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Singh VK, Wise SY, Fatanmi OO, Petrus SA, Carpenter AD, Lee SH, Hauer-Jensen M, Seed TM. Histopathological studies of nonhuman primates exposed to supralethal doses of total- or partial-body radiation: influence of a medical countermeasure, gamma-tocotrienol. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5757. [PMID: 38459144 PMCID: PMC10923821 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56135-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite remarkable scientific progress over the past six decades within the medical arts and in radiobiology in general, limited radiation medical countermeasures (MCMs) have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the acute radiation syndrome (ARS). Additional effort is needed to develop large animal models for improving the prediction of clinical safety and effectiveness of MCMs for acute and delayed effects of radiation in humans. Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are considered the animal models that reproduce the most appropriate representation of human disease and are considered the gold standard for drug development and regulatory approval. The clinical and histopathological effects of supralethal, total- or partial-body irradiations (12 Gy) of NHPs were assessed, along with possible protective actions of a promising radiation MCM, gamma-tocotrienol (GT3). Results show that these supralethal radiation exposures induce severe injuries that manifest both clinically as well as pathologically, as evidenced by the noted functionally crippling lesions within various major organ systems of experimental NHPs. The MCM, GT3, has limited radioprotective efficacy against such supralethal radiation doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814-2712, USA.
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
| | - Stephen Y Wise
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814-2712, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Oluseyi O Fatanmi
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814-2712, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Sarah A Petrus
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814-2712, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Alana D Carpenter
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814-2712, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Sang-Ho Lee
- Pathology Department, Research Services, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | - Martin Hauer-Jensen
- Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
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Singh VK, Seed TM. The potential value of 5-androstenediol in countering acute radiation syndrome. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:103856. [PMID: 38097137 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Moderate-to-high doses of ionizing irradiation can lead to potentially life-threatening morbidities and increase mortality risk. In preclinical testing, 5-androstenediol has been shown to be effective in protecting against hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome. This agent is important for innate immunity, serves to modulate cell cycle progression, reduces radiation-induced apoptosis, and regulates DNA repair. The drug has been evaluated clinically for its pharmacokinetics and safety. The United States Food and Drug Administration granted investigational new drug status to its injectable depot formulation (NEUMUNE). Its safety and efficacy profiles make it an attractive candidate for further development as a radiation countermeasure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Singh VK, Fatanmi OO, Wise SY, Carpenter AD, Janocha B, Seed TM. Novel biomarkers for acute radiation injury and countermeasures using large and small animal models and multi-omics approach. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2023; 199:1526-1532. [PMID: 37721071 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncad035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Threats of radiological or nuclear disasters are of serious concern and a top priority for government agencies involved in domestic security and public health preparedness. There is a need for sensitive bioassays for biodosimetric assessments of radiation exposures originating from unanticipated nuclear/radiological events. The Food and Drug Administration Animal Rule approval pathway requires an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of radiation injury, drug efficacy and biomarkers for radiation medical countermeasure approval. Biomarkers can be helpful for extrapolating the efficacious countermeasure dose in animals to humans. We summarised here our studies to identify candidate biomarkers for the acute radiation injury using various omic platforms (metabolomics/lipidomics, proteomics, microbiome and transcriptomics/microRNA) using murine and non-human primate models conducted in our laboratory. Multi-omic platforms appear to be highly useful in assessing radiation exposure levels and for identifying biomarkers of radiation injury and countermeasure efficacy, which can expedite the regulatory approval of countermeasures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Oluseyi O Fatanmi
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Stephen Y Wise
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Alana D Carpenter
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Brianna Janocha
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Singh VK, Srivastava M, Seed TM. Protein biomarkers for radiation injury and testing of medical countermeasure efficacy: promises, pitfalls, and future directions. Expert Rev Proteomics 2023; 20:221-246. [PMID: 37752078 DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2023.2263652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Radiological/nuclear accidents, hostile military activity, or terrorist strikes have the potential to expose a large number of civilians and military personnel to high doses of radiation resulting in the development of acute radiation syndrome and delayed effects of exposure. Thus, there is an urgent need for sensitive and specific assays to assess the levels of radiation exposure to individuals. Such radiation exposures are expected to alter primary cellular proteomic processes, resulting in multifaceted biological responses. AREAS COVERED This article covers the application of proteomics, a promising and fast developing technology based on quantitative and qualitative measurements of protein molecules for possible rapid measurement of radiation exposure levels. Recent advancements in high-resolution chromatography, mass spectrometry, high-throughput, and bioinformatics have resulted in comprehensive (relative quantitation) and precise (absolute quantitation) approaches for the discovery and accuracy of key protein biomarkers of radiation exposure. Such proteome biomarkers might prove useful for assessing radiation exposure levels as well as for extrapolating the pharmaceutical dose of countermeasures for humans based on efficacy data generated using animal models. EXPERT OPINION The field of proteomics promises to be a valuable asset in evaluating levels of radiation exposure and characterizing radiation injury biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Meera Srivastava
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Singh VK, Carpenter AD, Janocha BL, Petrus SA, Fatanmi OO, Wise SY, Seed TM. Radiosensitivity of rhesus nonhuman primates: Consideration of sex, supportive care, body weight and age at time of exposure. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023:1-18. [PMID: 37073409 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2205123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal models are vital for the development of radiation medical countermeasures for the prophylaxis or treatment of acute radiation syndrome and for the delayed effects of acute radiation exposure. Nonhuman primates (NHPs) play an important role in the regulatory approval of such agents by the United States Food and Drug Administration following the Animal Rule. Reliance on such animal models requires that such models are well characterized. METHODS Data gathered from both male and female animals under the same conditions and gathered concurrently are limited; therefore, the authors compared and contrasted here the radiosensitivity of both male and female NHPs provided different levels of clinical support over a range of acute, total-body gamma irradiation, as well as the influence of age and body weight. RESULTS Under matched experimental conditions, the authors observed only marginal, but clearly evident differences between acutely irradiated male and female NHPs relative to the measured response endpoints (rates of survival, blood cell changes and cytokine fluctuations). These differences appeared to be accentuated by level of exposure as well as by nature of clinical support. CONCLUSION Additional studies with both sexes under various experimental conditions and different radiation qualities run concurrently are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Alana D Carpenter
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Brianna L Janocha
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Sarah A Petrus
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Oluseyi O Fatanmi
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Stephen Y Wise
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Singh VK, Seed TM. The safety and efficacy of interleukin 11 for radiation injury. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2023; 22:105-109. [PMID: 36846931 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2023.2185604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Singh VK, Seed TM. Development of gamma-tocotrienol as a radiation medical countermeasure for the acute radiation syndrome: current status and future perspectives. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2023; 32:25-35. [PMID: 36655861 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2023.2169127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The possibility of exposure to high doses of total- or partial-body ionizing radiation at a high dose rate due to radiological/nuclear accidents or terrorist attacks is increasing. Despite research and development during the last six decades, there is a shortage of nontoxic, safe, and effective radiation medical countermeasures (MCMs) for radiological and nuclear emergencies. To date, the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has approved only four agents for the mitigation of hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS). AREA COVERED We present the current status of a promising radiation countermeasure, gamma-tocotrienol (GT3; a component of vitamin E) as a radiation MCM that has been investigated in murine and nonhuman primate models of H-ARS. There is significant work with this agent using various omic platforms during the last few years to identify its efficacy biomarkers. EXPERT OPINION GT3 is a newer type of radioprotector having significant injury-countering potential and is currently under advanced development for H-ARS. As a pre-exposure drug, it requires only single doses, lacks significant toxicity, and has minimal, ambient temperature storage requirements; thus, GT3 appears to be an ideal MCM for military and first responders as well as for storage in the Strategic National Stockpile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Singh VK, Seed TM. Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences perspective on space radiation countermeasure discovery. Life Sci Space Res (Amst) 2022; 35:20-29. [PMID: 36336365 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
