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Mathur S, Chen S, Rejniak KA. Exploring chronic and transient tumor hypoxia for predicting the efficacy of hypoxia-activated pro-drugs. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2024; 10:1. [PMID: 38182612 PMCID: PMC10770176 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-023-00327-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia, a low level of oxygen in the tissue, arises due to an imbalance between the vascular oxygen supply and oxygen demand by the surrounding cells. Typically, hypoxia is viewed as a negative marker of patients' survival, because of its implication in the development of aggressive tumors and tumor resistance. Several drugs that specifically target the hypoxic cells have been developed, providing an opportunity for exploiting hypoxia to improve cancer treatment. Here, we consider combinations of hypoxia-activated pro-drugs (HAPs) and two compounds that transiently increase intratumoral hypoxia: a vasodilator and a metabolic sensitizer. To effectively design treatment protocols with multiple compounds we used mathematical micro-pharmacology modeling and determined treatment schedules that take advantage of heterogeneous and dynamically changing oxygenation in tumor tissue. Our model was based on data from murine pancreatic cancers treated with evofosfamide (as a HAP) and either hydralazine (as a vasodilator), or pyruvate (as a metabolic sensitizer). Subsequently, this model was used to identify optimal schedules for different treatment combinations. Our simulations showed that schedules of HAPs with the vasodilator had a bimodal distribution, while HAPs with the sensitizer showed an elongated plateau. All schedules were more successful than HAP monotherapy. The three-compound combination had three local optima, depending on the HAPs clearance from the tissue interstitium, each two-fold more effective than baseline HAP treatment. Our study indicates that the three-compound therapy administered in the defined order will improve cancer response and that designing complex schedules could benefit from the use of mathematical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Mathur
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, IMO High School Internship Program, Tampa, FL, USA
- University of Florida, Undergraduate Studies, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Shannon Chen
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, IMO High School Internship Program, Tampa, FL, USA
- University of Florida, Undergraduate Studies, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Katarzyna A Rejniak
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Integrated Mathematical Oncology Department, Tampa, FL, USA.
- University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, Department of Oncologic Sciences, Tampa, FL, USA.
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2
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Nissan N, Anaby D, Mahameed G, Bauer E, Moss Massasa EE, Menes T, Agassi R, Brodsky A, Grimm R, Nickel MD, Roccia E, Sklair-Levy M. Ultrafast DCE-MRI for discriminating pregnancy-associated breast cancer lesions from lactation related background parenchymal enhancement. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:8122-8131. [PMID: 37278853 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-09805-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the utility of ultrafast dynamic-contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI in visualization and quantitative characterization of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) and its differentiation from background-parenchymal-enhancement (BPE) among lactating patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-nine lactating participants, including 10 PABC patients and 19 healthy controls, were scanned on 3-T MRI using a conventional DCE protocol interleaved with a golden-angle radial sparse parallel (GRASP) ultrafast sequence for the initial phase. The timing of the visualization of PABC lesions was compared to lactational BPE. Contrast-noise ratio (CNR) was compared between the ultrafast and conventional DCE sequences. The differences in each group's ultrafast-derived kinetic parameters including maximal slope (MS), time to enhancement (TTE), and area under the curve (AUC) were statistically examined using the Mann-Whitney test and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS On ultrafast MRI, breast cancer lesions enhanced earlier than BPE (p < 0.0001), enabling breast cancer visualization freed from lactation BPE. A higher CNR was found for ultrafast acquisitions vs. conventional DCE (p < 0.05). Significant differences in AUC, MS, and TTE values were found between the tumor and BPE (p < 0.05), with ROC-derived AUC of 0.86 ± 0.06, 0.82 ± 0.07, and 0.68 ± 0.08, respectively. The BPE grades of the lactating PABC patients were reduced as compared with the healthy lactating controls (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION Ultrafast DCE MRI allows BPE-free visualization of lesions, improved tumor conspicuity, and kinetic quantification of breast cancer during lactation. Implementation of this method may assist in the utilization of breast MRI for lactating patients. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The ultrafast sequence appears to be superior to conventional DCE MRI in the challenging evaluation of the lactating breast. Thus, supporting its possible utilization in the setting of high-risk screening during lactation and the diagnostic workup of PABC. KEY POINTS • Differences in the enhancement slope of cancer relative to BPE allowed the optimal visualization of PABC lesions on mid-acquisitions of ultrafast DCE, in which the tumor enhanced prior to the background parenchyma. • The conspicuity of PABC lesions on top of the lactation-related BPE was increased using an ultrafast sequence as compared with conventional DCE MRI. • Ultrafast-derived maps provided further characterization and parametric contrast between PABC lesions and lactation-related BPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Nissan
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 St. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Debbie Anaby
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 St. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gazal Mahameed
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 St. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ethan Bauer
