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Bai JW, Qiu SQ, Zhang GJ. Molecular and functional imaging in cancer-targeted therapy: current applications and future directions. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:89. [PMID: 36849435 PMCID: PMC9971190 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01366-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted anticancer drugs block cancer cell growth by interfering with specific signaling pathways vital to carcinogenesis and tumor growth rather than harming all rapidly dividing cells as in cytotoxic chemotherapy. The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST) system has been used to assess tumor response to therapy via changes in the size of target lesions as measured by calipers, conventional anatomically based imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other imaging methods. However, RECIST is sometimes inaccurate in assessing the efficacy of targeted therapy drugs because of the poor correlation between tumor size and treatment-induced tumor necrosis or shrinkage. This approach might also result in delayed identification of response when the therapy does confer a reduction in tumor size. Innovative molecular imaging techniques have rapidly gained importance in the dawning era of targeted therapy as they can visualize, characterize, and quantify biological processes at the cellular, subcellular, or even molecular level rather than at the anatomical level. This review summarizes different targeted cell signaling pathways, various molecular imaging techniques, and developed probes. Moreover, the application of molecular imaging for evaluating treatment response and related clinical outcome is also systematically outlined. In the future, more attention should be paid to promoting the clinical translation of molecular imaging in evaluating the sensitivity to targeted therapy with biocompatible probes. In particular, multimodal imaging technologies incorporating advanced artificial intelligence should be developed to comprehensively and accurately assess cancer-targeted therapy, in addition to RECIST-based methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Wen Bai
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast and Thyroid Cancers, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China
- Cancer Research Center of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China
| | - Si-Qi Qiu
- Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Breast Diseases, Clinical Research Center, Shantou Central Hospital, 515041, Shantou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Shantou University Medical College, 515041, Shantou, China
| | - Guo-Jun Zhang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China.
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China.
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast and Thyroid Cancers, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China.
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China.
- Cancer Research Center of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361100, Xiamen, China.
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Guo C, Guo Y, Liu J, Gao Y, Wei M, Zhao R, Chen M, Zhang G. The G1 phase optical reporter serves as a sensor of CDK4/6 inhibition in vivo. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:728-741. [PMID: 33767584 PMCID: PMC7975702 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.52101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Visualization of cell-cycle G1 phase for monitoring the early response of cell cycle specific drug remains challenging. In this study, we developed genetically engineered bioluminescent reporters by fusing full-length cyclin E to the C-terminal luciferase (named as CycE-Luc and CycE-Luc2). Next, HeLa cell line or an ER-positive breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was transfected with these reporters. In cellular assays, the bioluminescent signal of CycE-Luc and CycE-Luc2 was accumulated in the G1 phase and decreased after exiting from the G1 phase. The expression of CycE-Luc and CycE-Luc2 fusion protein was regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner, which was mediated by proteasome ubiquitination and degradation. Next, our in vitro and in vivo experiment confirmed that the cell cycle arrested by anti-cancer agents (palbociclib or 5-FU) was monitored quantitatively and dynamically by bioluminescent imaging of these reporters in a real-time and non-invasive manner. Thus, these optical reporters could reflect the G1 phase alternation of cell cycle, and might become a future clinically translatable approach for predicting and monitoring response to palbociclib in patients with ER-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiping Guo
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Yuxian Guo
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Present address: Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Cancer Center & Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yiyang Gao
- Cancer Center & Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Min Wei
- Cancer Center & Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Ruijun Zhao
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Min Chen
- Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Clinical Central Research Core and Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- ✉ Corresponding authors: Prof. Guo-Jun Zhang, Cancer Center & Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Xiang'an Hospital, Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, No. 2000, Xiang'an Road East, Xiang'an District, Xiamen, 361101, Fujian, China. Phone: +86-592-2889988, E-mail: or Min Chen, Phone: +86-592-2889270, E-mail:
| | - Guojun Zhang
- Cancer Center & Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Clinical Central Research Core and Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- ✉ Corresponding authors: Prof. Guo-Jun Zhang, Cancer Center & Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Xiang'an Hospital, Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, No. 2000, Xiang'an Road East, Xiang'an District, Xiamen, 361101, Fujian, China. Phone: +86-592-2889988, E-mail: or Min Chen, Phone: +86-592-2889270, E-mail:
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Patel AR, Lim E, Francis KP, Singh M. Opening up the optical imaging window using nano-luciferin. Pharm Res 2014; 31:3073-84. [PMID: 24831312 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-014-1400-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The objective of this study was to formulate nanoparticles of D-luciferin (Nano-Luc), DiR (Nano-DiR) and dual functional nanoparticles with DiR and luciferin (Nano-LucDiR) for in-vivo imaging as well as tracking of the nanoparticles in tumors. METHODS Nano-Luc and Nano-LucDiR were prepared using different lipids, and subsequently characterized for loading and entrapment efficiency, physical properties, release profile, toxicity and stability. We utilized Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimize the nanoparticles using design of experiment (DOE Vr.8.0). Nano-Luc was evaluated against free luciferin to establish its pharmacokinetic parameters in mice. In-vivo imaging of tumors and tracking of nanoparticles was carried out with an IVIS® Spectrum-CT (Caliper) using xenograft, orthotopic and metastatic tumor models in BALB/c nude mice with different cell lines and different routes of nanoparticle administration (subcutaneous, intraperitoneal and intravenous). RESULTS Particle size of both Nano-Luc and Nano-LucDiR were found to be <200 nm. Nano-Luc formulation showed a slow and controlled release upto 72 h (90%) in vitro. The optimized Nano-Luc had loading efficiency of 5.0 mg/ml with 99% encapsulation efficiency. Nano-Luc and Nano-LucDiR formulations had good shelf stability. Nano-Luc and Nano-LucDiR enhanced plasma half-life of luciferin compared to free luciferin thus providing longer circulation of luciferin in plasma enabling imaging of tumors for more than 24 h. Nano-LucDiR allowed simultaneous bioluminescent and fluorescent imaging to be conducted, with three-dimensional reconstruct of tumors without losing either signal during the acquisition time. CONCLUSION Nano-Luc and Nano-LucDiR allowed prolonged reproducible in-vivo imaging of tumors, especially during multimodality 3D imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apurva R Patel
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32307, USA
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