1
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Chacko AN, Miller ADC, Dhanabalan KM, Mukherjee A. Exploring the potential of water channels for developing genetically encoded reporters and biosensors for diffusion-weighted MRI. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2024; 365:107743. [PMID: 39053029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2024.107743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Genetically encoded reporters for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer a valuable technology for making molecular-scale measurements of biological processes within living organisms with high anatomical resolution and whole-organ coverage without relying on ionizing radiation. However, most MRI reporters rely on synthetic contrast agents, typically paramagnetic metals and metal complexes, which often need to be supplemented exogenously to create optimal contrast. To eliminate the need for synthetic contrast agents, we previously introduced aquaporin-1, a mammalian water channel, as a new reporter gene for the fully autonomous detection of genetically labeled cells using diffusion-weighted MRI. In this study, we aimed to expand the toolbox of diffusion-based genetic reporters by modulating aquaporin membrane trafficking and harnessing the evolutionary diversity of water channels across species. We identified a number of new water channels that functioned as diffusion-weighted reporter genes. In addition, we show that loss-of-function variants of yeast and human aquaporins can be leveraged to design first-in-class diffusion-based sensors for detecting the activity of a model protease within living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asish N Chacko
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080, USA
| | - Austin D C Miller
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080, USA
| | - Kaamini M Dhanabalan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080, USA
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080, USA; Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080, USA.
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2
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Yun J, Huang Y, Miller ADC, Chang BL, Baldini L, Dhanabalan KM, Li E, Li H, Mukherjee A. Destabilized reporters for background-subtracted, chemically-gated, and multiplexed deep-tissue imaging. Chem Sci 2024; 15:11108-11121. [PMID: 39027298 PMCID: PMC11253201 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00377b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Tracking gene expression in deep tissues requires genetic reporters that can be unambiguously detected using tissue penetrant techniques. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is uniquely suited for this purpose; however, there is a dearth of reporters that can be reliably linked to gene expression with minimal interference from background tissue signals. Here, we present a conceptually new method for generating background-subtracted, drug-gated, multiplex images of gene expression using MRI. Specifically, we engineered chemically erasable reporters consisting of a water channel, aquaporin-1, fused to destabilizing domains, which are stabilized by binding to cell-permeable small-molecule ligands. We showed that this approach allows for highly specific detection of gene expression through differential imaging. In addition, by engineering destabilized aquaporin-1 variants with orthogonal ligand requirements, it is possible to distinguish distinct subpopulations of cells in mixed cultures. Finally, we demonstrated this approach in a mouse tumor model through differential imaging of gene expression with minimal background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Yun
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Yimeng Huang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Austin D C Miller
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Brandon L Chang
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Logan Baldini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Kaamini M Dhanabalan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Eugene Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Honghao Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
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3
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Liu D, Yu L, Rong H, Liu L, Yin J. Engineering Microorganisms for Cancer Immunotherapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2304649. [PMID: 38598792 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202304649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy presents a promising approach to fight against cancer by utilizing the immune system. Recently, engineered microorganisms have emerged as a potential strategy in cancer immunotherapy. These microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses, can be designed and modified using synthetic biology and genetic engineering techniques to target cancer cells and modulate the immune system. This review delves into various microorganism-based therapies for cancer immunotherapy, encompassing strategies for enhancing efficacy while ensuring safety and ethical considerations. The development of these therapies holds immense potential in offering innovative personalized treatments for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingkang Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Lichao Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Haibo Rong
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Lubin Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 120 Longshan Road, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Jun Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
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4
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Huang Y, Chen X, Zhu Z, Mukherjee A. A Dual-Gene Reporter-Amplifier Architecture for Enhancing the Sensitivity of Molecular MRI by Water Exchange. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400087. [PMID: 38439618 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