There is a need to develop and deploy medical countermeasures (MCMs) in order to support astronauts during space missions against excessive exposures to ionizing radiation exposure. The radiation environment of extraterrestrial space is complex and is characterized by nearly constant fluences of elemental atomic particles (protons being a dominant particle type) with widely different energies and ionization potentials. Chronic exposure to such ionizing radiation carries both near- and long-term health risks, which are generally related to the relative intensity and duration of exposure. These radiation-associated health risks can be managed only to a limited extent by physical means, but perhaps they might be more effectively managed biomedically. The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences has a long history of researching and developing MCMs specifically designed to support terrestrial-based military missions involving a radiation-threat component. The development of MCMs for both low and high doses of radiation are major aims of current research, and as such can provide lessons learned for the development of countermeasures applicable to future space missions and its extraterrestrial radiation environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA; Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Singh VK, Seed TM. Acute radiation syndrome drug discovery using organ-on-chip platforms. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:865-878. [PMID: 35838021 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2099833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : The high attrition rate during drug development remains a challenge that costs a significant amount of time and money. Improving the probabilities of success during the early stages of radiation medical countermeasure (MCM) development for approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) following the Animal Rule will reduce this burden. For optimal development of MCMs, we need suitable and efficient radiation injury models with high biological relevance for evaluating drug efficacy as well as biomarker discovery and validation. AREA COVERED This article focuses on new technologies involving various organs-on-chip platforms. Of late, there have been rapid development of these technologies, especially in terms of mimicking both normal and abnormal physiological conditions. Here, we suggest possible applications of these novel systems for the discovery and development of radiation MCMs for the acute radiation syndrome (ARS). We offer preliminary information on the utility of one such system for MCM research and discovery for the ARS condition. EXPERT OPINION : Each organ-on-a-chip system has its own strengths and shortcomings. As such, the system selected for MCM discovery, development, and regulatory approval should be carefully considered and optimized to the fullest extent in order to augment successful drug testing and the minimization of attrition rates of candidate agents. The recent encouraging progress with organ-on-a-chip technology will likely lead to additional radiation MCMs for ARS approved by the US FDA. The acceptance of organ-on-a-chip technology may be a promising step toward improving the success rate of pharmaceuticals in MCM development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE The intent of this article is to report the status of some of the pharmaceuticals currently in late stage development for possible use for individuals unwantedly and acutely injured as a result of radiological/nuclear exposures. The two major questions we attempt to address here are: (a) What medicinals are currently deemed by regulatory authorities (US FDA) to be safe and effective and are being stockpiled? (b) What additional agents might be needed to make the federal/state/local medicinal repositories more robust and useful in effectively managing contingencies involving radiation overexposures? CONCLUSIONS A limited number (precisely four) of medicinals have been deemed safe and effective, and are approved by the US FDA for the 'hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS).' These agents are largely recombinant growth factors (e.g. rhuG-CSF/filgrastim, rhuGM-CSF/sargramostim) that target and stimulate myeloid progenitors within bone marrow. Romiplostim, a small molecular agonist that enhances platelet production via stimulation of bone marrow megakaryocytes, has been recently approved and indicated for H-ARS. It is critical that additional agents for other major sub-syndromes of ARS (gastrointestinal-ARS) be approved. Future success in developing such medicinals will undoubtedly entail some form of a polypharmaceutical strategy, or perhaps novel, bioengineered chimeric agents with multiple, radioprotective/radiomitigative functionalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Kenchegowda D, Seed TM, Singh VK. What are the practical, ethical and pathobiological considerations in the use of minipigs as an animal model in drug discovery for acute radiation syndrome and delayed effects of acute radiation exposure? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021. [PMID: 34402700 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1965986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Doreswamy Kenchegowda
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Singh VK, Seed TM, Cheema AK. Metabolomics-based predictive biomarkers of radiation injury and countermeasure efficacy: current status and future perspectives. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2021; 21:641-654. [PMID: 34024238 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2021.1933448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is an urgent need for specific and sensitive bioassays to augment biodosimetric assessments of unwanted and excessive radiation exposures that originate from unexpected nuclear/radiological events, including nuclear accidents, acts of terrorism, or the use of a radiological dispersal device. If sufficiently intense, such ionizing radiation exposures are likely to impact normal metabolic processes within the cells and organs of the body, thus inducing multifaceted biological responses. AREAS COVERED This review covers the application of metabolomics, an emerging and promising technology based on quantitative and qualitative determinations of small molecules in biological samples for the rapid assessment of an individual's exposure to ionizing radiation. Recent advancements in the analytics of high-resolution chromatography, mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics have led to untargeted (global) and targeted (quantitative phase) approaches to identify biomarkers of radiation injury and countermeasure efficacy. Biomarkers are deemed essential for both assessing the radiation exposure levels and for extrapolative processes involved in determining scaling factors of a given radiation countering medicinal between experimental animals and humans. EXPERT OPINION The discipline of metabolomics appears to be highly informative in assessing radiation exposure levels and for identifying biomarkers of radiation injury and countermeasure efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants,Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Serices University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Scientific Research Department, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Amrita K Cheema
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
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Li Y, Girgis M, Wise SY, Fatanmi OO, Seed TM, Maniar M, Cheema AK, Singh VK. Analysis of the metabolomic profile in serum of irradiated nonhuman primates treated with Ex-Rad, a radiation countermeasure. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11449. [PMID: 34075191 PMCID: PMC8169671 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91067-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four drugs to mitigate hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome and all four are repurposed radiomitigators. There are several additional drug candidates currently under evaluation that may also be helpful for use during a widespread emergency. One possible candidate is Ex-Rad, also known as ON01210, a chlorobenzyl sulfone derivative (organosulfur compound), which is a novel, small-molecule kinase inhibitor with demonstrated efficacy in the murine model. In this study, we have evaluated the metabolomic and lipidomic profiles in serum samples of nonhuman primates (NHPs) treated with Ex-Rad after exposure to ionizing radiation. Two different dose administration schedules (Ex-Rad I administered 24 and 36 h post-irradiation, and Ex-Rad II administered 48 and 60 h post-irradiation), were used and evaluated using a global molecular profiling approach. We observed alterations in biochemical pathways relating to inflammation and oxidative stress after radiation exposure that were alleviated in animals that received Ex-Rad I or Ex-Rad II. The results from this study lend credence to the possible radiomitigative effects of this drug possibly via a dampening of metabolism-based tissue injury, thus aiding in recovery of vital, radiation-injured organ systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoxiang Li
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michael Girgis
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Stephen Y Wise
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Oluseyi O Fatanmi
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Manoj Maniar
- Onconova Therapeutics, Inc, 375 Pheasant Run, Newtown, PA, USA
| | - Amrita K Cheema
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA. .,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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15
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Singh VK, Seed TM. Repurposing Pharmaceuticals Previously Approved by Regulatory Agencies to Medically Counter Injuries Arising Either Early or Late Following Radiation Exposure. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:624844. [PMID: 34040517 PMCID: PMC8141805 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.624844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing risks of radiological or nuclear attacks or associated accidents have served to renew interest in developing radiation medical countermeasures. The development of prospective countermeasures and the subsequent gain of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval are invariably time consuming and expensive processes, especially in terms of generating essential human data. Due to the limited resources for drug development and the need for expedited drug approval, drug developers have turned, in part, to the strategy of repurposing agents for which safety and clinical data are already available. Approval of drugs that are already in clinical use for one indication and are being repurposed for another indication is inherently faster and more cost effective than for new agents that lack regulatory approval of any sort. There are four known growth factors which have been repurposed in the recent past as radiomitigators following the FDA Animal Rule: Neupogen, Neulasta, Leukine, and Nplate. These four drugs were in clinic for several decades for other indications and were repurposed. A large number of additional agents approved by various regulatory authorities for given indications are currently under investigation for dual use for acute radiation syndrome or for delayed pathological effects of acute radiation exposure. The process of drug repurposing, however, is not without its own set of challenges and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K. Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Singh VK, Seed TM. BIO 300: a promising radiation countermeasure under advanced development for acute radiation syndrome and the delayed effects of acute radiation exposure. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 29:429-441. [PMID: 32450051 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2020.1757648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There are no radioprotectors currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for either the hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) or for the acute radiation gastrointestinal syndrome (GI-ARS). There are currently, however, three US FDA-approved medicinals that serve to mitigate acute irradiation-associated hematopoietic injury. AREA COVERED We present the current status of a promising radiation countermeasure, BIO 300 (a genistein-based agent), that has been extensively investigated in murine models of H-ARS and models of the delayed effects of acute radiation exposure (DEARE) and is currently being evaluated in large animal models. It is also being developed for the prevention of radiation-induced toxicities associated with solid tumor radiotherapy and is the subject of two active Investigational New Drug (IND) applications. We have included a listing and brief review of significant investigations of this promising medical countermeasure. EXPERT OPINION BIO 300 is a leading radioprotector under advanced development for H-ARS and DEARE, as well as for select oncologic indication(s). Efficacy following oral administration (po), lack of clinical side effects, storage at ambient temperature, and intended dual use makes BIO 300 an ideal candidate for military and civilian use as well as for storage in the Strategic National Stockpile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
