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Nagashima K, Watanabe H, Akasaka T, Ono M. Development of Triphenylmethane Dyes for In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging of Aβ Oligomers. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38753435 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Detection of amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers, regarded as the most toxic aggregated forms of Aβ, can contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, the development of imaging probes for in vivo visualization of Aβ oligomers is crucial. However, the structural uncertainty regarding Aβ oligomers makes it difficult to design imaging probes with high sensitivity to Aβ oligomers against highly aggregated Aβ fibrils. In this study, we developed Aβ oligomer-selective fluorescent probes based on triphenylmethane dyes through screening of commercially available compounds followed by structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies on cyclic or acyclic 4-dialkylamino groups. We synthesized 11 triarylmethane-based Aβ oligomer probe (TAMAOP) derivatives. In vitro evaluation of fluorescence properties, TAMAOP-9, which had bulky 4-diisobutylamino groups introduced into three benzenes of a twisted triphenylmethane backbone, showed marked fluorescence enhancement in the presence of Aβ oligomers and demonstrated high selectivity for Aβ oligomers against Aβ fibrils. In docking studies using the Aβ trimer model, TAMAOP-9 bound to the hydrophobic surface and interacted with the side chain of Phe20. In vitro section staining revealed that TAMAOP-9 could visualize Aβ oligomers in the brains of AD model mice. An in vivo fluorescence imaging study using TAMAOP-9 showed significantly higher fluorescence signals from the brains of AD model mice than those of age-matched wild-type mice, confirmed by ex vivo section observation. These results suggest that TAMAOP-9 is a promising Aβ oligomer-targeting fluorescent probe applicable to in vivo imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotaro Nagashima
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Takahiro Akasaka
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ono
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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2
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Fang D, Pan D, Wen X, Zhang J, Yang M, Ye D, Liu H. A Near-infrared Fluorescence and Positron Emission Tomography Bimodal Probe for In Vivo Imaging of Amyloid-β Species. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:472-478. [PMID: 38214485 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00377] [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] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Noninvasive imaging of amyloid-β (Aβ) species in vivo is important for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this paper, we report a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence (FL) and positron emission tomography (PET) bimodal probe (NIR-[68Ga]) for in vivo imaging of both soluble and insoluble Aβ species. NIR-[68Ga] holds a high binding affinity, high selectivity and high sensitivity toward Aβ42 monomers, oligomers, and aggregates in vitro. In vivo imaging results show that NIR-[68Ga] can cross the blood-brain-barrier (BBB), and produce significantly higher PET and NIR FL bimodal signals in the brains of APP/PS1 transgenic AD mice relative to that of age-matched wild-type mice, which are also validated by the ex vivo autoradiography and histological staining images. Our results demonstrate that NIR-[68Ga] is an efficient NIR FL and PET bimodal probe for the sensitive imaging of soluble and insoluble Aβ species in AD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daqing Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- 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
| | - Donghui Pan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Xidan Wen
- 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
| | - Junya Zhang
- 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
| | - Min Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Deju Ye
- 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
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
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3
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Chisholm TS, Hunter CA. A closer look at amyloid ligands, and what they tell us about protein aggregates. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:1354-1374. [PMID: 38116736 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00518f] [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: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of amyloid fibrils is characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease. Detecting these fibrils with fluorescent or radiolabelled ligands is one strategy for diagnosing and better understanding these diseases. A vast number of amyloid-binding ligands have been reported in the literature as a result. To obtain a better understanding of how amyloid ligands bind, we have compiled a database of 3457 experimental dissociation constants for 2076 unique amyloid-binding ligands. These ligands target Aβ, tau, or αSyn fibrils, as well as relevant biological samples including AD brain homogenates. From this database significant variation in the reported dissociation constants of ligands was found, possibly due to differences in the morphology of the fibrils being studied. Ligands were also found to bind to Aβ(1-40) and Aβ(1-42) fibrils with similar affinities, whereas a greater difference was found for binding to Aβ and tau or αSyn fibrils. Next, the binding of ligands to fibrils was shown to be largely limited by the hydrophobic effect. Some Aβ ligands do not fit into this hydrophobicity-limited model, suggesting that polar interactions can play an important role when binding to this target. Finally several binding site models were outlined for amyloid fibrils that describe what ligands target what binding sites. These models provide a foundation for interpreting and designing site-specific binding assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S Chisholm
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1 EW, UK.
| | - Christopher A Hunter
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1 EW, UK.