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Efi Efraim Moss Massasa
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 St. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Tehillah Menes
- Department of General Surgery, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ravit Agassi
- Department of General Surgery, Soroka Medical Center, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Asia Brodsky
- Department of General Surgery, Bnei Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Robert Grimm
- MR Application Predevelopment, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Elisa Roccia
- MR Scientific Marketing, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Miri Sklair-Levy
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 St. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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3
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Otowa Y, Kishimoto S, Saida Y, Yamashita K, Yamamoto K, Chandramouli GV, Devasahayam N, Mitchell JB, Krishna MC, Brender JR. Evofosfamide and Gemcitabine Act Synergistically in Pancreatic Cancer Xenografts by Dual Action on Tumor Vasculature and Inhibition of Homologous Recombination DNA Repair. Antioxid Redox Signal 2023; 39:432-444. [PMID: 37051681 PMCID: PMC10623073 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2022.0118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Aims: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) form hypovascular and hypoxic tumors, which are difficult to treat with current chemotherapy regimens. Gemcitabine (GEM) is often used as a first-line treatment for PDACs but has issues with chemoresistance and penetration in the interior of the tumor. Evofosfamide, a hypoxia-activated prodrug, has been shown to be effective in combination with GEM, although the mechanism of each drug on the other has not been established. We used mouse xenografts from two cell lines (MIA Paca-2 and SU.86.86) with different tumor microenvironmental characteristics to probe the action of each drug on the other. Results: GEM treatment enhanced survival times in mice with SU.86.86 leg xenografts (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.35, p = 0.03) but had no effect on MIA Paca-2 mice (HR = 0.91, 95% confidence interval = 0.37-2.25, p = 0.84). Conversely, evofosfamide did not improve survival times in SU.86.86 mice to a statistically significant degree (HR = 0.57, p = 0.22). Electron paramagnetic resonance imaging showed that oxygenation worsened in MIA Paca-2 tumors when treated with GEM, providing a direct mechanism for the activation of the hypoxia-activated prodrug evofosfamide by GEM. Sublethal amounts of either treatment enhanced the toxicity of other treatment in vitro in SU.86.86 but not in MIA Paca-2. By the biomarker γH2AX, combination treatment increased the number of double-stranded DNA lesions in vitro for SU.86.86 but not MIA Paca-2. Innovation and Conclusion: The synergy between GEM and evofosfamide appears to stem from the dual action of GEMs effect on tumor vasculature and inhibition by GEM of the homologous recombination DNA repair process. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 39, 432-444.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasunori Otowa
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shun Kishimoto
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yu Saida
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kota Yamashita
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kazutoshi Yamamoto
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gadisetti V.R. Chandramouli
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Nallathamby Devasahayam
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - James B. Mitchell
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Murali C. Krishna
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeffrey R. Brender
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Nissan N, Massasa EEM, Bauer E, Halshtok-Neiman O, Shalmon A, Gotlieb M, Faermann R, Samoocha D, Yagil Y, Ziv-Baran T, Anaby D, Sklair-Levy M. MRI can accurately diagnose breast cancer during lactation. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:2935-2944. [PMID: 36348090 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-022-09234-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test the diagnostic performance of breast dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI during lactation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Datasets of 198 lactating patients, including 66 pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) patients and 132 controls, who were scanned by DCE on 1.5-T MRI, were retrospectively evaluated. Six blinded, expert radiologists independently read a single DCE maximal intensity projection (MIP) image for each case and were asked to determine whether malignancy was suspected and the background-parenchymal-enhancement (BPE) grade. Likewise, computer-aided diagnosis CAD MIP images were independently read by the readers. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) analysis was measured and compared among four consecutive acquisitions of DCE subtraction images. RESULTS For MIP-DCE images, the readers achieved the following means: sensitivity 93.3%, specificity 80.3%, positive-predictive-value 70.4, negative-predictive-value 96.2, and diagnostic accuracy of 84.6%, with a substantial inter-rater agreement (Kappa = 0.673, p value < 0.001). Most false-positive interpretations were attributed to either the MIP presentation, an underlying benign lesion, or an asymmetric appearance due to prior treatments. CAD's derived diagnostic accuracy was similar (p = 0.41). BPE grades were significantly increased in the healthy controls compared to the PABC cohort (p < 0.001). CNR significantly decreased by 11-13% in each of the four post-contrast images (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Breast DCE MRI maintains its high efficiency among the lactating population, probably due to a vascular-steal phenomenon, which causes a significant reduction of BPE in cancer cases. Upon validation by prospective, multicenter trials, this study could open up the opportunity for breast MRI to be indicated in the screening and diagnosis of lactating patients, with the aim of facilitating an earlier diagnosis of PABC. KEY POINTS • A single DCE MIP image was sufficient to reach a mean sensitivity of 93.3% and NPV of 96.2%, to stress the high efficiency of breast MRI during lactation. • Reduction in BPE among PABC patients compared to the lactating controls suggests that several factors, including a possible vascular steal phenomenon, may affect cancer patients. • Reduction in CNR along four consecutive post-contrast acquisitions highlights the differences in breast carcinoma and BPE kinetics and explains the sufficient conspicuity on the first subtracted image.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Nissan