The development of genetic reporters for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for investigating biological functions in vivo. However, current MRI reporters have low sensitivity, making it challenging to create significant contrast against the tissue background, especially when only a small fraction of cells express the reporter. To overcome this limitation, we developed an approach for amplifying the sensitivity of molecular MRI by combining a chemogenetic contrast mechanism with a biophysical approach to increase water diffusion through the co-expression of a dual-gene construct comprising an organic anion transporting polypeptide, Oatp1b3, and a water channel, Aqp1. We first show that the expression of Aqp1 amplifies MRI contrast in cultured cells engineered to express Oatp1b3. We demonstrate that the contrast amplification is caused by Aqp1-driven increase in water exchange, which provides the gadolinium ions internalized by Oatp1b3-expressing cells with access to a larger water pool compared with exchange-limited conditions. We further show that our methodology allows cells to be detected using approximately 10-fold lower concentrations of gadolinium than that in the Aqp1-free scenario. Finally, we show that our approach enables the imaging of mixed-cell cultures containing a low fraction of Oatp1b3-labeled cells that are undetectable on the basis of Oatp1b3 expression alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Huang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080
| | - Xinyue Chen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080
| | - Ziyue Zhu
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080
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5
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Miller ADC, Chowdhury SP, Hanson HW, Linderman SK, Ghasemi HI, Miller WD, Morrissey MA, Richardson CD, Gardner BM, Mukherjee A. Engineering water exchange is a safe and effective method for magnetic resonance imaging in diverse cell types. J Biol Eng 2024; 18:30. [PMID: 38649904 PMCID: PMC11035135 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-024-00424-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Aquaporin-1 (Aqp1), a water channel, has garnered significant interest for cell-based medicine and in vivo synthetic biology due to its ability to be genetically encoded to produce magnetic resonance signals by increasing the rate of water diffusion in cells. However, concerns regarding the effects of Aqp1 overexpression and increased membrane diffusivity on cell physiology have limited its widespread use as a deep-tissue reporter. In this study, we present evidence that Aqp1 generates strong diffusion-based magnetic resonance signals without adversely affecting cell viability or morphology in diverse cell lines derived from mice and humans. Our findings indicate that Aqp1 overexpression does not induce ER stress, which is frequently associated with heterologous expression of membrane proteins. Furthermore, we observed that Aqp1 expression had no detrimental effects on native biological activities, such as phagocytosis, immune response, insulin secretion, and tumor cell migration in the analyzed cell lines. These findings should serve to alleviate any lingering safety concerns regarding the utilization of Aqp1 as a genetic reporter and should foster its broader application as a noninvasive reporter for in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin D C Miller
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Soham P Chowdhury
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Hadley W Hanson
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Sarah K Linderman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Hannah I Ghasemi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Wyatt D Miller
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Meghan A Morrissey
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Chris D Richardson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Brooke M Gardner
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
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6
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Huang Y, Chen X, Zhu Z, Mukherjee A. A dual-gene reporter-amplifier architecture for enhancing the sensitivity of molecular MRI by water exchange. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.22.576672. [PMID: 38328134 PMCID: PMC10849537 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.22.576672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The development of genetic reporters for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for investigating biological functions in intact animals. However, current MRI reporters have low sensitivity, making it challenging to create significant contrast against the tissue background, especially when only a small percentage of cells express the reporter. To overcome this limitation, we developed an approach that amplifies signals by co-expressing an MRI reporter gene, Oatp1b3, with a water channel, aquaporin-1 (Aqp1). We first show that the expression of Aqp1 amplifies the paramagnetic relaxation effect of Oatp1b3 by facilitating transmembrane water exchange. This mechanism provides Oatp1b3-expressing cells with access to a larger water pool compared with typical exchange-limited conditions. We further demonstrated that our methodology allows dual-labeled cells to be detected using approximately 10-fold lower concentrations of contrast agent than that in the Aqp1-free scenario. Finally, we show that our approach enables the imaging of mixed-cell populations containing a low fraction of Oatp1b3-labeled cells that are otherwise undetectable based on Oatp1b3 expression alone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xinyue Chen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
| | - Ziyue Zhu
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
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7
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Chacko AN, Miller AD, Dhanabalan KM, Mukherjee A. Exploring the potential of water channels for developing MRI reporters and sensors without the need for exogenous contrast agents. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.21.576580. [PMID: 38328035 PMCID: PMC10849501 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.21.576580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Genetically encoded reporters for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer a valuable technology for making molecular-scale measurements of biological processes within living organisms with high anatomical resolution and whole-organ coverage without relying on ionizing radiation. However, most MRI reporters rely on contrast agents, typically paramagnetic metals and metal complexes, which often need to be supplemented exogenously to create optimal contrast. To eliminate the need for contrast agents, we previously introduced aquaporin-1, a mammalian water channel, as a new reporter gene for the fully autonomous detection of genetically labeled cells using diffusion-weighted MRI. In this study, we aimed to expand the toolbox of diffusion-based genetic reporters by modulating aquaporin membrane trafficking and harnessing the evolutionary diversity of water channels across species. We identified a number of new water channels that functioned as diffusion-weighted reporter genes. In addition, we show that loss-of-function variants of yeast and human aquaporins can be leveraged to design first-in-class diffusion-based sensors for detecting the activity of a model protease within living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program
