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Ganai AM, Vrettos EI, Kyrkou SG, Zoi V, Khan Pathan T, Karpoormath R, Bouziotis P, Alexiou GA, Kastis GA, Protonotarios NE, Tzakos AG. Design Principles and Applications of Fluorescent Kinase Inhibitors for Simultaneous Cancer Bioimaging and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:3667. [PMID: 39518106 PMCID: PMC11545566 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16213667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2024] [Revised: 10/12/2024] [Accepted: 10/17/2024] [Indexed: 11/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Kinase inhibitors are potent therapeutic agents in cancer treatment, but their effectiveness is frequently restricted by the inability to image the tumor microenvironment. To address this constraint, kinase inhibitor-fluorophore conjugates have emerged as promising theranostic agents, allowing for simultaneous cancer diagnosis and treatment. These conjugates are gaining attention for their ability to visualize malignant tissues and concurrently enhance therapeutic interventions. This review explores the design principles governing the development of multimodal inhibitors, highlighting their potential as platforms for kinase tracking and inhibition via bioimaging. The structural aspects of constructing such theranostic agents are critically analyzed. This work could shed light on this intriguing field and provide adequate impetus for developing novel theranostic compounds based on small molecule inhibitors and fluorophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ab Majeed Ganai
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.M.G.); (E.I.V.); (S.G.K.); (T.K.P.)
| | - Eirinaios I. Vrettos
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.M.G.); (E.I.V.); (S.G.K.); (T.K.P.)
| | - Stavroula G. Kyrkou
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.M.G.); (E.I.V.); (S.G.K.); (T.K.P.)
| | - Vasiliki Zoi
- Neurosurgical Institute, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (V.Z.); (G.A.A.)
| | - Tabasum Khan Pathan
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.M.G.); (E.I.V.); (S.G.K.); (T.K.P.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban 4000, South Africa;
| | - Rajshekhar Karpoormath
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban 4000, South Africa;
| | - Penelope Bouziotis
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Science and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Athens, Greece; (P.B.); (G.A.K.); (N.E.P.)
| | - George A. Alexiou
- Neurosurgical Institute, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (V.Z.); (G.A.A.)
| | - George A. Kastis
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Science and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Athens, Greece; (P.B.); (G.A.K.); (N.E.P.)
- Mathematics Research Center, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Nicholas E. Protonotarios
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Science and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Athens, Greece; (P.B.); (G.A.K.); (N.E.P.)
- Mathematics Research Center, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas G. Tzakos
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.M.G.); (E.I.V.); (S.G.K.); (T.K.P.)
- Institute of Materials Science and Computing, University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), Ioannina 45110, Greece
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Sun R, Wang Y, Shi W, Zhang H, Liu J, He W. Acidity-Triggered "Sticky Spotlight": CCK2R-Targeted TME-Sensitive NIR Fluorescent Probes for Tumor Imaging In Vivo. Bioconjug Chem 2024; 35:528-539. [PMID: 38514970 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c00040] [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: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Cancer which causes high mortality globally threatens public health seriously. There is an urgent need to develop tumor-specific near-infrared (NIR) imaging agents to achieve precise diagnosis and guide effective treatment. In recent years, imaging probes that respond to acidic environments such as endosomes, lysosomes, or acidic tumor microenvironments (TMEs) are being developed. However, because of their nonspecific internalization by both normal and tumor cells, resulting in a poor signal-to-noise ratio in diagnosis, these pH-sensitive probes fail to be applied to in vivo tumor imaging. To address this issue, a cholecystokinin-2 receptor (CCK2R)-targeted TME-sensitive NIR fluorescent probe R2SM was synthesized by coupling pH-sensitive heptamethine cyanine with a CCK2R ligand, minigastrin analogue 11 (MG11) for in vivo imaging, in which MG11 would target overexpressed CCK2Rs in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Cell uptake assay demonstrated that R2SM exhibited a high affinity for CCK2R, leading to receptor-mediated internalization and making probes finally accumulated in the lysosomes of tumor cells, which suggested in the tumor tissues, the probes were distributed in the extracellular acidic TME and intracellular lysosomes. With a pKa of 6.83, R2SM can be activated at the acidic TME (pH = 6.5-6.8) and lysosomes (pH = 4.5-5.0), exhibiting an apparent pH-dependent behavior and generating more intense fluorescence in these acidic environments. In vivo imaging showed that coupling of MG11 with a pH-sensitive NIR probe facilitated the accumulation of probe and enhanced the fluorescence in CCK2R-overexpressed HT-29 tumor cells. A high signal was observed in the tumor region within 0.5 h postinjection, indicating its potential application in intraoperative imaging. Fluorescence imaging of R2SM exhibited higher tumor-to-liver and tumor-to-kidney ratios (2.1:1 and 2.3:1, respectively), compared separately with the probes that are lipophilic, pH-insensitive, or MG11-free. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the synergistic effect of tumor targeting with pH sensitivity plays a vital role in the high signal-to-noise ratio of the NIR imaging probe. Moreover, different kinds of tumor-targeting vectors could be conjugated simultaneously with the NIR dye, which would further improve the receptor affinity and targeting efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Sun
- Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yuxin Wang
- Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Wenhui Shi
- Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Hongfu Zhang
- Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jianhua Liu
- Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Weina He
- Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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Intraoperative Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging with Indocyanine Green for Identification of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs), a Feasibility Study. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061572. [PMID: 35326721 PMCID: PMC8946640 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Surgical resection plays a pivotal role in the treatment of GIST patients. The current study aims to explore the use of near-infrared fluorescence imaging to optimize the intraoperative tumor identification of GISTs. For this purpose, the potential and limitations of the widely used, and non-specific, tracer indocyanine green were assessed in a multicenter study including 10 patients. Our results show that GISTs typically have similar fluorescence intensity to the surrounding tissue, within several minutes after the intravenous administration of indocyanine green. These findings justify future research into specific fluorescent tracers for GISTs, and set a reference for future intraoperative imaging trials. Abstract Background: Optimal intraoperative tumor identification of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is important for the quality of surgical resections. This study aims to assess the potential of near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging with indocyanine green (ICG) to improve intraoperative tumor identification. Methods: Ten GIST patients, planned to undergo resection, were included. During surgery, 10 mg of ICG was intravenously administered, and NIRF imaging was performed at 5, 10, and 15 min after the injection. The tumor fluorescence intensity was visually assessed, and tumor-to-background ratios (TBRs) were calculated for exophytic lesions. Results: Eleven GIST lesions were imaged. The fluorescence intensity of the tumor was visually synchronous and similar to the background in five lesions. In one lesion, the tumor fluorescence was more intense than in the surrounding tissue. Almost no fluorescence was observed in both the tumor and healthy peritoneal tissue in two patients with GIST lesions adjacent to the liver. In three GISTs without exophytic growth, no fluorescence of the tumor was observed. The median TBRs at 5, 10, and 15 min were 1.0 (0.4–1.2), 1.0 (0.5–1.9), and 0.9 (0.7–1.2), respectively. Conclusion: GISTs typically show similar fluorescence intensity to the surrounding tissue in NIRF imaging after intraoperative ICG administration. Therefore, intraoperatively administered ICG is currently not applicable for adequate tumor identification, and further research should focus on the development of tumor-specific fluorescent tracers for GISTs.
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Progresses in polymeric nanoparticles for delivery of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Life Sci 2021; 278:119642. [PMID: 34033837 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), as an important class of chemotherapeutic drugs, induce apoptosis by altering the path of the cellular signal, resulting in cell death. However, some chemotherapeutic drugs have a limited therapeutic index and are usually destructive as well as unpredictable. In addition, the limitation of early diagnosis and inefficiency of some of the drugs in ordinary treatments lead to disease progression and decreases in the survival of cancer patients. For this purpose, various methods have been proposed, among them, nanomedicine has transpired as a modern approach for the treatment of multiple cancers. Over the last two decades, targeted therapy has been developed for cancer-specific cells/tissues and has rather restricted nonselective toxicities. In vivo and in vitro studies demonstrated nanoparticles (NPs), nano-scale drugs, and nano-carriers alone or in combination with other therapeutic, imaging, and theranostic agents would be applied as an effective approach targeting a diversity of malignant tissue. Therefore, using the latest advances in materials science and biomaterials, biology, it has happened that general diagnosis and treatment can be performed. In this review, we indicated the applications of theranostic nano-polymer and nano-liposome to TKIs delivery.
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