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Lauwerys L, Beroske L, Solania A, Vangestel C, Miranda A, Van Giel N, Adhikari K, Lambeir AM, Wyffels L, Wolan D, Van der Veken P, Elvas F. Development of caspase-3-selective activity-based probes for PET imaging of apoptosis. EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem 2024; 9:58. [PMID: 39117920 PMCID: PMC11310375 DOI: 10.1186/s41181-024-00291-x] [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: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cysteine-aspartic acid protease caspase-3 is recognized as the main executioner of apoptosis in cells responding to specific extrinsic and intrinsic stimuli. Caspase-3 represents an interesting biomarker to evaluate treatment response, as many cancer therapies exert their effect by inducing tumour cell death. Previously developed caspase-3 PET tracers were unable to reach routine clinical use due to low tumour uptake or lack of target selectivity, which are two important requirements for effective treatment response evaluation in cancer patients. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop and preclinically evaluate novel caspase-3-selective activity-based probes (ABPs) for apoptosis imaging. RESULTS A library of caspase-3-selective ABPs was developed for tumour apoptosis detection. In a first attempt, the inhibitor Ac-DW3-KE (Ac-3Pal-Asp-βhLeu-Phe-Asp-KE) was 18F-labelled on the N-terminus to generate a radiotracer that was incapable of adequately detecting an increase in apoptosis in vivo. The inability to effectively detect active caspase-3 in vivo was likely attributable to slow binding, as demonstrated with in vitro inhibition kinetics. Hence, a second generation of caspase-3 selective ABPs was developed based on the Ac-ATS010-KE (Ac-3Pal-Asp-Phe(F5)-Phe-Asp-KE) with greatly improved binding kinetics over Ac-DW3-KE. Our probes based on Ac-ATS010-KE were made by modifying the N-terminus with 6 different linkers. All the linker modifications had limited effect on the binding kinetics, target selectivity, and pharmacokinetic profile in healthy mice. In an in vitro apoptosis model, the least hydrophilic tracer [18F]MICA-316 showed an increased uptake in apoptotic cells in comparison to the control group. Finally, [18F]MICA-316 was tested in an in vivo colorectal cancer model, where it showed a limited tumour uptake and was unable to discriminate treated tumours from the untreated group, despite demonstrating that the radiotracer was able to bind caspase-3 in complex mixtures in vitro. In contrast, the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-binding radiotracer [99mTc]Tc-duramycin was able to recognize the increased cell death in the disease model, making it the best performing treatment response assessment tracer developed thus far. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, a novel library of caspase-3-binding PET tracers retaining similar binding kinetics as the original inhibitor was developed. The most promising tracer, [18F]MICA-316, showed an increase uptake in an in vitro apoptosis model and was able to selectively bind caspase-3 in apoptotic tumour cells. In order to distinguish therapy-responsive from non-responsive tumours, the next generation of caspase-3-selective ABPs will be developed with higher tumour accumulation and in vivo stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Lauwerys
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lucas Beroske
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Angelo Solania
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christel Vangestel
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alan Miranda
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nele Van Giel
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Karuna Adhikari
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anne-Marie Lambeir
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Leonie Wyffels
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dennis Wolan
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Filipe Elvas
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Lohith TG, Kaittanis C, Belanger AP, Ahn SH, Sandoval P, Cohen L, Rajarshi G, Ruangsiriluk W, Islam R, Winkelmann CT, McQuade P. Radiosynthesis and Early Evaluation of a Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Probe [ 18F]AGAL Targeting Alpha-Galactosidase A Enzyme for Fabry Disease. Molecules 2023; 28:7144. [PMID: 37894622 PMCID: PMC10609273 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Success of gene therapy relies on the durable expression and activity of transgene in target tissues. In vivo molecular imaging approaches using positron emission tomography (PET) can non-invasively measure magnitude, location, and durability of transgene expression via direct transgene or indirect reporter gene imaging in target tissues, providing the most proximal PK/PD biomarker for gene therapy trials. Herein, we report the radiosynthesis of a novel PET tracer [18F]AGAL, targeting alpha galactosidase A (α-GAL), a lysosomal enzyme deficient in Fabry disease, and evaluation of its selectivity, specificity, and pharmacokinetic properties in vitro. [18F]AGAL was synthesized via a Cu-catalyzed click reaction between fluorinated pentyne and an aziridine-based galactopyranose precursor with a high yield of 110 mCi, high radiochemical purity of >97% and molar activity of 6 Ci/µmol. The fluorinated AGAL probe showed high α-GAL affinity with IC50 of 30 nM, high pharmacological selectivity (≥50% inhibition on >160 proteins), and suitable pharmacokinetic properties (moderate to low clearance and stability in plasma across species). In vivo [18F]AGAL PET imaging in mice showed high uptake in peripheral organs with rapid renal clearance. These promising results encourage further development of this PET tracer for in vivo imaging of α-GAL expression in target tissues affected by Fabry disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talakad G. Lohith
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; (C.K.); (P.S.); (L.C.); (G.R.); (W.R.); (R.I.); (C.T.W.); (P.M.)
| | - Charalambos Kaittanis
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; (C.K.); (P.S.); (L.C.); (G.R.); (W.R.); (R.I.); (C.T.W.); (P.M.)