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Efi Efraim Moss Massasa
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ethan Bauer
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Osnat Halshtok-Neiman
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anat Shalmon
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michael Gotlieb
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Renata Faermann
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - David Samoocha
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yael Yagil
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tomer Ziv-Baran
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Debbie Anaby
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Miri Sklair-Levy
- Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Emek Ha-Ella 1 st. Tel Hashomer, 5265601, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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5
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Sultan LR, Karmacharya MB, Al-Hasani M, Cary TW, Sehgal CM. Hydralazine-augmented contrast ultrasound imaging improves the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma. Med Phys 2023; 50:1728-1735. [PMID: 36680519 PMCID: PMC10128060 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) detection with B-mode and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CUS) imaging often varies between subjects, especially in patients with background cirrhosis. Various factors contribute to this variability, including the tumor blood flow, tumor size, internal echoes, and its location in livers with diffuse fibro-cirrhotic changes. OBJECTIVE Towards improving lesion detection, this study evaluates a vasodilator, hydralazine, to enhance the visibility of HCC by reducing its blood flow relative to the surrounding liver tissue. METHODS HCC were analyzed for tumor visibility measured for B-mode, CUS, and hydralazine-augmented-contrast ultrasound (HyCUS) in an autochthonous HCC rat model. 21 tumors from 12 rats were studied. B-mode and CUS images were acquired before hydralazine injection. Rats received an intravenous hydralazine injection of 5 mg/kg, then images were acquired 20 min later. Four rats were used as controls. The difference in echo intensity of the lesion and the surrounding tissue was used to determine the visibility index (VI). RESULTS The visibility index for HCC was found to be significantly improved with the use of HyCUS imaging compared to traditional B-mode and CUS imaging. The visibility index for HCC was 16.5 ± 2.8 for HyCUS, compared to 5.3 ± 4.8 for B-mode and 4.1 ± 3.8 for CUS. The differences between HyCUS and the other imaging modalities were statistically significant, with p-values of 0.001 and 0.02, respectively. Additionally, when compared to control cases, HyCUS showed higher discrimination of HCC (VI = 6.4 ± 1.2) with a p-value of 0.003, while B-mode (VI = 6.7 ± 1.4, p = 0.5) and CUS (VI = 6.4 ± 1.2, p = 0.3) showed lower discrimination. CONCLUSION Vascular blood flow modulation by hydralazine enhances the visibility of HCC. HyCUS offers a potential problem-solving method for detecting HCC when B-mode and CUS are unsuccessful, especially with background fibro-cirrhotic liver disease. Future evaluation of the approach in humans will determine its translatability for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laith R Sultan
- Ultrasound Research Lab, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Radiology, Children's hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mrigendra B Karmacharya
- Department of Radiology, Children's hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Maryam Al-Hasani
- Ultrasound Research Lab, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Theodore W Cary
- Department of Radiology, Children's hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Chandra M Sehgal
- Ultrasound Research Lab, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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6
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Sultan LR, Al-Hasani M, Karmacharya MB, Cary TW, Sehgal CM. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for assessing blood flow modulation of hepatocellular carcinoma by hydralazine. 2022 IEEE INTERNATIONAL ULTRASONICS SYMPOSIUM (IUS) 2022; 2022. [PMID: 37091308 PMCID: PMC10116375 DOI: 10.1109/ius54386.2022.9958467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Modulating aberrant tumor microvasculature provides unique opportunities for enhancing ultrasound imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to use contrast-enhanced ultrasound to evaluate the potential of a potent vasodilator, hydralazine, to attenuate blood flow in HCC while enhancing it in the surrounding liver tissue. The "steel effect," where blood flow is diverted from the lesion to the surrounding tissue aims to enhance lesion-tissue contrast. Methods: HCC was induced in six rats by oral ingestion of diethylnitrosamine for 12 weeks. 10 tumors were studied to assess the enhancement in HCC tumors and surrounding tissue. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound images (CEUS) of each tumor were acquired before and after hydralazine injection. The enhancement of images was analyzed for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of HCC enhancement. Peak enhancement (PE) was calculated, representing the maximum signal intensity reached during the transit of the contrast bolus for both the tumor and the surrounding tissue. Intravenous administration of hydralazine significantly reduced CEUS signals in HCC tumors. The visual examination of images showed that the enhancement of tumors dramatically decreased after hydralazine injection. On the other hand, the surrounding tissue showed an increased enhancement. PE for the HCC changed from (71.8 ± 5) pre hydralazine to (28.7± 4.9), a 61.7% reduction after hydralazine injection, p=0.01. Future studies validating the technique in clinical settings for enhancing lesion-tissue contrast may allow physicians greater precision and accuracy in HCC surveillance for early detection of small tumors.
