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Wang N, Luo L, Xu X, Zhou H, Li F. Focused ultrasound-induced cell apoptosis for the treatment of tumours. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17886. [PMID: 39184389 PMCID: PMC11344538 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a serious public health problem worldwide. Traditional treatments, such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, do not always yield satisfactory results; therefore, an efficient treatment for tumours is urgently needed. As a convenient and minimally invasive modality, focused ultrasound (FUS) has been used not only as a diagnostic tool but also as a therapeutic tool in an increasing number of studies. FUS can help treat malignant tumours by inducing apoptosis. This review describes the three apoptotic pathways, apoptotic cell clearance, and how FUS affects these three apoptotic pathways. This review also discusses the role of thermal and cavitation effects on apoptosis, including caspase activity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and Ca2+ elease. Finally, this article reviews various aspects of FUS combination therapy, including sensitization by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, gene expression upregulation, and the introduction of therapeutic gases, to provide new ideas for clinical tumour therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Wang
- Chongqing University, School of Medicine, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Ultrasound Department, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Luo
- Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Ultrasound Department, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinzhi Xu
- Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Ultrasound Department, Chongqing, China
| | - Hang Zhou
- Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Ultrasound Department, Chongqing, China
| | - Fang Li
- Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Ultrasound Department, Chongqing, China
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Evaluation of a Developed MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound System in 7 T Small Animal MRI and Proof-of-Concept in a Prostate Cancer Xenograft Model to Improve Radiation Therapy. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030481. [PMID: 36766824 PMCID: PMC9914251 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) can be used to physiologically change or destroy tissue in a non-invasive way. A few commercial systems have clinical approval for the thermal ablation of solid tumors for the treatment of neurological diseases and palliative pain management of bone metastases. However, the thermal effects of FUS are known to lead to various biological effects, such as inhibition of repair of DNA damage, reduction in tumor hypoxia, and induction of apoptosis. Here, we studied radiosensitization as a combination therapy of FUS and RT in a xenograft mouse model using newly developed MRI-compatible FUS equipment. Xenograft tumor-bearing mice were produced by subcutaneous injection of the human prostate cancer cell line PC-3. Animals were treated with FUS in 7 T MRI at 4.8 W/cm2 to reach ~45 °C and held for 30 min. The temperature was controlled via fiber optics and proton resonance frequency shift (PRF) MR thermometry in parallel. In the combination group, animals were treated with FUS followed by X-ray at a single dose of 10 Gy. The effects of FUS and RT were assessed via hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Tumor proliferation was detected by the immunohistochemistry of Ki67 and apoptosis was measured by a TUNEL assay. At 40 days follow-up, the impact of RT on cancer cells was significantly improved by FUS as demonstrated by a reduction in cell nucleoli from 189 to 237 compared to RT alone. Inhibition of tumor growth by 4.6 times was observed in vivo in the FUS + RT group (85.3%) in contrast to the tumor volume of 393% in the untreated control. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of combined MRI-guided FUS and RT for the treatment of prostate cancer in a xenograft mouse model and may provide a chance for less invasive cancer therapy through radiosensitization.
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Newly Synthesized Melphalan Analogs Induce DNA Damage and Mitotic Catastrophe in Hematological Malignant Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214258. [PMID: 36430734 PMCID: PMC9693175 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloablative therapy with highdoses of the cytostatic drug melphalan (MEL) in preparation for hematopoietic cell transplantation is the standard of care for multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Melphalan is a bifunctional alkylating agent that covalently binds to nucleophilic sites in the DNA and effective in the treatment, but unfortunately has limited therapeutic benefit. Therefore, new approaches are urgently needed for patients who are resistant to existing standard treatment with MEL. Regulating the pharmacological activity of drug molecules by modifying their structure is one method for improving their effectiveness. The purpose of this work was to analyze the physicochemical and biological properties of newly synthesized melphalan derivatives (EE-MEL, EM-MEL, EM-MOR-MEL, EM-I-MEL, EM-T-MEL) obtained through the esterification of the carboxyl group and the replacement of the the amino group with an amidine group. Compounds were selected based on our previous studies for their improved anticancer properties in comparison with the original drug. For this, we first evaluated the physicochemical properties using the circular dichroism technique, then analyzed the zeta potential and the hydrodynamic diameters of the particles. Then, the in vitro biological properties of the analogs were tested on multiple myeloma (RPMI8226), acute monocytic leukemia (THP1), and promyelocytic leukemia (HL60) cells as model systems for hematological malignant cells. DNA damage was assessed by immunostaining γH2AX, cell cycle distribution changes by propidium iodide (PI) staining, and cell death by the activation of caspase 2. We proved that the newly synthesized derivatives, in particular EM-MOR-MEL and EM-T-MEL, affected the B-DNA conformation, thus increasing the DNA damage. As a result of the DNA changes, the cell cycle was arrested in the S and G2/M phases. The cell death occurred by activating a mitotic catastrophe. Our investigations suggest that the analogs EM-MOR-MEL and EM-T-MEL have better anti-cancer activity in multiple myeloma cells than the currently used melphalan.