- Department of Chemical Engineering
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8
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Miller ADC, Chowdhury SP, Hanson HW, Linderman SK, Ghasemi HI, Miller WD, Morrissey MA, Richardson CD, Gardner BM, Mukherjee A. Engineering water exchange is a safe and effective method for magnetic resonance imaging in diverse cell types. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.07.566095. [PMID: 37986852 PMCID: PMC10659288 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.07.566095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Aquaporin-1 (Aqp1), a water channel, has garnered significant interest for cell-based medicine and in vivo synthetic biology due to its ability to be genetically encoded to produce magnetic resonance signals by increasing the rate of water diffusion in cells. However, concerns regarding the effects of Aqp1 overexpression and increased membrane diffusivity on cell physiology have limited its widespread use as a deep-tissue reporter. In this study, we present evidence that Aqp1 generates strong diffusion-based magnetic resonance signals without adversely affecting cell viability or morphology in diverse cell lines derived from mice and humans. Our findings indicate that Aqp1 overexpression does not induce ER stress, which is frequently associated with heterologous expression of membrane proteins. Furthermore, we observed that Aqp1 expression had no detrimental effects on native biological activities, such as phagocytosis, immune response, insulin secretion, and tumor cell migration in the analyzed cell lines. These findings should serve to alleviate any lingering safety concerns regarding the utilization of Aqp1 as a genetic reporter and should foster its broader application as a noninvasive reporter for in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin D C Miller
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Soham P Chowdhury
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Hadley W Hanson
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Sarah K Linderman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Hannah I Ghasemi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Wyatt D Miller
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Meghan A Morrissey
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Chris D Richardson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Brooke M Gardner
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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9
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Chowdhury R, Wan J, Gardier R, Rafael-Patino J, Thiran JP, Gibou F, Mukherjee A. Molecular Imaging with Aquaporin-Based Reporter Genes: Quantitative Considerations from Monte Carlo Diffusion Simulations. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3041-3049. [PMID: 37793076 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Aquaporins provide a unique approach for imaging genetic activity in deep tissues by increasing the rate of cellular water diffusion, which generates a magnetic resonance contrast. However, distinguishing aquaporin signals from the tissue background is challenging because water diffusion is influenced by structural factors, such as cell size and packing density. Here, we developed a Monte Carlo model to analyze how cell radius and intracellular volume fraction quantitatively affect aquaporin signals. We demonstrated that a differential imaging approach based on subtracting signals at two diffusion times can improve specificity by unambiguously isolating aquaporin signals from the tissue background. We further used Monte Carlo simulations to analyze the connection between diffusivity and the percentage of cells engineered to express aquaporin and established a mapping that accurately determined the volume fraction of aquaporin-expressing cells in mixed populations. The quantitative framework developed in this study will enable a broad range of applications in biomedical synthetic biology, requiring the use of aquaporins to noninvasively monitor the location and function of genetically engineered devices in live animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Remy Gardier
- Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Rafael-Patino
- Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Radiology Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Philippe Thiran
- Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Radiology Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
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10
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Chowdhury R, Wan J, Gardier R, Rafael-Patino J, Thiran JP, Gibou F, Mukherjee A. Molecular imaging with aquaporin-based reporter genes: quantitative considerations from Monte Carlo diffusion simulations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.09.544324. [PMID: 37333205 PMCID: PMC10274877 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.09.544324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Aquaporins provide a new class of genetic tools for imaging molecular activity in deep tissues by increasing the rate of cellular water diffusion, which generates magnetic resonance contrast. However, distinguishing aquaporin contrast from the tissue background is challenging because water diffusion is also influenced by structural factors such as cell size and packing density. Here, we developed and experimentally validated a Monte Carlo model to analyze how cell radius and intracellular volume fraction quantitatively affect aquaporin signals. We demonstrated that a differential imaging approach based on time-dependent changes in diffusivity can improve specificity by unambiguously isolating aquaporin-driven contrast from the tissue background. Finally, we used Monte Carlo simulations to analyze the connection between diffusivity and the percentage of cells engineered to express aquaporin, and established a simple mapping that accurately determined the volume fraction of aquaporin-expressing cells in mixed populations. This study creates a framework for broad applications of aquaporins, particularly in biomedicine and in vivo synthetic biology, where quantitative methods to measure the location and performance of genetic devices in whole vertebrates are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochishnu Chowdhury