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Michon S, Rodier F, Yu FTH. Targeted Anti-Cancer Provascular Therapy Using Ultrasound, Microbubbles, and Nitrite to Increase Radiotherapy Efficacy. Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:1093-1105. [PMID: 34990112 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hypoxia is an important mechanism of resistance to radiation therapy in many human malignancies including prostate cancer. It has been recently shown that ultrasound targeted microbubble cavitation (UTMC) can increase blood perfusion in skeletal muscle by triggering nitric oxide signaling. Interestingly, this effect was amplified with a sodium nitrite coinjection. Since sodium nitrite has been shown to synergize with radiotherapy (RT), we hypothesized that UTMC with a sodium nitrite coinjection could further radiosensitize solid tumors by increasing blood perfusion and thus reduce tumor hypoxia. We evaluated (1) the ability of UTMC with and without nitrite to increase perfusion in muscle (mouse hindlimbs) and human prostate tumors using different pulse lengths and pressure; (2) the efficacy of this approach as a provascular therapy given directly before RT in the human prostate subcutaneous xenografts PC3 tumor model. Using long pulses with various pressures, in muscle, the provascular response following UTMC was strong (6.61 ± 4.41-fold increase in perfusion post-treatment). In tumors, long pulses caused an increase in perfusion (2.42 ± 1.38-fold) at lower mechanical index (MI = 0.25) but not at higher MI (0.375, 0.5, and 0.750) when compared to control (no UTMC). However, when combined with RT, UTMC with long pulses (MI = 0.25) did not improve tumor growth inhibition. With short pulses, in muscle, the provascular response following UTMC (SONOS) + nitrite was strong (13.74 ± 8.60-fold increase in perfusion post-treatment). In tumors, UTMC (SONOS) + nitrite also caused a provascular response (1.94 ± 1.20-fold increase in perfusion post-treatment) that lasted for at least 10 min, but not with nitrite alone. Interestingly, the blunted provascular response observed for long pulses at higher MI without nitrite was reversed with the addition of nitrite. UTMC (SONOS) with and without nitrite caused an increase in perfusion in tumors. The provascular response observed for UTMC (SONOS) + nitrite was confirmed by histology. Finally, there was an improved growth inhibition for the 8 Gy RT dose + nitrite + UTMC group vs 8 Gy RT + nitrite alone. This effect was not significant with mice treated by UTMC + nitrite and receiving doses of 0 or 2 Gy RT. In conclusion, UTMC + nitrite increased blood flow leading to an increased efficacy of higher doses of RT in our tumor model, warranting further study of this strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Michon
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) et Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H2X 0A9, Canada.,Institut de Génie Biomédical, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada.,Département de Radiologie, Radio-Oncologie Et Médecine Nucléaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Francis Rodier
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) et Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H2X 0A9, Canada.,Département de Radiologie, Radio-Oncologie Et Médecine Nucléaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - François T H Yu
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) et Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H2X 0A9, Canada.,Institut de Génie Biomédical, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada.,Département de Radiologie, Radio-Oncologie Et Médecine Nucléaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada
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Karimnia V, Slack FJ, Celli JP. Photodynamic Therapy for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13174354. [PMID: 34503165 PMCID: PMC8431269 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13174354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most lethal of human cancers. Numerous clinical trials evaluating various combinations of chemotherapy and targeted agents and radiotherapy have failed to provide meaningful improvements in survival. A growing number of studies however have indicated that photodynamic therapy (PDT) may be a viable approach for treatment of some pancreatic tumors. PDT, which uses light to activate a photosensitizing agent in target tissue, has seen widespread adoption primarily for dermatological and other applications where superficial light delivery is relatively straightforward. Advances in fiber optic light delivery and dosimetry however have been leveraged to enable PDT even for challenging internal sites, including the pancreas. The aim of this article is to help inform future directions by reviewing relevant literature on the basic science, current clinical status, and potential challenges in the development of PDT as a treatment for PDAC. Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most lethal of human cancers. Clinical trials of various chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted agents and combination strategies have generally failed to provide meaningful improvement in survival for patients with unresectable disease. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a photochemistry-based approach that enables selective cell killing using tumor-localizing agents activated by visible or near-infrared light. In recent years, clinical studies have demonstrated the technical feasibility of PDT for patients with locally advanced PDAC while a growing body of preclinical literature has shown that PDT can overcome drug resistance and target problematic and aggressive disease. Emerging evidence also suggests the ability of PDT to target PDAC stroma, which is known to act as both a barrier to drug delivery and a tumor-promoting signaling partner. Here, we review the literature which indicates an emergent role of PDT in clinical management of PDAC, including the potential for combination with other targeted agents and RNA medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vida Karimnia
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts at Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA;
| | - Frank J. Slack
- Department of Pathology, BIDMC Cancer Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Jonathan P. Celli
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts at Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA;
- Correspondence:
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Hydralazine augmented ultrasound hyperthermia for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15553. [PMID: 34330960 PMCID: PMC8324788 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94323-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the use of hydralazine to enhance ultrasound hyperthermia for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by minimizing flow-mediated heat loss from the tumor. Murine HCC tumors were treated with a continuous mode ultrasound with or without an intravenous administration of hydralazine (5 mg/kg). Tumor blood flow and blood vessels were evaluated by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging and histology, respectively. Hydralazine markedly enhanced ultrasound hyperthermia through the disruption of tumor blood flow in HCC. Ultrasound treatment with hydralazine significantly reduced peak enhancement (PE), perfusion index (PI), and area under the curve (AUC) of the CEUS time-intensity curves by 91.9 ± 0.9%, 95.7 ± 0.7%, and 96.6 ± 0.5%, compared to 71.4 ± 1.9%, 84.7 ± 1.1%, and 85.6 ± 0.7% respectively without hydralazine. Tumor temperature measurements showed that the cumulative thermal dose delivered by ultrasound treatment with hydralazine (170.8 ± 11.8 min) was significantly higher than that without hydralazine (137.7 ± 10.7 min). Histological assessment of the ultrasound-treated tumors showed that hydralazine injection formed larger hemorrhagic pools and increased tumor vessel dilation consistent with CEUS observations illustrating the augmentation of hyperthermic effects by hydralazine. In conclusion, we demonstrated that ultrasound hyperthermia can be enhanced significantly by hydralazine in murine HCC tumors by modulating tumor blood flow. Future studies demonstrating the safety of the combined use of ultrasound and hydralazine would enable the clinical translation of the proposed technique.