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4
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Zhang J, Wickizer C, Ding W, Van R, Yang L, Zhu B, Yang J, Wang Y, Wang Y, Xu Y, Zhang C, Shen S, Wang C, Shao Y, Ran C. In vivo three-dimensional brain imaging with chemiluminescence probes in Alzheimer's disease models. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2310131120. [PMID: 38048460 PMCID: PMC10723133 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310131120] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Optical three-dimensional (3D) molecular imaging is highly desirable for providing precise distribution of the target-of-interest in disease models. However, such 3D imaging is still far from wide applications in biomedical research; 3D brain optical molecular imaging, in particular, has rarely been reported. In this report, we designed chemiluminescence probes with high quantum yields, relatively long emission wavelengths, and high signal-to-noise ratios to fulfill the requirements for 3D brain imaging in vivo. With assistance from density-function theory (DFT) computation, we designed ADLumin-Xs by locking up the rotation of the double bond via fusing the furan ring to the phenyl ring. Our results showed that ADLumin-5 had a high quantum yield of chemiluminescence and could bind to amyloid beta (Aβ). Remarkably, ADLumin-5's radiance intensity in brain areas could reach 4 × 107 photon/s/cm2/sr, which is probably 100-fold higher than most chemiluminescence probes for in vivo imaging. Because of its strong emission, we demonstrated that ADLumin-5 could be used for in vivo 3D brain imaging in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, MA02129
| | - Carly Wickizer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK73019
| | - Weihua Ding
- Department of Anesthesia Critical Care and Pain Medicine, MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02114
| | - Richard Van
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK73019
| | - Liuyue Yang
- Department of Anesthesia Critical Care and Pain Medicine, MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02114
| | - Biyue Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, MA02129
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, MA02129
| | - Yanli Wang
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, MA02129
| | - Yongle Wang
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, MA02129
| | - Yulong Xu
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, MA02129
| | - Can Zhang
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, McCance Center for Brain Health Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA02129
| | - Shiqian Shen
- Department of Anesthesia Critical Care and Pain Medicine, MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02114
| | - Changning Wang
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, MA02129
| | - Yihan Shao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK73019
| | - Chongzhao Ran
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, MA02129
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5
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Zhang ZY, Li ZJ, Tang YH, Xu L, Zhang DT, Qin TY, Wang YL. Recent Research Progress in Fluorescent Probes for Detection of Amyloid-β In Vivo. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:990. [PMID: 37998165 PMCID: PMC10669267 DOI: 10.3390/bios13110990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease. Due to its complex pathological mechanism, its etiology is not yet clear. As one of the main pathological markers of AD, amyloid-β (Aβ) plays an important role in the development of AD. The deposition of Aβ is not only related to the degeneration of neurons, but also can activate a series of pathological events, including the activation of astrocytes and microglia, the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, and the change in microcirculation, which is the main cause of brain lesions and death in AD patients. Therefore, the development of efficient and reliable Aβ-specific probes is crucial for the early diagnosis and treatment of AD. This paper focuses on reviewing the application of small-molecule fluorescent probes in Aβ imaging in vivo in recent years. These probes efficiently map the presence of Aβ in vivo, providing a pathway for the early diagnosis of AD and providing enlightenment for the design of Aβ-specific probes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Ze-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Ying-Hao Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Liang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - De-Teng Zhang
- Institute of Neuroregeneration and Neurorehabilitation, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Tian-Yi Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Ya-Long Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
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6
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Akasaka T, Watanabe H, Ono M. In Vivo Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging Selective for Soluble Amyloid β Aggregates Using y-Shaped BODIPY Derivative. J Med Chem 2023; 66:14029-14046. [PMID: 37824378 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01057] [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: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Soluble amyloid β (Aβ) aggregates, suggested to be the most toxic forms of Aβ, draw attention as therapeutic targets and biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As soluble Aβ aggregates are transient and diverse, imaging their diverse forms in vivo is expected to have a marked impact on research and diagnosis of AD. Herein, we report a near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) probe, BAOP-16, targeting diverse soluble Aβ aggregates. BAOP-16, whose molecular shape resembles "y", showed a marked selective increase in fluorescence intensity upon binding to soluble Aβ aggregates in the near-infrared region and a high binding affinity for them. Additionally, BAOP-16 could detect Aβ oligomers in the brains of Aβ-inoculated model mice. In an in vivo fluorescence imaging study of BAOP-16, brains of AD model mice displayed significantly higher fluorescence signals than those of wild-type mice. These results indicate that BAOP-16 could be useful for the in vivo NIRF imaging of diverse soluble Aβ aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Akasaka
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ono
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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7