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17
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Singh VK, Seed TM. Entolimod as a radiation countermeasure for acute radiation syndrome. Drug Discov Today 2020; 26:17-30. [PMID: 33065293 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
High doses of total-body or partial-body radiation exposure can result in a life-threatening acute radiation syndrome as manifested by severe morbidity. Entolimod (CBLB502) is effective in protecting against, and mitigating the development of, the hematopoietic and gastrointestinal subsyndromes of the acute radiation syndrome in rodents and nonhuman primates. Entolimod treatment reduces radiation-induced apoptosis and accelerates the regeneration of progenitors in radiation-damaged tissues. The drug has been evaluated clinically for its pharmacokinetics (PK), toxicity, and biomarkers. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted investigational new drug, fast-track, and orphan drug statuses to entolimod. Its safety, efficacy, and animal-to-human dose conversion data allowed its progression with a pre-emergency use authorization application submission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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18
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Kenchegowda D, Seed TM, Singh VK. What are the practical, ethical, and pathobiological considerations in the use of minipigs as an animal model in drug discovery for acute radiation syndrome and delayed effects of acute radiation exposure? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 16:119-124. [PMID: 32892657 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1811671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Doreswamy Kenchegowda
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
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19
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Singh VK, Seed TM. Pharmacological management of ionizing radiation injuries: current and prospective agents and targeted organ systems. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2020; 21:317-337. [PMID: 31928256 PMCID: PMC6982586 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2019.1702968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: There is a limited array of currently available medicinals that are useful for either the prevention, mitigation or treatment of bodily injuries arising from ionizing radiation exposure.Area covered: In this brief article, the authors review those pharmacologic agents that either are currently being used to counter the injurious effects of radiation exposure, or those that show promise and are currently under development.Expert opinion: Although significant, but limited progress has been made in the development and fielding of safe and effective pharmacotherapeutics for select types of acute radiation-associated injuries, additional effort is needed to broaden the scope of drug development so that overall health risks associated with both short- and long-term injuries in various organ systems can be reduced and effectively managed. There are several promising radiation countermeasures that may gain regulatory approval from the government in the near future for use in clinical settings and in the aftermath of nuclear/radiological exposure contingencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K. Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Cheema AK, Li Y, Girgis M, Jayatilake M, Simas M, Wise SY, Olabisi AO, Seed TM, Singh VK. Metabolomic studies in tissues of mice treated with amifostine and exposed to gamma-radiation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15701. [PMID: 31666611 PMCID: PMC6821891 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52120-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although multiple radioprotectors are currently being investigated preclinically for efficacy and safety, few studies have investigated concomitant metabolic changes. This study examines the effects of amifostine on the metabolic profiles in tissues of mice exposed to cobalt-60 total-body gamma-radiation. Global metabolomic and lipidomic changes were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS) in bone marrow, jejunum, and lung samples of amifostine-treated and saline-treated control mice. Results demonstrate that radiation exposure leads to tissue specific metabolic responses that were corrected in part by treatment with amifostine in a drug-dose dependent manner. Bone marrow exhibited robust responses to radiation and was also highly responsive to protective effects of amifostine, while jejunum and lung showed only modest changes. Treatment with amifostine at 200 mg/kg prior to irradiation seemed to impart maximum survival benefit, while the lower dose of 50 mg/kg offered only limited survival benefit. These findings show that the administration of amifostine causes metabolic shifts that would provide an overall benefit to radiation injury and underscore the utility of metabolomics and lipidomics to determine the underlying physiological mechanisms involved in the radioprotective efficacy of amifostine. This approach may be helpful in identifying biomarkers for radioprotective efficacy of amifostine and other countermeasures under development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita K Cheema
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Yaoxiang Li
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michael Girgis
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Meth Jayatilake
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Madison Simas
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Serices University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Serices University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Stephen Y Wise
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Serices University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Serices University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ayodele O Olabisi
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Serices University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Serices University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Serices University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Abstract
Introduction: A radiation countermeasure that can be used prior to radiation exposure to protect the population from the harmful effects of radiation exposure remains a major unmet medical need and is recognized as an important area for research. Despite substantial advances in the research and development for finding nontoxic, safe, and effective prophylactic countermeasures for the acute radiation syndrome (ARS), no such agent has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Area covered: Despite the progress made to improve the effectiveness of amifostine as a radioprotector for ARS, none of the strategies have resolved the issue of its toxicity/side effects. Thus, the FDA has approved amifostine for limited clinical indications, but not for non-clinical uses. This article reviews recent strategies and progress that have been made to move forward this potentially useful countermeasure for ARS. Expert opinion: Although the recent investigations have been promising for fielding safe and effective radiation countermeasures, additional work is needed to improve and advance drug design and delivery strategies to get FDA approval for broadened, non-clinical use of amifostine during a radiological/nuclear scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Division of Radioprotectants, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA
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Abstract
Introduction: There are at the minimum two major, quite different approaches to advance drug discovery. The first being the target-based drug discovery (TBDD) approach that is commonly referred to as the molecular approach. The second approach is the phenotype-based drug discovery (PBDD), also known as physiology-based drug discovery or empirical approach. Area covered: The authors discuss, herein, the need for developing radiation countermeasure agents for various sub-syndromes of acute radiation syndromes (ARS) following TBDD and PBDD approaches. With time and continuous advances in radiation countermeasure drug development research, the expectation is to have multiple radiation countermeasure agents for each sub-syndrome made available to radiation exposed victims. Expert opinion: The majority of the countermeasures currently being developed for ARS employ the PBDD approach, while the TBDD approach is clearly under-utilized. In the future, an improved drug development strategy might be a 'hybrid' strategy that is more reliant on TBDD for the initial drug discovery via large-scale screening of potential candidate agents, while utilizing PBDD for secondary screening of those candidates, followed by tertiary analytics phase in order to pinpoint efficacious candidates that target the specific sub-syndromes of ARS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- a Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA.,b Scientific Research Department , Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | | | - Ayodele O Olabisi
- b Scientific Research Department , Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA
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Abstract
The potential use by terrorists of an improvised nuclear device, a radiological dispersal device, or an unintended nuclear/radiological accident in heavily populated areas is a national security threat of major consequences. Although this type of security threat is considered to be low-risk, it would have a devastating impact. Health issues would be a major concern; medical care would be necessary for all those who received considerable radiation exposure (> 1 Gy) leading to hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (ARS). In the past few years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for such radiation exposure contingencies recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF, filgrastim, Neupogen), PEGylated rhG-CSF (PEGylated filgrastim, Neulasta) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF, sargramostim, Leukine) following the FDA's Animal Rule guidance. In this article, we have briefly reviewed the consequences of exposure to acute, potentially lethal doses of radiation and its pathologic sequelae, as well as ARS and the latest of the FDA-approved recombinant growth factors, namely sargramostim (Leukine), as a new treatment option for the subclinical, hematopoietic syndrome component of ARS. The nature of the recombinant and the preclinical and clinical research that preceded approval by the FDA are presented, as well as its use in the treatment of victims of radiation accidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- V K Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
| | - T M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Singh VK, Garcia M, Seed TM. A review of radiation countermeasures focusing on injury-specific medicinals and regulatory approval status: part II. Countermeasures for limited indications, internalized radionuclides, emesis, late effects, and agents demonstrating efficacy in large animals with or without FDA IND status. Int J Radiat Biol 2017; 93:870-884. [DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2017.1338782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K. Singh