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10
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Alzhrani R, Alsaab HO, Vanamal K, Bhise K, Tatiparti K, Barari A, Sau S, Iyer AK. Overcoming the Tumor Microenvironmental Barriers of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas for Achieving Better Treatment Outcomes. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2021; 4:2000262. [PMID: 34212073 PMCID: PMC8240487 DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202000262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive disease with the lowest survival rate among all solid tumors. The lethality of PDAC arises from late detection and propensity of the tumor to metastasize and develop resistance against chemo and radiation therapy. A highly complex tumor microenvironment composed of dense stroma, immune cells, fibroblast, and disorganized blood vessels, is the main obstacle to current PDAC therapy. Despite the tremendous success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancers, PDAC remains one of the poorest responders of ICIs therapy. The immunologically "cold" phenotype of PDAC is attributed to the low mutational burden, high infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and T-regs, contributing to a significant immunotherapy resistance mechanism. Thus, the development of innovative strategies for turning immunologically "cold" tumor into "hot" ones is an unmet need to improve the outcome of PDAC ICIs therapies. Other smart strategies, such as nanomedicines, sonic Hedgehog inhibitor, or smoothened inhibitor, are discussed to enhance chemotherapeutic agents' efficiency by disrupting the PDAC stroma. This review highlights the current challenges and various preclinical and clinical strategies to overcome current PDAC therapy difficulties, thus significantly advancing PDAC research knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Alzhrani
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hashem O. Alsaab
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kushal Vanamal
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Ketki Bhise
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Katyayani Tatiparti
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Ayatakshi Barari
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Samaresh Sau
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Arun K. Iyer
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
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11
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Li Y, Zhao L, Li XF. The Hypoxia-Activated Prodrug TH-302: Exploiting Hypoxia in Cancer Therapy. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:636892. [PMID: 33953675 PMCID: PMC8091515 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.636892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is an important feature of most solid tumors, conferring resistance to radiation and many forms of chemotherapy. However, it is possible to exploit the presence of tumor hypoxia with hypoxia-activated prodrugs (HAPs), agents that in low oxygen conditions undergo bioreduction to yield cytotoxic metabolites. Although many such agents have been developed, we will focus here on TH-302. TH-302 has been extensively studied, and we discuss its mechanism of action, as well as its efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies, with the aim of identifying future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Shenzhen, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Long Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Shenzhen, China.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Shenzhen, China.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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12
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Tao J, Yang G, Zhou W, Qiu J, Chen G, Luo W, Zhao F, You L, Zheng L, Zhang T, Zhao Y. Targeting hypoxic tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:14. [PMID: 33436044 PMCID: PMC7805044 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-01030-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Attributable to its late diagnosis, early metastasis, and poor prognosis, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal diseases worldwide. Unlike other solid tumors, pancreatic cancer harbors ample stromal cells and abundant extracellular matrix but lacks vascularization, resulting in persistent and severe hypoxia within the tumor. Hypoxic microenvironment has extensive effects on biological behaviors or malignant phenotypes of pancreatic cancer, including metabolic reprogramming, cancer stemness, invasion and metastasis, and pathological angiogenesis, which synergistically contribute to development and therapeutic resistance of pancreatic cancer. Through various mechanisms including but not confined to maintenance of redox homeostasis, activation of autophagy, epigenetic regulation, and those induced by hypoxia-inducible factors, intratumoral hypoxia drives the above biological processes in pancreatic cancer. Recognizing the pivotal roles of hypoxia in pancreatic cancer progression and therapies, hypoxia-based antitumoral strategies have been continuously developed over the recent years, some of which have been applied in clinical trials to evaluate their efficacy and safety in combinatory therapies for patients with pancreatic cancer. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying hypoxia-induced aggressive and therapeutically resistant phenotypes in both pancreatic cancerous and stromal cells. Additionally, we focus more on innovative therapies targeting the tumor hypoxic microenvironment itself, which hold great potential to overcome the resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and to enhance antitumor efficacy and reduce toxicity to normal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Tao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Gang Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Wenchuan Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jiangdong Qiu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Guangyu Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Wenhao Luo
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Fangyu Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Lei You
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Lianfang Zheng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Taiping Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China. .,Clinical Immunology Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Yupei Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China.