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Hersh AM, Bhimreddy M, Weber-Levine C, Jiang K, Alomari S, Theodore N, Manbachi A, Tyler BM. Applications of Focused Ultrasound for the Treatment of Glioblastoma: A New Frontier. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4920. [PMID: 36230843 PMCID: PMC9563027 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary astrocytoma associated with short overall survival. Treatment for GBM primarily consists of maximal safe surgical resection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy using temozolomide. Nonetheless, recurrence and tumor progression is the norm, driven by tumor stem cell activity and a high mutational burden. Focused ultrasound (FUS) has shown promising results in preclinical and clinical trials for treatment of GBM and has received regulatory approval for the treatment of other neoplasms. Here, we review the range of applications for FUS in the treatment of GBM, which depend on parameters, including frequency, power, pulse duration, and duty cycle. Low-intensity FUS can be used to transiently open the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which restricts diffusion of most macromolecules and therapeutic agents into the brain. Under guidance from magnetic resonance imaging, the BBB can be targeted in a precise location to permit diffusion of molecules only at the vicinity of the tumor, preventing side effects to healthy tissue. BBB opening can also be used to improve detection of cell-free tumor DNA with liquid biopsies, allowing non-invasive diagnosis and identification of molecular mutations. High-intensity FUS can cause tumor ablation via a hyperthermic effect. Additionally, FUS can stimulate immunological attack of tumor cells, can activate sonosensitizers to exert cytotoxic effects on tumor tissue, and can sensitize tumors to radiation therapy. Finally, another mechanism under investigation, known as histotripsy, produces tumor ablation via acoustic cavitation rather than thermal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Hersh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Meghana Bhimreddy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Carly Weber-Levine
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Kelly Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Safwan Alomari
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Nicholas Theodore
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Amir Manbachi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Betty M. Tyler
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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The use of radiosensitizing agents in the therapy of glioblastoma multiforme-a comprehensive review. Strahlenther Onkol 2022; 198:507-526. [PMID: 35503461 PMCID: PMC9165247 DOI: 10.1007/s00066-022-01942-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in human adults. Despite several improvements in resective as well as adjuvant therapy over the last decades, its overall prognosis remains poor. As a means of improving patient outcome, the possibility of enhancing radiation response by using radiosensitizing agents has been tested in an array of studies. METHODS A comprehensive review of clinical trials involving radiation therapy in combination with radiosensitizing agents on patients diagnosed with glioblastoma was performed in the National Center for Biotechnology Information's PubMed database. RESULTS A total of 96 papers addressing this matter were published between 1976 and 2021, of which 63 matched the subject of this paper. All papers were reviewed, and their findings discussed in the context of their underlining mechanisms of radiosensitization. CONCLUSION In the history of glioblastoma treatment, several approaches of optimizing radiation-effectiveness using radiosensitizers have been made. Even though several different strategies and agents have been explored, clear evidence of improved patient outcome is still missing. Tissue-selectiveness and penetration of the blood-brain barrier seem to be major roadblocks; nevertheless, modern strategies try to circumvent these obstacles, using novel sensitizers based on preclinical data or alternative ways of delivery.