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Yang J, Ding W, Zhu B, Zhen S, Kuang S, Yang J, Zhang C, Wang P, Yang F, Yang L, Yin W, Tanzi RE, Shen S, Ran C. Bioluminescence Imaging with Functional Amyloid Reservoirs in Alzheimer's Disease Models. Anal Chem 2023; 95:14261-14270. [PMID: 37712902 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging has changed the daily practice of preclinical research on cancer and other diseases over the last few decades; however, it has rarely been applied in preclinical research on Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this Article, we demonstrated that bioluminescence imaging could be used to report the levels of amyloid beta (Aβ) species in vivo. We hypothesized that AkaLumine, a newly discovered substrate for luciferase, could bind to Aβ aggregates and plaques. We further speculated that the Aβ aggregates/fibrils/plaques could be considered as "functional amyloids", which have a reservoir function to sequester and release AkaLumine to control the bioluminescence intensity, which could be used to report the levels of Aβs. Our hypotheses have been validated via in vitro solution tests, mimic studies with brain tissues and mice, two-photon imaging with AD mice, and in vivo bioluminescence imaging using transgenic AD mice that were virally transduced with AkaLuciferase (AkaLuc), a new luciferase that generates bioluminescence in the near-infrared window. As expected, compared to the control group, we observed that the Aβ group showed lower bioluminescence intensity due to AkaLumine sequestering at early time points, while higher intensity was due to AkaLumine releasing at later time points. Lastly, we demonstrated that this method could be used to monitor AD progression and the therapeutic effectiveness of avagacestat, a well-studied gamma-secretase inhibitor. Importantly, a good correlation (R2 = 0.81) was established between in vivo bioluminescence signals and Aβ burdens of the tested AD mice. We believe that our approach can be easily implemented into daily imaging experiments and has tremendous potential to change the daily practice of preclinical AD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts 02129,United States
- School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Weihua Ding
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Biyue Zhu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts 02129,United States
| | - Sherri Zhen
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Shi Kuang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts 02129,United States
| | - Jun Yang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts 02129,United States
| | - Can Zhang
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Peng Wang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts 02129,United States
- School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts 02129,United States
| | - Liuyue Yang
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Wei Yin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts 02129,United States
| | - Rudolph E Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Shiqian Shen
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Chongzhao Ran
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts 02129,United States
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Li L, Xiang F, Yao L, Zhang C, Jia X, Chen A, Liu Y. Synthesis and evaluation of curcumin-based near-infrared fluorescent probes for detection of amyloid β peptide in Alzheimer mouse models. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 92:117410. [PMID: 37506558 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
The abnormal accumulation of amyloid β protein (Aβ) is one of the most important causes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is usually a detecting biomarker. Curcumin and its derivatives have potential Aβ aggregate targeting ability; we synthesized a series of curcumin-based near-infrared fluorescence probes in this study. By characterizing the excitation wavelength and emission wavelength, the imaging characteristics of the investigation in the near-infrared light region were determined; with an increase in the concentration of the probe compounds, the fluorescence intensity showed an upward trend, demonstrating ideal optical characteristics. In vivo, imaging results showed that the synthesized probe compounds could penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and specifically bind to Aβ in the brain of APP/PS1 mice. Especially for compound 3b, the maximum emission wavelength was around 667 nm, and the fluorescence signal intensity in the brain of the APP/PS1 mice model was more than twice that of the wild control group at 120 min after administration, which could display Aβ pathological changes. The fluorescent probes designed in this study can become an effective tool for early AD diagnosis and visual detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, People's Republic of China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of New Drug Research & Development, Shenyang 110036, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengting Xiang
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, People's Republic of China
| | - Luyang Yao
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuang Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, People's Republic of China
| | - Xirong Jia
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, People's Republic of China
| | - Anqi Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, People's Republic of China; Liaoning University, Judicial Expertise Center, Shenyang 110036, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Bajad NG, Kumar A, Singh SK. Recent Advances in the Development of Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probes for the in Vivo Brain Imaging of Amyloid-β Species in Alzheimer's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:2955-2967. [PMID: 37574911 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00304] [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] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques in the parenchymal and cortical regions of the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients is considered the foremost pathological hallmark of the disease. The early diagnosis of AD is paramount in order to effective management and treatment of the disease. Developing near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) probes targeting Aβ species is a potential and attractive approach suitable for the early and timely diagnosis of AD. The advantages of the NIRF probes over other tools include real-time detection, higher sensitivity, resolution, comparatively inexpensive experimental setup, and noninvasive nature. Currently, enormous progress is being observed in the development of NIRF probes for the in vivo imaging of Aβ species. Several strategies, i.e., the classical push-pull approach, "turn-on" effect, aggregation-induced emission (AIE), and resonance energy transfer (RET), have been exploited for development. We have outlined and discussed the recently emerged NIRF probes with different design strategies targeting Aβ species for ex vivo and in vivo imaging. We believe that understanding the recent development enables the prospect of the rational design of probes and will pave the way for developing future novel probes for early diagnosis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilesh Gajanan Bajad