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13
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Jiang B, Zhou L, Lu J, Wang Y, Liu C, You L, Guo J. Stroma-Targeting Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer: One Coin With Two Sides? Front Oncol 2020; 10:576399. [PMID: 33178608 PMCID: PMC7593693 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.576399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a malignancy with one of the worst prognoses worldwide and has an overall 5-year survival rate of only 9%. Although chemotherapy is the recommended treatment for patients with advanced PDAC, its efficacy is not satisfactory. The dense dysplastic stroma of PDAC is a major obstacle to the delivery of chemotherapy drugs and plays an important role in the progression of PDAC. Therefore, stroma-targeting therapy is considered a potential treatment strategy to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy and patient survival. While several preclinical studies have shown encouraging results, the anti-tumor potential of the PDAC stroma has also been revealed, and the extreme depletion might promote tumor progression and undermine patient survival. Therefore, achieving a balance between stromal abundance and depletion might be the further of stroma-targeting therapy. This review summarized the current progress of stroma-targeting therapy in PDAC and discussed the double-edged sword of its therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bolun Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yizhi Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Chengxi Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lei You
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Junchao Guo
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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14
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Lafaro KJ, Melstrom LG. The Paradoxical Web of Pancreatic Cancer Tumor Microenvironment. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2019; 189:44-57. [PMID: 30558722 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2018.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is increasing in incidence and is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Despite significant advances in understanding the disease, there has been minimal increase in PDAC patient survival. PDAC tumors are unique in the fact that there is significant desmoplasia. This generates a large stromal compartment composed of immune cells, inflammatory cells, growth factors, extracellular matrix, and fibroblasts, comprising the tumor microenvironment (TME), which may represent anywhere from 15% to 85% of the tumor. It has become evident that the TME, including both the stroma and extracellular component, plays an important role in tumor progression and chemoresistance of PDAC. This review will discuss the multiple components of the TME, their specific impact on tumorigenesis, and the multiple therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Lafaro
- Department of Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Laleh G Melstrom
- Department of Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California.
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15
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Kishimoto S, Brender JR, Crooks DR, Matsumoto S, Seki T, Oshima N, Merkle H, Lin P, Reed G, Chen AP, Ardenkjaer-Larsen JH, Munasinghe J, Saito K, Yamamoto K, Choyke PL, Mitchell J, Lane AN, Fan TWM, Linehan WM, Krishna MC. Imaging of glucose metabolism by 13C-MRI distinguishes pancreatic cancer subtypes in mice. eLife 2019; 8:e46312. [PMID: 31408004 PMCID: PMC6706239 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic differences among and within tumors can be an important determinant in cancer treatment outcome. However, methods for determining these differences non-invasively in vivo is lacking. Using pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma as a model, we demonstrate that tumor xenografts with a similar genetic background can be distinguished by their differing rates of the metabolism of 13C labeled glucose tracers, which can be imaged without hyperpolarization by using newly developed techniques for noise suppression. Using this method, cancer subtypes that appeared to have similar metabolic profiles based on steady state metabolic measurement can be distinguished from each other. The metabolic maps from 13C-glucose imaging localized lactate production and overall glucose metabolism to different regions of some tumors. Such tumor heterogeneity would not be not detectable in FDG-PET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Kishimoto
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jeffrey R Brender
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Daniel R Crooks
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Shingo Matsumoto
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Division of Bioengineering and BioinformaticsHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
- JST, PRESTSaitamaJapan
| | - Tomohiro Seki
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Nobu Oshima
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | | | - Penghui Lin
- Center for Environmental and Systems BiochemistryUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonUnited States
| | | | | | - Jan Henrik Ardenkjaer-Larsen
- GE HealthCareChicagoUnited States
- Department of Electrical EngineeringTechnical University of DenmarkKongens LyngbyDenmark
| | | | - Keita Saito
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Kazutoshi Yamamoto
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Peter L Choyke
- Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer ResearchNCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - James Mitchell
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Andrew N Lane
- Center for Environmental and Systems BiochemistryUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonUnited States
- Markey Cancer CenterUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonUnited States
| | - Teresa WM Fan
- Center for Environmental and Systems BiochemistryUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonUnited States
- Markey Cancer CenterUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonUnited States
| | - W Marston Linehan
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Murali C Krishna
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNCI, NIHBethesdaUnited States
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16