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Furusawa Y, Kondo T, Tachibana K, Feril LB. Ultrasound-Induced DNA Damage and Cellular Response: Historical Review, Mechanisms Analysis, and Therapeutic Implications. Radiat Res 2022; 197:662-672. [PMID: 35275998 DOI: 10.1667/rade-21-00140.1.s1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The biological effects of ultrasound may be classified into thermal and nonthermal mechanisms. The nonthermal effects may be further classified into cavitational and noncavitational mechanisms. DNA damage induced by ultrasound is considered to be related to nonthermal cavitations. For this aspect, many in vitro studies on DNA have been conducted for evaluating the safety of diagnostic ultrasound, particularly in fetal imaging. Technological advancement in detecting DNA damage both in vitro and in vivo have elucidated the mechanism of DNA damage formation and their cellular response. Damage to DNA, and the residual damages after DNA repair are implicated in the biological effects. Here, we discuss the historical evidence of ultrasound on DNA damage and the mechanism of DNA damage formation both in vitro and in vivo, compared with those induced by ionizing radiation. We also offer a commentary on the safety of ultrasound over X-ray-based imaging. Also, understanding the various mechanisms involved in the bioeffects of ultrasound will lead us to alternative strategies for use of ultrasound for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukihiro Furusawa
- Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Toyama Prefecture University, Toyama 939-0398, Japan
| | - Takashi Kondo
- Department of Radiological Sciences Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Katsuro Tachibana
- Department of Anatomy. Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan
| | - Loreto B Feril
- Department of Anatomy. Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan
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Chamani F, Barnett I, Pyle M, Shrestha T, Prakash P. A Review of In Vitro Instrumentation Platforms for Evaluating Thermal Therapies in Experimental Cell Culture Models. Crit Rev Biomed Eng 2022; 50:39-67. [PMID: 36374822 DOI: 10.1615/critrevbiomedeng.2022043455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Thermal therapies, the modulation of tissue temperature for therapeutic benefit, are in clinical use as adjuvant or stand-alone therapeutic modalities for a range of indications, and are under investigation for others. During delivery of thermal therapy in the clinic and in experimental settings, monitoring and control of spatio-temporal thermal profiles contributes to an increased likelihood of inducing desired bioeffects. In vitro thermal dosimetry studies have provided a strong basis for characterizing biological responses of cells to heat. To perform an accurate in vitro thermal analysis, a sample needs to be subjected to uniform heating, ideally raised from, and returned to, baseline immediately, for a known heating duration under ideal isothermal condition. This review presents an applications-based overview of in vitro heating instrumentation platforms. A variety of different approaches are surveyed, including external heating sources (i.e., CO2 incubators, circulating water baths, microheaters and microfluidic devices), microwave dielectric heating, lasers or the use of sound waves. We discuss critical heating parameters including temperature ramp rate (heat-up phase period), heating accuracy, complexity, peak temperature, and technical limitations of each heating modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faraz Chamani
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - India Barnett
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Marla Pyle
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Tej Shrestha
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA; Nanotechnology Innovation Center of Kansas State (NICKS), Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Punit Prakash
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
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Zhang X, Landgraf L, Bailis N, Unger M, Jochimsen TH, Melzer A. Image-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound, A Novel Application for Interventional Nuclear Medicine? J Nucl Med 2021; 62:1181-1188. [PMID: 34088775 PMCID: PMC8882895 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.120.256230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Image-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been increasingly used in medicine over the past few decades, and several systems for such have become commercially available. HIFU has passed regulatory approval around the world for the ablation of various solid tumors, the treatment of neurologic diseases, and the palliative management of bone metastases. The mechanical and thermal effects of focused ultrasound provide a possibility for histotripsy, supportive radiation therapy, and targeted drug delivery. The integration of imaging modalities into HIFU systems allows for precise temperature monitoring and accurate treatment planning, increasing the safety and efficiency of treatment. Preclinical and clinical results have demonstrated the potential of image-guided HIFU to reduce adverse effects and increase the quality of life postoperatively. Interventional nuclear image-guided HIFU is an attractive noninvasive option for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrui Zhang
- Innovation Center Computer Assisted Surgery (ICCAS), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lisa Landgraf
- Innovation Center Computer Assisted Surgery (ICCAS), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nikolaos Bailis
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Unger
- Innovation Center Computer Assisted Surgery (ICCAS), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thies H Jochimsen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany; and
| | - Andreas Melzer
- Innovation Center Computer Assisted Surgery (ICCAS), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany;
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology (IMSaT), University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland
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