- Division of Radioprotection, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Melissa Garcia
- Division of Radioprotection, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Singh VK, Hanlon BK, Santiago PT, Seed TM. A review of radiation countermeasures focusing on injury-specific medicinals and regulatory approval status: part III. Countermeasures under early stages of development along with 'standard of care' medicinal and procedures not requiring regulatory approval for use. Int J Radiat Biol 2017; 93:885-906. [PMID: 28657400 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2017.1332440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Terrorist attacks, with their intent to maximize psychological and economic damage as well as inflicting sickness and death on given targeted populations, are an ever-growing worldwide concern in government and public sectors as they become more frequent, violent, and sensational. If given the chance, it is likely that terrorists will use radiological or nuclear weapons. To thwart these sinister efforts, both physical and medical countermeasures against these weapons are currently being researched and developed so that they can be utilized by the first responders, military, and medical providers alike. This is the third article of a three-part series in which we have reviewed additional radiation countermeasures that are currently under early preclinical phases of development using largely animal models and have listed and discussed clinical support measures, including agents used for radiation-induced emesis, as well as countermeasures not requiring Food and Drug Administration approval. CONCLUSIONS Despite the significant progress that has been made in this area during the last several years, additional effort is needed in order to push promising new agents, currently under development, through the regulatory pipeline. This pipeline for new promising drugs appears to be unreasonably slow and cumbersome; possible reasons for this inefficiency are briefly discussed. Significant and continued effort needs to be afforded to this research and development area, as to date, there is no approved radioprotector that can be administered prior to high dose radiation exposure. This represents a very significant, unmet medical need and a significant security issue. A large number of agents with potential to interact with different biological targets are under development. In the next few years, several additional radiation countermeasures will likely receive Food and Drug Administration approval, increasing treatment options for victims exposed to unwanted ionizing irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- a Division of Radioprotection, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics , F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , U.S.A.,b Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , U.S.A
| | - Briana K Hanlon
- a Division of Radioprotection, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics , F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , U.S.A.,b Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , U.S.A
| | - Paola T Santiago
- a Division of Radioprotection, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics , F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , U.S.A.,b Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , U.S.A
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Singh VK, Seed TM. A review of radiation countermeasures focusing on injury-specific medicinals and regulatory approval status: part I. Radiation sub-syndromes, animal models and FDA-approved countermeasures. Int J Radiat Biol 2017. [PMID: 28650707 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2017.1332438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The increasing global risk of nuclear and radiological accidents or attacks has driven renewed research interest in developing medical countermeasures to potentially injurious exposures to acute irradiation. Clinical symptoms and signs of a developing acute radiation injury, i.e. the acute radiation syndrome, are grouped into three sub-syndromes named after the dominant organ system affected, namely the hematopoietic, gastrointestinal, and neurovascular systems. The availability of safe and effective countermeasures against the above threats currently represents a significant unmet medical need. This is the first article within a three-part series covering the nature of the radiation sub-syndromes, various animal models for radiation countermeasure development, and the agents currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for countering the medical consequences of several of these prominent radiation exposure-associated syndromes. CONCLUSIONS From the U.S. and global perspectives, biomedical research concerning medical countermeasure development is quite robust, largely due to increased government funding following the 9/11 incidence and subsequent rise of terrorist-associated threats. A wide spectrum of radiation countermeasures for specific types of radiation injuries is currently under investigation. However, only a few radiation countermeasures have been fully approved by regulatory agencies for human use during radiological/nuclear contingencies. Additional research effort, with additional funding, clearly will be needed in order to fill this significant, unmet medical health problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- a Division of Radioprotection, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics , F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA.,b Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA
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Singh VK, Fatanmi OO, Wise SY, Newman VL, Romaine PLP, Seed TM. THE POTENTIATION OF THE RADIOPROTECTIVE EFFICACY OF TWO MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES, GAMMA-TOCOTRIENOL AND AMIFOSTINE, BY A COMBINATION PROPHYLACTIC MODALITY. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2016; 172:302-310. [PMID: 27542813 PMCID: PMC5444681 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncw223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This study was designed to evaluate the possible potentiation of survival protection afforded by relatively low-dose amifostine prophylaxis against total body irradiation in combination with a protective, less toxic agent, gamma-tocotrienol (GT3). Mice were administered amifostine and/or GT3, then exposed to 9.2 Gy 60Co γ-irradiation and monitored for survival for 30 days. To investigate cytokine stimulation, mice were administered amifostine or GT3; serum samples were collected and analyzed for cytokines. Survival studies show single treatments of GT3 or amifostine significantly improved survival, compared to the vehicle, and combination treatments resulted in significantly higher survival compared to single treatments. In vivo studies with GT3 confirmed prior work indicating GT3 induces granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). This approach, the prophylactic combination of amifostine and GT3, which act through different mechanisms, shows promise and should be investigated further as a potential countermeasure for acute radiation syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine 'America's Medical School', Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Oluseyi O Fatanmi
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine 'America's Medical School', Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Stephen Y Wise
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine 'America's Medical School', Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Victoria L Newman
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine 'America's Medical School', Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Patricia L P Romaine
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine 'America's Medical School', Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD, USA
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Singh VK, Garcia M, Wise SY, Seed TM. Medical countermeasures for unwanted CBRN exposures: Part I chemical and biological threats with review of recent countermeasure patents. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2016; 26:1431-1447. [DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2017.1233178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K. Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Melissa Garcia
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Stephen Y. Wise
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Niwa O, Barcellos-Hoff MH, Globus RK, Harrison JD, Hendry JH, Jacob P, Martin MT, Seed TM, Shay JW, Story MD, Suzuki K, Yamashita S. ICRP Publication 131: Stem Cell Biology with Respect to Carcinogenesis Aspects of Radiological Protection. Ann ICRP 2016; 44:7-357. [PMID: 26637346 DOI: 10.1177/0146645315595585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This report provides a review of stem cells/progenitor cells and their responses to ionising radiation in relation to issues relevant to stochastic effects of radiation that form a major part of the International Commission on Radiological Protection's system of radiological protection. Current information on stem cell characteristics, maintenance and renewal, evolution with age, location in stem cell 'niches', and radiosensitivity to acute and protracted exposures is presented in a series of substantial reviews as annexes concerning haematopoietic tissue, mammary gland, thyroid, digestive tract, lung, skin, and bone. This foundation of knowledge of stem cells is used in the main text of the report to provide a biological insight into issues such as the linear-no-threshold (LNT) model, cancer risk among tissues, dose-rate effects, and changes in the risk of radiation carcinogenesis by age at exposure and attained age. Knowledge of the biology and associated radiation biology of stem cells and progenitor cells is more developed in tissues that renew fairly rapidly, such as haematopoietic tissue, intestinal mucosa, and epidermis, although all the tissues considered here possess stem cell populations. Important features of stem cell maintenance, renewal, and response are the microenvironmental signals operating in the niche residence, for which a well-defined spatial location has been identified in some tissues. The identity of the target cell for carcinogenesis continues to point to the more primitive stem cell population that is mostly quiescent, and hence able to accumulate the protracted sequence of mutations necessary to result in malignancy. In addition, there is some potential for daughter progenitor cells to be target cells in particular cases, such as in haematopoietic tissue and in skin. Several biological processes could contribute to protecting stem cells from mutation accumulation: (a) accurate DNA repair; (b) rapidly induced death of injured stem cells; (c) retention of the DNA parental template strand during divisions in some tissue systems, so that mutations are passed to the daughter differentiating cells and not retained in the parental cell; and (d) stem cell competition, whereby undamaged stem cells outcompete damaged stem cells for residence in the niche. DNA repair mainly occurs within a few days of irradiation, while stem cell competition requires weeks or many months depending on the tissue type. The aforementioned processes may contribute to the differences in carcinogenic radiation risk values between tissues, and may help to explain why a rapidly replicating tissue such as small intestine is less prone to such risk. The processes also provide a mechanistic insight relevant to the LNT model, and the relative and absolute risk models. The radiobiological knowledge also provides a scientific insight into discussions of the dose and dose-rate effectiveness factor currently used in radiological protection guidelines. In addition, the biological information contributes potential reasons for the age-dependent sensitivity to radiation carcinogenesis, including the effects of in-utero exposure.