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Jansson L, Carlsson PO. Pancreatic Blood Flow with Special Emphasis on Blood Perfusion of the Islets of Langerhans. Compr Physiol 2019; 9:799-837. [PMID: 30892693 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c160050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The pancreatic islets are more richly vascularized than the exocrine pancreas, and possess a 5- to 10-fold higher basal and stimulated blood flow, which is separately regulated. This is reflected in the vascular anatomy of the pancreas where islets have separate arterioles. There is also an insulo-acinar portal system, where numerous venules connect each islet to the acinar capillaries. Both islets and acini possess strong metabolic regulation of their blood perfusion. Of particular importance, especially in the islets, is adenosine and ATP/ADP. Basal and stimulated blood flow is modified by local endothelial mediators, the nervous system as well as gastrointestinal hormones. Normally the responses to the nervous system, especially the parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves, are fairly similar in endocrine and exocrine parts. The islets seem to be more sensitive to the effects of endothelial mediators, especially nitric oxide, which is a permissive factor to maintain the high basal islet blood flow. The gastrointestinal hormones with pancreatic effects mainly influence the exocrine pancreatic blood flow, whereas islets are less affected. A notable exception is incretin hormones and adipokines, which preferentially affect islet vasculature. Islet hormones can influence both exocrine and endocrine blood vessels, and these complex effects are discussed. Secondary changes in pancreatic and islet blood flow occur during several conditions. To what extent changes in blood perfusion may affect the pathogenesis of pancreatic diseases is discussed. Both type 2 diabetes mellitus and acute pancreatitis are conditions where we think there is evidence that blood flow may contribute to disease manifestations. © 2019 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 9:799-837, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif Jansson
- Uppsala University, Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per-Ola Carlsson
- Uppsala University, Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala, Sweden.,Uppsala University, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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17
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Spiegelberg L, Houben R, Niemans R, de Ruysscher D, Yaromina A, Theys J, Guise CP, Smaill JB, Patterson AV, Lambin P, Dubois LJ. Hypoxia-activated prodrugs and (lack of) clinical progress: The need for hypoxia-based biomarker patient selection in phase III clinical trials. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2019; 15:62-69. [PMID: 30734002 PMCID: PMC6357685 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctro.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia-activated prodrugs have yielded promising results up to phase II trials. Implementation of hypoxia-activated prodrugs in the clinic has not been successful. Phase III clinical trials lack patient stratification based on tumor hypoxia status. Stratification will decrease the number of patients needed and increase success. Improvements in hypoxia-activated prodrug design can also increase success rates.
Hypoxia-activated prodrugs (HAPs) are designed to specifically target the hypoxic cells of tumors, which are an important cause of treatment resistance to conventional therapies. Despite promising preclinical and clinical phase I and II results, the most important of which are described in this review, the implementation of hypoxia-activated prodrugs in the clinic has, so far, not been successful. The lack of stratification of patients based on tumor hypoxia status, which can vary widely, is sufficient to account for the failure of phase III trials. To fully exploit the potential of hypoxia-activated prodrugs, hypoxia stratification of patients is needed. Here, we propose a biomarker-stratified enriched Phase III study design in which only biomarker-positive (i.e. hypoxia-positive) patients are randomized between standard treatment and the combination of standard treatment with a hypoxia-activated prodrug. This implies the necessity of a Phase II study in which the biomarker or a combination of biomarkers will be evaluated. The total number of patients needed for both clinical studies will be far lower than in currently used randomize-all designs. In addition, we elaborate on the improvements in HAP design that are feasible to increase the treatment success rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Spiegelberg
- Department of Precision Medicine, The M-Lab, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud Houben
- Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Raymon Niemans
- Department of Precision Medicine, The M-Lab, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk de Ruysscher
- Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ala Yaromina
- Department of Precision Medicine, The M-Lab, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Theys
- Department of Precision Medicine, The M-Lab, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Christopher P Guise
- Translational Therapeutics Team, Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jeffrey B Smaill
- Translational Therapeutics Team, Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Adam V Patterson
- Translational Therapeutics Team, Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Philippe Lambin
- Department of Precision Medicine, The M-Lab, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ludwig J Dubois
- Department of Precision Medicine, The M-Lab, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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18
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Takakusagi Y, Kishimoto S, Naz S, Matsumoto S, Saito K, Hart CP, Mitchell JB, Krishna MC. Radiotherapy Synergizes with the Hypoxia-Activated Prodrug Evofosfamide: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies. Antioxid Redox Signal 2018; 28:131-140. [PMID: 28741367 PMCID: PMC5725636 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2017.7106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Evofosfamide (TH-302) is a hypoxia-activated prodrug (HAP) that releases the DNA-damaging bromo-isophosphoramide mustard (Br-IPM) moiety selectively under hypoxic conditions. Since solid tumors are known to have hypoxic regions, HAPs in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy (XRT) will be beneficial. We tested the oxygen dependence of release kinetics of Br-IPM using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) with spin trapping by monitoring redox cycling of the nitroimidazole moiety of TH-302, and oxygen dependence of TH-302 on in vitro cytotoxicity at different levels of hypoxia was also examined. Two tumor implants (SCCVII and HT29) in mice were studied. RESULTS TH-302 fragmentation to release Br-IPM was noticed at oxygen levels <76 mmHg, which increased with higher levels of hypoxia. Enhanced cellular cytotoxicity was also observed at oxygen levels <76 mmHg. In vivo pO2 imaging in the two tumor implants showed that the SCCVII tumor implant had higher level of hypoxia compared with the HT29 xenograft. TH-302 as a monotherapy in vivo showed modest effects in SCCVII implants and minimal effects in HT29 xenografts, whereas TH-302 in combination with ionizing radiation showed significant benefit in both tumor models. INNOVATION We examined the kinetics of redox cycling versus fragmentation of TH-302. The combination of oxygen-dependent XRT with TH-302 is effective even in tumors with significant hypoxia. CONCLUSIONS Imaging studies identifying the magnitude of hypoxia in tumors indicated that the responsiveness to TH-302 and the antitumor effect of TH-302 were enhanced by combining with XRT in both the TH-302-sensitive SCCVII tumor and -resistant HT29 tumor. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 131-140.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoichi Takakusagi
