD. We hypothesized that this design would allow [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA to accumulate in apoptotic cells. In vitro, Ga-TC3-OGDOTA labeled apoptotic neurons following exposure to camptothecin, oxygen-glucose deprivation, and β-amyloid oligomers. In vivo, PET showed accumulation of [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA in the brain of mouse models of stroke or AD. Optical clearing revealed colocalization of [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA and cleaved caspase-3 in brain cells. In stroke, [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA accumulated in neurons in the penumbra area, whereas in AD mice [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA was found in single cells in the forebrain and diffusely around amyloid plaques. In summary, this bifunctional tracer is selectively associated with apoptotic cells in vitro and in vivo in brain disease models and represents a novel tool for apoptosis detection that can be used in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeriy G. Ostapchenko
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Jonatan Snir
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Mojmir Suchy
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Jue Fan
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - M. Rebecca Cobb
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Blaine A. Chronik
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Michael Kovacs
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Lawson Health Research Institute, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 4V2
| | - Vania F. Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Robert H. E. Hudson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Stephen H. Pasternak
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Marco A. M. Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Robert Bartha
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
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