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Singh VK, Romaine PLP, Newman VL, Seed TM. Medical countermeasures for unwanted CBRN exposures: part II radiological and nuclear threats with review of recent countermeasure patents. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2016; 26:1399-1408. [PMID: 27610458 PMCID: PMC5152556 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2016.1231805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: The global threat of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) disaster is an important priority for all government agencies involved in domestic security and public health preparedness. Radiological/nuclear (RN) attacks or accidents have become a larger focus of the United States Food and Drug administration (US FDA) over time because of their increased likeliness. Clinical signs and symptoms of a developing acute radiation syndrome (ARS) are grouped into three sub-syndromes named for the dominant organ system affected, namely the hematopoietic (H-ARS), gastrointestinal (GI-ARS), and neurovascular systems. The availability of safe and effective countermeasures against radiological/nuclear threats currently represents a significant unmet medical need. Areas covered: This article reviews the development of RN threat medical countermeasures and highlights those specific countermeasures that have been recently patented and approved following the FDA Animal Rule. Patents for such agents from 2015 have been presented. Expert opinion: Two granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-based radiation countermeasures (Neupogen® (Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA) and Neulasta® (Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA)) have recently been approved by the FDA for treatment of H-ARS and both these agents are radiomitigators, used after radiation exposure. To date, there are no FDA-approved radioprotectors for ARS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- a Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics , F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA.,b Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Patricia L P Romaine
- b Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Victoria L Newman
- b Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA
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Hendry JH, Niwa O, Barcellos-Hoff MH, Globus RK, Harrison JD, Martin MT, Seed TM, Shay JW, Story MD, Suzuki K, Yamashita S. ICRP Publication 131: Stem cell biology with respect to carcinogenesis aspects of radiological protection. Ann ICRP 2016; 45:239-52. [PMID: 26956677 DOI: 10.1177/0146645315621849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Current knowledge of stem cell characteristics, maintenance and renewal, evolution with age, location in 'niches', and radiosensitivity to acute and protracted exposures is reviewed regarding haematopoietic tissue, mammary gland, thyroid, digestive tract, lung, skin, and bone. The identity of the target cells for carcinogenesis continues to point to the more primitive and mostly quiescent stem cell population (able to accumulate the protracted sequence of mutations necessary to result in malignancy), and, in a few tissues, to daughter progenitor cells. Several biological processes could contribute to the protection of stem cells from mutation accumulation: (1) accurate DNA repair; (2) rapid induced death of injured stem cells; (3) retention of the intact parental strand during divisions in some tissues so that mutations are passed to the daughter differentiating cells; and (4) stem cell competition, whereby undamaged stem cells outcompete damaged stem cells for residence in the vital niche. DNA repair mainly operates within a few days of irradiation, while stem cell replications and competition require weeks or many months depending on the tissue type. This foundation is used to provide a biological insight to protection issues including the linear-non-threshold and relative risk models, differences in cancer risk between tissues, dose-rate effects, and changes in the risk of radiation carcinogenesis by age at exposure and attained age.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Hendry
- Christie Medical Physics and Bioengineering, Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - O Niwa
- Fukushima Medical University and Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Japan
| | - M H Barcellos-Hoff
- Radiation Oncology and Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, USA
| | - R K Globus
- Bone and Signaling Laboratory, Space Biosciences Research Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, USA
| | - J D Harrison
- Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Health Protection Directorate, Public Health England, UK
| | - M T Martin
- Laboratoire de Genomique et Radiobiologie de la Kertinopoiese, CEA, France
| | | | - J W Shay
- Radiation Oncology, Simmons Cancer Center, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, USA
| | - M D Story
- Radiation Oncology, Simmons Cancer Center, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, USA
| | - K Suzuki
- Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Japan
| | - S Yamashita
- Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Japan
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Seed TM, Xiao S, Manley N, Nikolich-Zugich J, Pugh J, Van den Brink M, Hirabayashi Y, Yasutomo K, Iwama A, Koyasu S, Shterev I, Sempowski G, Macchiarini F, Nakachi K, Kunugi KC, Hammer CG, Dewerd LA. An interlaboratory comparison of dosimetry for a multi-institutional radiobiological research project: Observations, problems, solutions and lessons learned. Int J Radiat Biol 2015; 92:59-70. [PMID: 26857121 PMCID: PMC4976771 DOI: 10.3109/09553002.2015.1106024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE An interlaboratory comparison of radiation dosimetry was conducted to determine the accuracy of doses being used experimentally for animal exposures within a large multi-institutional research project. The background and approach to this effort are described and discussed in terms of basic findings, problems and solutions. METHODS Dosimetry tests were carried out utilizing optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters embedded midline into mouse carcasses and thermal luminescence dosimeters (TLD) embedded midline into acrylic phantoms. RESULTS The effort demonstrated that the majority (4/7) of the laboratories was able to deliver sufficiently accurate exposures having maximum dosing errors of ≤5%. Comparable rates of 'dosimetric compliance' were noted between OSL- and TLD-based tests. Data analysis showed a highly linear relationship between 'measured' and 'target' doses, with errors falling largely between 0 and 20%. Outliers were most notable for OSL-based tests, while multiple tests by 'non-compliant' laboratories using orthovoltage X-rays contributed heavily to the wide variation in dosing errors. CONCLUSIONS For the dosimetrically non-compliant laboratories, the relatively high rates of dosing errors were problematic, potentially compromising the quality of ongoing radiobiological research. This dosimetry effort proved to be instructive in establishing rigorous reviews of basic dosimetry protocols ensuring that dosing errors were minimized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shiyun Xiao
- b Department of Genetics , University of Georgia , Athens , GA , USA
| | - Nancy Manley
- b Department of Genetics , University of Georgia , Athens , GA , USA
| | - Janko Nikolich-Zugich
- c Department of Immunology , Arizona Center for Aging, University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ , USA
| | - Jason Pugh
- c Department of Immunology , Arizona Center for Aging, University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ , USA
| | - Marcel Van den Brink
- d Division of Hematologic Oncology , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center , New York , NY , USA
| | - Yoko Hirabayashi
- e Division of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology , National Institute of Health Sciences , Tokyo , Japan
| | - Koji Yasutomo
- f Department of Immunology , University of Tokushima , Tokushima , Japan
| | - Atsushi Iwama
- g Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine , Chiba University , Chiba , Japan
| | - Shigeo Koyasu
- h Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Keio University , Tokyo , Japan
| | - Ivo Shterev
- i Human Vaccine Institute, Departments of Pathology and Medicine , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA
| | - Gregory Sempowski
- i Human Vaccine Institute, Departments of Pathology and Medicine , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA
| | - Francesca Macchiarini
- j Division of Allergy , Immunology and Transplantation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Kei Nakachi
- k Department of Radiobiology and Molecular Epidemiology , Radiation Effects Research Foundation , Hiroshima , Japan
| | - Keith C Kunugi
- l Medical Radiation Research Center, University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Clifford G Hammer
- l Medical Radiation Research Center, University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Lawrence A Dewerd
- l Medical Radiation Research Center, University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA
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Singh VK, Romaine PL, Seed TM. Medical Countermeasures for Radiation Exposure and Related Injuries: Characterization of Medicines, FDA-Approval Status and Inclusion into the Strategic National Stockpile. Health Phys 2015; 108:607-630. [PMID: 25905522 PMCID: PMC4418776 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000000279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
World events over the past decade have highlighted the threat of nuclear terrorism as well as an urgent need to develop radiation countermeasures for acute radiation exposures and subsequent bodily injuries. An increased probability of radiological or nuclear incidents due to detonation of nuclear weapons by terrorists, sabotage of nuclear facilities, dispersal and exposure to radioactive materials, and accidents provides the basis for such enhanced radiation exposure risks for civilian populations. Although the search for suitable radiation countermeasures for radiation-associated injuries was initiated more than half a century ago, no safe and effective radiation countermeasure for the most severe of these injuries, namely acute radiation syndrome (ARS), has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The dearth of FDA-approved radiation countermeasures has prompted intensified research for a new generation of radiation countermeasures. In this communication, the authors have listed and reviewed the status of radiation countermeasures that are currently available for use, or those that might be used for exceptional nuclear/radiological contingencies, plus a limited few medicines that show early promise but still remain experimental in nature and unauthorized for human use by the FDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K. Singh
- *Radiation Countermeasures Program, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD; †Department of Radiation Biology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; ‡Tech Micro Services, Bethesda, MD
| | - Patricia L.P. Romaine
- *Radiation Countermeasures Program, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD; †Department of Radiation Biology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; ‡Tech Micro Services, Bethesda, MD
| | - Thomas M. Seed
- *Radiation Countermeasures Program, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD; †Department of Radiation Biology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; ‡Tech Micro Services, Bethesda, MD