- 1 Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute , Bethesda, Maryland.,2 National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology , Chiba, Japan
| | - Shun Kishimoto
- 1 Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sarwat Naz
- 1 Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Shingo Matsumoto
- 1 Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute , Bethesda, Maryland.,3 Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University , Sapporo, Japan
| | - Keita Saito
- 1 Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Charles P Hart
- 4 Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , South San Francisco, California
| | - James B Mitchell
- 1 Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Murali C Krishna
- 1 Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute , Bethesda, Maryland
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19
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Shah A, Bush N, Box G, Eccles S, Bamber J. Value of combining dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound and optoacoustic tomography for hypoxia imaging. PHOTOACOUSTICS 2017; 8:15-27. [PMID: 28932684 PMCID: PMC5596361 DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Optoacoustic imaging (OAI) can detect haemoglobin and assess its oxygenation. However, the lack of a haemoglobin signal need not indicate a lack of perfusion. This study uses a novel method to assist the co-registration of optoacoustic images with dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) images to demonstrate, in preclinical tumour models, the value of combining haemoglobin imaging with a perfusion imaging method, showing that a lack of a haemoglobin signal does not necessarily indicate an absence of perfusion. DCE-US was chosen for this particular experiment because US is extremely sensitive to microbubble contrast agents and because microbubbles, like red blood cells but unlike currently available optical contrast agents, do not extravasate. Significant spatial correlations were revealed between the DCE-US properties and tumour blood-oxygen saturation and haemoglobin, as estimated using OAI. It is speculated that DCE-US properties could be applied as surrogate biomarkers for hypoxia when planning clinical radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anant Shah
- The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Joint Department of Physics and CRUK Cancer Imaging Centre in the Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging – Sutton, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel Bush
- The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Joint Department of Physics and CRUK Cancer Imaging Centre in the Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging – Sutton, United Kingdom
| | - Gary Box
- The Institute of Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Therapeutics – Sutton, United Kingdom
| | - Suzanne Eccles
- The Institute of Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Therapeutics – Sutton, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey Bamber
- The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Joint Department of Physics and CRUK Cancer Imaging Centre in the Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging – Sutton, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy with poor survival and high mortality rate with 250 000 deaths per year worldwide. The unique pancreatic cancer microenvironment serves as a major obstacle in the effective treatment of this malignancy. The microenvironment consists not only of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells but also comprises cells of pancreatic cancer stellate, vascular, and immune origin combined with a dense extracellular matrix containing collagen. The aforementioned pathology leads to an increased intratumor pressure combined with an erratic vascular proliferation within the tumor causing hypoxia and decreased drug delivery. This has led both scientists and clinicians to develop and study drugs with unique mechanisms of action to target the pancreatic cancer microenvironment. Herein, we discuss the pancreatic cancer hypoxic microenvironment, development of hypoxia-activated prodrugs, and results of trials utilizing those drugs to target pancreatic cancer.
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Kota J, Hancock J, Kwon J, Korc M. Pancreatic cancer: Stroma and its current and emerging targeted therapies. Cancer Lett 2017; 391:38-49. [PMID: 28093284 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal human malignancies with a 5-year survival rate of 8%. Dense, fibrotic stroma associated with pancreatic tumors is a major obstacle for drug delivery to the tumor bed and plays a crucial role in pancreatic cancer progression. Targeting stroma is considered as a potential therapeutic strategy to improve anti-cancer drug efficacy and patient survival. Although numerous stromal depletion therapies have reached the clinic, they add little to overall survival and are often associated with toxicity. Furthermore, increasing evidence suggests the anti-tumor properties of stroma. Its complete ablation enhanced tumor progression and reduced survival. Consequently, efforts are now focused on developing stromal-targeted therapies that normalize the reactive stroma and avoid the extremes: stromal abundance vs. complete depletion. In this review, we summarized the state of current and emerging anti-stromal targeted therapies, with major emphasis on the role of miRNAs in PDAC stroma and their potential use as novel therapeutic agents to modulate PDAC tumor-stromal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janaiah Kota
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), Indianapolis, IN, USA; The Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, IUSM, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Indiana University and Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Julie Hancock
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jason Kwon
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Murray Korc
- The Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, IUSM, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Indiana University and Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IUSM, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Medicine, IUSM, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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