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory I, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi-221005, India
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory I, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi-221005, India
| | - Sushil Kumar Singh
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory I, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi-221005, India
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10
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Zhang J, Wickizer C, Ding W, Van R, Yang L, Zhu B, Yang J, Zhang C, Shen S, Shao Y, Ran C. In Vivo Three-dimensional Brain Imaging with Chemiluminescence Probes in Alzheimer's Disease Models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.02.547411. [PMID: 37461700 PMCID: PMC10350002 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.02.547411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Optical three-dimensional (3D) molecular imaging is highly desirable for providing precise distribution of the target-of-interest in disease models. However, such 3D imaging is still far from wide applications in biomedical research; 3D brain optical molecular imaging, in particular, has rarely been reported. In this report, we designed chemiluminescence probes with high quantum yields (QY), relatively long emission wavelengths, and high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) to fulfill the requirements for 3D brain imaging in vivo. With assistance from density-function theory (DFT) computation, we designed ADLumin-Xs by locking up the rotation of the double-bond via fusing the furan ring to the phenyl ring. Our results showed that ADLumin-5 had a high quantum yield of chemiluminescence and could bind to amyloid beta (Aβ). Remarkably, ADLumin-5's radiance intensity in brain areas could reach 4×107 photon/s/cm2/sr, which is probably 100-fold higher than most chemiluminescence probes for in vivo imaging. Because of its strong emission, we demonstrated that ADLumin-5 could be used for in vivo 3D brain imaging in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Carly Wickizer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Weihua Ding
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Richard Van
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Liuyue Yang
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Biyue Zhu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Jun Yang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Can Zhang
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Shiqian Shen
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Yihan Shao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Chongzhao Ran
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Room 2301, Building 149, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA
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11
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Sarabia-Vallejo Á, López-Alvarado P, Menéndez JC. Small-molecule theranostics in Alzheimer's disease. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 255:115382. [PMID: 37141706 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) remains one of the most challenging health-related issues for our society. It is becoming increasingly prevalent, especially in developed countries, due to the rising life expectancy and, moreover, represents a considerable economic burden worldwide. All efforts at the discovery of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools in the last decades have invariably met with failure, making AD an incurable illness and underscoring the need for new approaches. In recent years, theranostic agents have emerged as an interesting strategy. They are molecules able to simultaneously provide diagnostic information and deliver therapeutic activity, allowing for the assessment of the molecule activity, the organism response and the pharmacokinetics. This makes these compounds promising for streamlining research on AD drugs and for their application in personalized medicine. We review here the field of small-molecule theranostic agents as promising tools for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic resources against AD, highlighting the positive and significant impact that theranostics can be expected to have in the near future in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Sarabia-Vallejo
- Unidad de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar López-Alvarado
- Unidad de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Carlos Menéndez
- Unidad de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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Yang H, Zeng F, Luo Y, Zheng C, Ran C, Yang J. Curcumin Scaffold as a Multifunctional Tool for Alzheimer's Disease Research. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27123879. [PMID: 35745002 PMCID: PMC9227459 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27123879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, which is caused by multi-factors and characterized by two histopathological hallmarks: amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of Tau proteins. Thus, researchers have been devoting tremendous efforts to developing and designing new molecules for the early diagnosis of AD and curative purposes. Curcumin and its scaffold have fluorescent and photochemical properties. Mounting evidence showed that curcumin scaffold had neuroprotective effects on AD such as anti-amyloidogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and metal chelating. In this review, we summarized different curcumin derivatives and analyzed the in vitro and in vivo results in order to exhibit the applications in AD diagnosis, therapeutic monitoring and therapy. The analysis results showed that, although curcumin and its analogues have some disadvantages such as short wavelength and low bioavailability, these shortcomings can be conquered by modifying the structures. Curcumin scaffold still has the potential to be a multifunctional tool for AD research, including AD diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Yang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Organ Repair, School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; (H.Y.); (Y.L.)
| | - Fantian Zeng
- School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China;
| | - Yunchun Luo
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Organ Repair, School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; (H.Y.); (Y.L.)
| | - Chao Zheng
- PET Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA;
| | - Chongzhao Ran
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
- Correspondence: (C.R.); (J.Y.)
| | - Jian Yang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Organ Repair, School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; (H.Y.); (Y.L.)
- Correspondence: (C.R.); (J.Y.)
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