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Singh VK, Wise SY, Fatanmi OO, Scott J, Romaine PLP, Newman VL, Verma A, Elliott TB, Seed TM. Progenitors mobilized by gamma-tocotrienol as an effective radiation countermeasure. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114078. [PMID: 25423021 PMCID: PMC4244184 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of gamma-tocotrienol (GT3)-mobilized progenitors in mitigating damage to mice exposed to a supralethal dose of cobalt-60 gamma-radiation. CD2F1 mice were transfused 24 h post-irradiation with whole blood or isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from donors that had received GT3 72 h prior to blood collection and recipient mice were monitored for 30 days. To understand the role of GT3-induced granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in mobilizing progenitors, donor mice were administered a neutralizing antibody specific to G-CSF or its isotype before blood collection. Bacterial translocation from gut to heart, spleen and liver of irradiated recipient mice was evaluated by bacterial culture on enriched and selective agar media. Endotoxin in serum samples also was measured. We also analyzed the colony-forming units in the spleens of irradiated mice. Our results demonstrate that whole blood or PBMC from GT3-administered mice mitigated radiation injury when administered 24 h post-irradiation. Furthermore, administration of a G-CSF antibody to GT3-injected mice abrogated the efficacy of blood or PBMC obtained from such donors. Additionally, GT3-mobilized PBMC inhibited the translocation of intestinal bacteria to the heart, spleen, and liver, and increased colony forming unit-spleen (CFU-S) numbers in irradiated mice. Our data suggests that GT3 induces G-CSF, which mobilizes progenitors and these progenitors mitigate radiation injury in recipient mice. This approach using mobilized progenitor cells from GT3-injected donors could be a potential treatment for humans exposed to high doses of radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K. Singh
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Radiation Biology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Stephen Y. Wise
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Oluseyi O. Fatanmi
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jessica Scott
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Patricia L. P. Romaine
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Victoria L. Newman
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Amit Verma
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas B. Elliott
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas M. Seed
- Tech Micro Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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Singh VK, Romaine PLP, Newman VL, Seed TM. Tocols induce G-CSF and mobilise progenitors that mitigate radiation injury. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2014; 162:83-87. [PMID: 24993008 PMCID: PMC4434803 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncu223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Tocols induce high levels of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). G-CSF mobilises progenitors that allow mice that have been severely immunocompromised by exposure to acute, high-dose ionising irradiation to recover and to survive. The neutralisation of G-CSF abrogates the radioprotective efficacy of tocols. This article reviews studies in which CD2F1 mice were irradiated with sufficiently high doses to cause acute radiation syndrome symptoms and then administered (iv) progenitor-enriched whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells from tocol- and AMD3100-injected donor mice (AMD3100 is a chemokine receptor antagonist used to improve the yield of mobilised progenitors). In some experiments, G-CSF was neutralised completely. Irradiated recipient mice were observed for 30 d post-irradiation for survival, a primary endpoint used for determining therapeutic effectiveness. Additionally, potential tocol-induced biomarkers (cytokines, chemokines and growth factors) were quantified. The authors suggest that tocols are highly effective agents for mobilising progenitors with significant therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite significant scientific advances over the past 60 years towards the development of a safe, nontoxic and effective radiation countermeasure for the acute radiation syndrome (ARS), no drug has been approved by the US FDA. A radiation countermeasure to protect the population at large from the effects of lethal radiation exposure remains a significant unmet medical need of the US citizenry and, thus, has been recognized as a high priority area by the government. AREA COVERED This article reviews relevant publications and patents for recent developments and progress for potential ARS treatments in the area of radiation countermeasures. Emphasis is placed on the advanced development of existing agents since 2011 and new agents identified as radiation countermeasure for ARS during this period. EXPERT OPINION A number of promising radiation countermeasures are currently under development, seven of which have received US FDA investigational new drug status for clinical investigation. Four of these agents, CBLB502, Ex-RAD, HemaMax and OrbeShield, are progressing with large animal studies and clinical trials. G-CSF has high potential and well-documented therapeutic effects in countering myelosuppression and may receive full licensing approval by the US FDA in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute , 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603 , USA +1 301 295 2347 ; +1 301 295 6503 ;
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Pugh JL, Sukhina AS, Seed TM, Manley NR, Sempowski GD, van den Brink MRM, Smithey MJ, Nikolich-Žugich J. Histone deacetylation critically determines T cell subset radiosensitivity. J Immunol 2014; 193:1451-8. [PMID: 24990082 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1400434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Lymphocytes are sensitive to ionizing radiation and naive lymphocytes are more radiosensitive than their memory counterparts. Less is known about radiosensitivity of memory cell subsets. We examined the radiosensitivity of naive (TN), effector memory (TEM), and central memory (TCM) T cell subsets in C57BL/6 mice and found TEM to be more resistant to radiation-induced apoptosis than either TN or TCM. Surprisingly, we found no correlation between the extent of radiation-induced apoptosis in T cell subsets and 1) levels of pro- and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members or 2) the H2AX content and maximal γH2AX fold change. Rather, TEM cell survival correlated with higher levels of immediate γH2AX marking, immediate break binding and genome-wide open chromatin structure. T cells were able to mark DNA damage seemingly instantly (30 s), even if kept on ice. Relaxing chromatin with the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid following radiation or etoposide treatment improved the survival of TCM and TN cells up to levels seen in the resistant TEM cells but did not improve survival from caspase-mediated apoptosis. We conclude that an open genome-wide chromatin state is the key determinant of efficient immediate repair of DNA damage in T cells, explaining the observed T cell subset radiosensitivity differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason L Pugh
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724; Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724; Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
| | - Alona S Sukhina
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724; Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Nancy R Manley
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Gregory D Sempowski
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710; Department of Pathology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710; Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Marcel R M van den Brink
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021; Department of Immunology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021; and
| | - Megan J Smithey
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724; Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724
| | - Janko Nikolich-Žugich
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724; Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724; Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719; BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719
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Singh VK, Wise SY, Fatanmi OO, Beattie LA, Seed TM. Preclinical development of a bridging therapy for radiation casualties: appropriate for high risk personnel. Health Phys 2014; 106:689-698. [PMID: 24776901 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000000089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The authors demonstrate the efficacy of a bridging therapy in a preclinical animal model that allows the lymphohematopoietic system of severely immunocompromised individuals exposed to acute, high-dose ionizing irradiation to recover and to survive. CD2F1 mice were irradiated acutely with high doses causing severe, potentially fatal hematopoietic or gastrointestinal injuries and then transfused intravenously with progenitor-enriched, whole blood, or peripheral blood mononuclear cells from mice injected with tocopherol succinate- and AMD3100- (a chemokine receptor anatogonist used to improve the yield of mobilized progenitors). Survival of these mice over a 30-d period was used as the primary measured endpoint of therapeutic effectiveness. The authors demonstrate that tocopherol succinate and AMD3100 mobilize progenitors into peripheral circulation and that the infusion of mobilized progenitor enriched blood or mononuclear cells acts as a bridging therapy for lymphohematopoietic system recovery in mice exposed to whole-body ionizing irradiation. The results demonstrate that infusion of whole blood or blood mononuclear cells from tocopherol succinate (TS)- and AMD3100-injected mice improved the survival of mice receiving high radiation doses significantly. The efficacy of TS-injected donor mice blood or mononuclear cells was comparable to that of blood or cells obtained from mice injected with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Donor origin-mobilized progenitors were found to localize in various tissues. The authors suggest that tocopherol succinate is an optimal agent for mobilizing progenitors with significant therapeutic potential. The extent of progenitor mobilization that tocopherol succinate elicits in experimental mice is comparable quantitatively to clinically used drugs such as granulocyte-colony stimulating factor and AMD3100. Therefore, it is proposed that tocopherol succinate be considered for further translational development and ultimately for use in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- *Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD; †Department of Radiation Biology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; ‡Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD
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Abstract
Purpose Amifostine is a highly efficacious cytoprotectant when administered in vivo at high doses. However, at elevated doses, drug toxicity manifests for general, non-clinical radioprotective purposes. Various strategies have been developed to avoid toxic side-effects: The simplest is reducing the dose. In terms of protecting hematopoietic tissues, where does this effective, non-toxic minimum dose lie? Material and methods C3H/HEN mice were administered varying doses of amifostine (25–100 mg/kg) 30 min prior to cobalt-60 irradiation and euthanized between 4–14 days for blood and bone marrow collection and analyses. Results Under steady-state, amifostine had little effect on bipotential and multi-potential marrow progenitors but marginally suppressed a more primitive, lineage negative progenitor subpopulation. In irradiated animals, prophylactic drug doses greater than 50 mg/kg resulted in significant regeneration of bipotential progenitors, moderate regeneration of multipotential progenitors, but no significant and consistent regeneration of more primitive progenitors. The low amifostine dose (25 mg/kg) failed to elicit consistent and positive, radioprotective actions on any of the progenitor subtypes. Conclusions Radioprotective doses for amifostine appear to lie between 25 and 50 mg/kg. Mature, lineage-restricted progenitors appear to be more responsive to the protective effects of low doses of amifostine than the more primitive, multipotential progenitors.