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Jinyang Wan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Remy Gardier
- Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Rafael-Patino
- Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Radiology Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Philippe Thiran
- Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Radiology Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frederic Gibou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Biological Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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11
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Yun J, Baldini L, Huang Y, Li E, Li H, Chacko AN, Miller AD, Wan J, Mukherjee A. Engineering ligand stabilized aquaporin reporters for magnetic resonance imaging. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.02.543364. [PMID: 37333371 PMCID: PMC10274688 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.02.543364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Imaging transgene expression in live tissues requires reporters that are detectable with deeply penetrant modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here, we show that LSAqp1, a water channel engineered from aquaporin-1, can be used to create background-free, drug-gated, and multiplex images of gene expression using MRI. LSAqp1 is a fusion protein composed of aquaporin-1 and a degradation tag that is sensitive to a cell-permeable ligand, which allows for dynamic small molecule modulation of MRI signals. LSAqp1 improves specificity for imaging gene expression by allowing reporter signals to be conditionally activated and distinguished from the tissue background by difference imaging. In addition, by engineering destabilized aquaporin-1 variants with different ligand requirements, it is possible to image distinct cell types simultaneously. Finally, we expressed LSAqp1 in a tumor model and showed successful in vivo imaging of gene expression without background activity. LSAqp1 provides a conceptually unique approach to accurately measure gene expression in living organisms by combining the physics of water diffusion and biotechnology tools to control protein stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Yun
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Logan Baldini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Yimeng Huang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Eugene Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Honghao Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Asish N. Chacko
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Austin D.C. Miller
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Jinyang Wan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Biological Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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12
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Shueng PW, Shih KC, Gambhir SS, Kuo DY, Chuang HY. Cancer Detection Using an Artificial Secretable MicroRNA Found in Blood and Urine. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10030621. [PMID: 35327423 PMCID: PMC8945529 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomarkers can potentially help in the detection and prognosis of diseases such as cancer, its recurrence, predicting response to therapy, and monitoring of response during and/or after treatment. Endogenous tumor blood biomarkers suffer from low concentrations that are not distinguishable from background noise and, if identified, the localization of the biomarker production site is not known. The use of exogenously introduced or artificial biomarkers can eliminate these issues. In this study, we show that cancer cells can be made to produce an artificial secreted microRNA (Sec-miR) that can be detected in media from cells in culture, and from both blood and urine in living mice. In culture, we show that chaining a number of Sec-miR sequences in a plasmid and transfecting cells with the plasmids could increase Sec-miR secretion as the number of sequences increases. Tumor induction in mice with a stably transfected HeLa cell line shows the presence and significant increase in the Sec-miR with time and tumor growth in plasma (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.5542). The relative half-life of the Sec-miR was seen to be 1.2 h in the plasma of living mice and was seen to appear in urine within 12 h. The transgene for the Sec-miR within a minicircle was introduced via the tail-vein into subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice. As the tumor growth increased with time, further in vivo transfection of the Sec-miR minicircles showed an increase in Sec-miR in both plasma and urine (R2 = 0.4546). This study demonstrated that an exogenous Sec-miR biomarker would allow for early tumor detection using in vitro diagnostics techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Wei Shueng
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei 220, Taiwan;
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Kuang-Chung Shih
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Cheng-Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan;
| | - Sanjiv Sam Gambhir
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Deng-Yu Kuo
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei 220, Taiwan;
- Correspondence: (D.-Y.K.); (H.-Y.C.); Tel.: +886-2-7728-1033 (D.-Y.K.); +886-2-2826-7241 (H.-Y.C.); Fax: +886-2-7728-2367 (D.-Y.K.); +886-2-2820-1095 (H.-Y.C.)
| | - Hui-Yen Chuang
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (D.-Y.K.); (H.-Y.C.); Tel.: +886-2-7728-1033 (D.-Y.K.); +886-2-2826-7241 (H.-Y.C.); Fax: +886-2-7728-2367 (D.-Y.K.); +886-2-2820-1095 (H.-Y.C.)
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