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Singh VK, Wise SY, Fatanmi OO, Beattie LA, Ducey EJ, Seed TM. Alpha-tocopherol succinate- and AMD3100-mobilized progenitors mitigate radiation combined injury in mice. J Radiat Res 2014; 55:41-53. [PMID: 23814114 PMCID: PMC3885121 DOI: 10.1093/jrr/rrt088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Revised: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of alpha-tocopherol succinate (TS)- and AMD3100-mobilized progenitors in mitigating combined injury associated with acute radiation exposure in combination with secondary physical wounding. CD2F1 mice were exposed to high doses of cobalt-60 gamma-radiation and then transfused intravenously with 5 million peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from TS- and AMD3100-injected mice after irradiation. Within 1 h after irradiation, mice were exposed to secondary wounding. Mice were observed for 30 d after irradiation and cytokine analysis was conducted by multiplex Luminex assay at various time-points after irradiation and wounding. Our results initially demonstrated that transfusion of TS-mobilized progenitors from normal mice enhanced survival of acutely irradiated mice exposed 24 h prior to transfusion to supralethal doses (11.5-12.5 Gy) of (60)Co gamma-radiation. Subsequently, comparable transfusions of TS-mobilized progenitors were shown to significantly mitigate severe combined injuries in acutely irradiated mice. TS administered 24 h before irradiation was able to protect mice against combined injury as well. Cytokine results demonstrated that wounding modulates irradiation-induced cytokines. This study further supports the conclusion that the infusion of TS-mobilized progenitor-containing PBMCs acts as a bridging therapy in radiation-combined-injury mice. We suggest that this novel bridging therapeutic approach involving the infusion of TS-mobilized hematopoietic progenitors following acute radiation exposure or combined injury might be applicable to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K. Singh
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA
- Department of Radiation Biology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Stephen Y. Wise
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA
| | - Oluseyi O. Fatanmi
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA
| | - Lindsay A. Beattie
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Ducey
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA
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Abstract
Despite the potential devastating health consequences of intense total-body irradiation, and the decades of research, there still remains a dearth of safe and effective radiation countermeasures for emergency, radiological/nuclear contingencies that have been fully approved and sanctioned for use by the US FDA. Vitamin E is a well-known antioxidant, effective in scavenging free radicals generated by radiation exposure. Vitamin E analogs, collectively known as tocols, have been subject to active investigation for a long time as radioprotectors in patients undergoing radiotherapy and in the context of possible radiation accidents or terrorism scenarios. Eight major isoforms comprise the tocol group: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. A number of these agents and their derivatives are being investigated actively as radiation countermeasures using animal models, and several appear promising. Although the tocols are well recognized as potent antioxidants and are generally thought to mediate radioprotection through 'free radical quenching', recent studies have suggested several alternative mechanisms: most notably, an 'indirect effect' of tocols in eliciting specific species of radioprotective growth factors/cytokines such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). The radioprotective efficacy of at least two tocols has been abrogated using a neutralizing antibody of G-CSF. Based on encouraging results of radioprotective efficacy, laboratory testing of γ-tocotrienol has moved from a small rodent model to a large nonhuman primate model for preclinical evaluation. In this brief review we identify and discuss selected tocols and their derivatives currently under development as radiation countermeasures, and attempt to describe in some detail their in vivo efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K. Singh
- Radiation Countermeasures Program, Scientific Research Department, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA
- Department of Radiation Biology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Corresponding author. Radiation Countermeasures Program, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA. Tel: +1-301-295-2347; Fax: +1-301-295-6503;
| | - Lindsay A. Beattie
- Radiation Countermeasures Program, Scientific Research Department, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA
| | - Thomas M. Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Singh VK, Wise SY, Singh PK, Posarac A, Fatanmi OO, Ducey EJ, Bolduc DL, Elliott TB, Seed TM. Alpha-tocopherol succinate-mobilized progenitors improve intestinal integrity after whole body irradiation. Int J Radiat Biol 2013; 89:334-45. [PMID: 23270472 DOI: 10.3109/09553002.2013.762137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The objective of this study was to elucidate the action of α-tocopherol succinate (TS)- and AMD3100-mobilized progenitors in mitigating radiation-induced injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS CD2F1 mice were exposed to a high dose of radiation and then transfused intravenously with 5 million peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from TS- and AMD3100-injected mice after irradiation. Intestinal and splenic tissues were harvested after irradiation and cells of those tissues were analyzed for markers of apoptosis and mitosis. Bacterial translocation from gut to heart, spleen, and liver in TS-treated and irradiated mice was evaluated by bacterial culture. RESULTS We observed that the infusion of PBMC from TS- and AMD3100-injected mice significantly inhibited apoptosis, increased cell proliferation in the analyzed tissues of recipient mice, and inhibited bacterial translocation to various organs compared to mice receiving cells from vehicle-mobilized cells. This study further supports our contention that the infusion of TS-mobilized progenitor-containing PBMC acts as a bridging therapy by inhibiting radiation-induced apoptosis, enhancing cell proliferation, and inhibiting bacterial translocation in irradiated mice. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that this novel bridging therapeutic approach that involves the infusion of TS-mobilized hematopoietic progenitors following acute radiation injury might be applicable to humans as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA.
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Ghosh SP, Kulkarni S, Perkins MW, Hieber K, Pessu RL, Gambles K, Maniar M, Kao TC, Seed TM, Kumar KS. Amelioration of radiation-induced hematopoietic and gastrointestinal damage by Ex-RAD(R) in mice. J Radiat Res 2012; 53:526-36. [PMID: 22843617 PMCID: PMC3393340 DOI: 10.1093/jrr/rrs001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess recovery from hematopoietic and gastrointestinal damage by Ex-RAD(®), also known as ON01210.Na (4-carboxystyryl-4-chlorobenzylsulfone, sodium salt), after total body radiation. In our previous study, we reported that Ex-RAD, a small-molecule radioprotectant, enhances survival of mice exposed to gamma radiation, and prevents radiation-induced apoptosis as measured by the inhibition of radiation-induced protein 53 (p53) expression in cultured cells. We have expanded this study to determine best effective dose, dose-reduction factor (DRF), hematological and gastrointestinal protection, and in vivo inhibition of p53 signaling. A total of 500 mg/kg of Ex-RAD administered at 24 h and 15 min before radiation resulted in a DRF of 1.16. Ex-RAD ameliorated radiation-induced hematopoietic damage as monitored by the accelerated recovery of peripheral blood cells, and protection of granulocyte macrophage colony-forming units (GM-CFU) in bone marrow. Western blot analysis on spleen indicated that Ex-RAD treatment inhibited p53 phosphorylation. Ex-RAD treatment reduces terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay (TUNEL)-positive cells in jejunum compared with vehicle-treated mice after radiation injury. Finally, Ex-RAD preserved intestinal crypt cells compared with the vehicle control at 13 and 14 Gy. The results demonstrated that Ex-RAD ameliorates radiation-induced peripheral blood cell depletion, promotes bone marrow recovery, reduces p53 signaling in spleen and protects intestine from radiation injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanchita P Ghosh
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, USUHS, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA.
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Singh VK, Wise SY, Singh PK, Ducey EJ, Fatanmi OO, Seed TM. α-Tocopherol succinate- and AMD3100-mobilized progenitors mitigate radiation-induced gastrointestinal injury in mice. Exp Hematol 2012; 40:407-17. [PMID: 22240608 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2012.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2011] [Revised: 12/05/2011] [Accepted: 01/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to elucidate the role of α-tocopherol succinate (TS)- and AMD3100-mobilized progenitors in mitigating the ionizing-radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome in mice. We demonstrate the efficacy of a bridging therapy that will allow the lymphohematopoietic system of severely immunocompromised victims exposed to ionizing radiation to recover from high doses of radiation. CD2F1 mice were irradiated with a high dose of radiation causing gastrointestinal syndrome (11 Gy, cobalt-60 γ-radiation) and then transfused intravenously (retro-orbital sinus) with whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from TS- and AMD3100-injected mice 2, 24, or 48 hours post irradiation and monitored for 30-day survival. Jejunum sections were analyzed for tissue area, surviving crypts, villi, mitotic figures, and basal lamina enterocytes. Our results demonstrate that infusion of whole blood or PBMC from TS- and AMD3100-injected mice significantly improved survival of mice receiving a high dose of radiation. Histopathology and immunostaining of jejunum from irradiated and TS- and AMD3100-mobilized PBMC-transfused mice reveal significant protection of gastrointestinal tissue from radiation injury. We demonstrate that TS and AMD3100 mobilize progenitors into peripheral circulation and that the infusion of mobilized progenitor-containing blood or PBMC acts as a bridging therapy for immune-system recovery in mice exposed to high, potentially fatal, doses of ionizing radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Radiation Countermeasures Program, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA.
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Singh VK, Singh PK, Wise SY, Seed TM. Mobilized progenitor cells as a bridging therapy for radiation casualties: A brief review of tocopherol succinate-based approaches. Int Immunopharmacol 2011; 11:842-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2011.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2010] [Revised: 01/18/2011] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Whitnall MH, Villa V, Seed TM, Benjack J, Miner V, Lewbart ML, Dowding CA, Jackson WE. Molecular Specificity of 5-Androstenediol as a Systemic Radioprotectant in Mice. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2008; 27:15-32. [PMID: 15803857 DOI: 10.1081/iph-51289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We compared in vivo radioprotective efficacy of 5-androstenediol (5-AED) to that of ten other steroids: 17alpha-androstenediol, dehydroepiandrosterone, 5-androstenetriol (AET), 4-androstenedione (AND), testosterone, estradiol, fluasterone, 16alpha-bromoepiandrosterone, 16alpha-fluoro-androst-5-en-17alpha-ol (alpha-fluorohydrin, AFH), and 16alpha-fluoro-androst-5-en-17beta-ol (beta-fluorohydrin). Steroids were administered 24 or 48 hr before, or 1 hr after, whole-body gamma-irradiation. Two days after irradiation at 3 Gy, blood elements were counted. In addition, after irradiation at 9-12.5 Gy, survival was recorded for 30 days. The results showed radioprotective efficacy was specific for 5-AED. One other steroid, AFH, demonstrated appreciable survival effects but was less efficacious than 5-AED. AND and AET produced slight enhancement of survival in some experiments. This is the first demonstration that the prophylactic window for survival enhancement by 1 subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of 5-AED is as long as 48 hr in mice. Moreover, the results indicate that 1 s.c. injection of 5-AED 1 hr after irradiation is much less effective than 1 injection 24-48 hr before irradiation. Comparing the molecular features of steroids with radioprotective efficacy leads to the following conclusions: 1) these effects are due to interaction with specific receptors, since s.c. injection of extremely similar molecules with the same physicochemical properties as 5-AED were not radioprotective; 2) the 17-hydroxyl group is essential; 3) this group must be in the beta configuration in the absence of nearby side groups; 4) a halogen atom at 16 changes the 17-hydroxyl specificity to alpha; 5) the 3beta-hydroxyl group is not essential; 6) addition of a 7beta-hydroxyl group is deleterious; and 7) the effects are not due to activation of sex steroid receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark H Whitnall
- Radiation Casualty Management Team, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, 8901 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA.
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Singh VK, Shafran RL, Jackson WE, Seed TM, Kumar KS. Induction of cytokines by radioprotective tocopherol analogs. Exp Mol Pathol 2006; 81:55-61. [PMID: 16426603 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2005.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2005] [Revised: 11/14/2005] [Accepted: 11/30/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Tocols are a family of eight isomers consisting of four tocopherols and four tocotrienols that exist in four isomeric forms: alpha (alpha), beta (beta), gamma (gamma), and delta (delta). Recently, tocols were found to have important and unique biological effects on nutrition and health other than antioxidant properties and are, therefore, now receiving increased attention. We have demonstrated the radioprotective efficacy of various tocol analogs and some of their esters. Three forms of tocols - alpha-tocopherol, alpha-tocopherol succinate, and gamma-tocotrienol - significantly protected mice against lethal gamma irradiation when administered subcutaneously 24 h before irradiation. The radioprotective effects of tocols on survival were associated with peripheral blood cell recovery after radiation induced cytopenia. Hematopoietic cytokines are known to promote the proliferation and differentiation of blood cell progenitors. Therefore, we hypothesized that peripheral blood cell recovery is preceded by hematopoietic cytokine induction. To test this hypothesis and compare the various radioprotective and non-radioprotective analogs, we measured serum cytokines using a sandwich ELISA, Luminex, and cytokine array in mice treated with various tocols (alpha-tocopherol succinate, alpha-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, gamma- tocopherol, gamma-tocotrienol, and tocopherol acetate). Among the serum cytokines measured, ELISA and Luminex studies indicated that alpha-tocopherol, alpha-tocopherol succinate, and gamma-tocotrienol increased G-CSF levels in mice. Alpha-tocopherol succinate was most effective in stimulating G-CSF. IL-6 was detected by Luminex in sera samples from mice treated with the above three analogs. The results of the cytokine array suggest that other cytokines and chemokines in addition to G-CSF and IL-6 are induced. Since G-CSF, IL-6, and certain chemokines are important hematopoietic factors, these results support our hypothesis that the protection of mice from radiation-induced hematopoietic death is mediated by cytokines and chemokines. These studies may indicate that alpha-tocopherol succinate can be used as an adjunct in cancer chemotherapy, where neutropenia is a serious problem with threatening infectious complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA.
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48
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Abstract
In today's heightened nuclear/biological/chemical threat environment, there is an increased need to have safe and effective means to protect not only special high-risk service groups, but also the general population at large, from the health hazards of unintended ionizing radiation exposures. An unfulfilled dream has been to have a globally effective pharmacologic that could be easily taken orally without any undue side effects prior to a suspected or impending nuclear/radiological event; such an ideal radioprotective agent has yet to be identified, let alone fully developed and approved for human use. No one would argue against the fact that this is problematic and needs to be corrected, but where might the ultimate solution to this difficult problem be found? Without question, representative species of the aminothiol family [e.g., Amifostine (MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland)] have proven to be potent cytoprotectants for normal tissues subjected to irradiation or to radiomimetic chemicals. Although Amifostine is currently used clinically, drug toxicity, limited times of protection, and unfavorable routes of administration, all serve to limit the drug's utility in nonclinical settings. A full range of research and development strategies is being employed currently in the hunt for new safe and effective radioprotectants. These include: (1) large scale screening of new chemical classes or natural products; (2) restructuring/reformulating older protectants with proven efficacies but unwanted toxicities; (3) using nutraceuticals that are only moderately protective but are essentially nontoxic; (4) using low dose combinations of potentially toxic but efficacious agents that protect through different routes to foster radioprotective synergy; and (5) accepting a lower level of drug efficacy in lieu of reduced toxicity, banking on the premise that the protection afforded can be leveraged by post-exposure therapies. Although it is difficult to predict which of these strategies will ultimately prove to be successful, it is certain that the probability of a useful protectant being fielded is increased significantly. This is due to the resurgence of interest in radiation protection, increased resources being expended by federal agencies, and by the Food and Drug Administration's willingness to innovate relative to new approval guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Seed
- VSL Physics, Hannon Hall, Room 408, Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20064, USA.
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Grdina DJ, Murley JS, Kataoka Y, Zhou D, Seed TM. Radioprotectors: current status and new directions. Radiat Res 2005; 163:704-5. [PMID: 16044505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D J Grdina
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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Singh VK, Srinivasan V, Seed TM, Jackson WE, Miner VE, Sree Kumar K. Radioprotection by N-palmitoylated nonapeptide of human interleukin-1beta. Peptides 2005; 26:413-8. [PMID: 15652647 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2004.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2004] [Revised: 10/20/2004] [Accepted: 10/21/2004] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) is a cytokine involved in homeostatic processes of the immune system and specifically in inflammatory reactions. The nonapeptide of human IL-1beta (VQGEESNDK, position 163-171) has been shown to retain adjuvant and immunostimulatory activities of the native molecule without any inflammatory and pyrogenic properties. A lipophilic derivative of IL-1beta nonapeptide having a palmitoyl residue at the amino terminus was synthesized in order to determine the effects of such structural modification on its bioactivities. The structurally modified peptide derivative, palmitoylated peptide, significantly protected C3H/HeN mice against potentially lethal doses of ionizing radiation. The dose reduction factor was found to be 1.07. Hematological studies show improved recovery of red blood cells and platelets in irradiated and palmitoylated peptide treated mice as compared with the untreated and irradiated group. These results suggest the importance of the derivatization of small peptides of radioprotective, but toxic cytokines in order to enhance radioprotective activity while reducing unwanted toxic side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Radiation Casualty Management Team, Radiation Medicine Department, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA.
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