| | - Anthony P. Belanger
- Molecular Cancer Imaging Facility, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02210, USA; (A.P.B.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Shin Hye Ahn
- Molecular Cancer Imaging Facility, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02210, USA; (A.P.B.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Phil Sandoval
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; (C.K.); (P.S.); (L.C.); (G.R.); (W.R.); (R.I.); (C.T.W.); (P.M.)
| | - Lawrence Cohen
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; (C.K.); (P.S.); (L.C.); (G.R.); (W.R.); (R.I.); (C.T.W.); (P.M.)
| | - Girija Rajarshi
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; (C.K.); (P.S.); (L.C.); (G.R.); (W.R.); (R.I.); (C.T.W.); (P.M.)
| | - Wanida Ruangsiriluk
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; (C.K.); (P.S.); (L.C.); (G.R.); (W.R.); (R.I.); (C.T.W.); (P.M.)
| | - Rizwana Islam
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; (C.K.); (P.S.); (L.C.); (G.R.); (W.R.); (R.I.); (C.T.W.); (P.M.)
| | - Christopher T. Winkelmann
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; (C.K.); (P.S.); (L.C.); (G.R.); (W.R.); (R.I.); (C.T.W.); (P.M.)
| | - Paul McQuade
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; (C.K.); (P.S.); (L.C.); (G.R.); (W.R.); (R.I.); (C.T.W.); (P.M.)
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3
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Ho Shon I, Hogg PJ. Imaging of cell death in malignancy: Targeting pathways or phenotypes? Nucl Med Biol 2023; 124-125:108380. [PMID: 37598518 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2023.108380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Cell death is fundamental in health and disease and resisting cell death is a hallmark of cancer. Treatment of malignancy aims to cause cancer cell death, however current clinical imaging of treatment response does not specifically image cancer cell death but assesses this indirectly either by changes in tumor size (using x-ray computed tomography) or metabolic activity (using 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography). The ability to directly image tumor cell death soon after commencement of therapy would enable personalised response adapted approaches to cancer treatment that is presently not possible with current imaging, which is in many circumstances neither sufficiently accurate nor timely. Several cell death pathways have now been identified and characterised that present multiple potential targets for imaging cell death including externalisation of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine, caspase activation and La autoantigen redistribution. However, targeting one specific cell death pathway carries the risk of not detecting cell death by other pathways and it is now understood that cancer treatment induces cell death by different and sometimes multiple pathways. An alternative approach is targeting the cell death phenotype that is "agnostic" of the death pathway. Cell death phenotypes that have been targeted for cell death imaging include loss of plasma membrane integrity and dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential. Targeting the cell death phenotype may have the advantage of being a more sensitive and generalisable approach to cancer cell death imaging. This review describes and summarises the approaches and radiopharmaceuticals investigated for imaging cell death by targeting cell death pathways or cell death phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Ho Shon
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia; School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Randwick Clinical Campus, UNSW Sydney, Australia.
| | - Philip J Hogg
- The Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Metelerkamp Cappenberg T, De Schepper S, Vangestel C, De Lombaerde S, Wyffels L, Van den Wyngaert T, Mattis J, Gray B, Pak K, Stroobants S, Elvas F. First-in-human study of a novel cell death tracer [ 99mTc]Tc-Duramycin: safety, biodistribution and radiation dosimetry in healthy volunteers. EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem 2023; 8:20. [PMID: 37646865 PMCID: PMC10468453 DOI: 10.1186/s41181-023-00207-1] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Imaging of cell death can provide an early indication of treatment response in cancer. [99mTc]Tc-Duramycin is a small-peptide SPECT tracer that recognizes both apoptotic and necrotic cells by binding to phosphatidylethanolamine present in the cell membrane. Preclinically, this tracer has shown to have favorable pharmacokinetics and selective tumor accumulation early after the onset of anticancer therapy. In this first-in-human study, we report the safety, biodistribution and internal radiation dosimetry of [99mTc]Tc-Duramycin in healthy human volunteers. RESULTS Six healthy volunteers (3 males, 3 females) were injected intravenously with [99mTc]Tc-Duramycin (dose: 6 MBq/kg; 473 ± 36 MBq). [99mTc]Tc-Duramycin was well tolerated in all subjects, with no serious adverse events reported. Following injection, a 30-min dynamic planar imaging of the abdomen was performed, and whole-body (WB) planar scans were acquired at 1, 2, 3, 6 and 23 h post-injection (PI), with SPECT acquisitions after each WB scan and one low-dose CT after the first SPECT. In vivo 99mTc activities were determined from semi-quantitative analysis of the images, and time-activity curves were generated. Residence times were calculated from the dynamic and WB planar scans. The mean effective dose was 7.61 ± 0.75 µSv/MBq, with the kidneys receiving the highest absorbed dose (planar analysis: 43.82 ± 4.07 µGy/MBq, SPECT analysis: 19.72 ± 3.42 μGy/MBq), followed by liver and spleen. The median effective dose was 3.61 mSv (range, 2.85-4.14). The tracer cleared slowly from the blood (effective half-life of 2.0 ± 0.4 h) due to high plasma protein binding with < 5% free tracer 3 h PI. Excretion was almost exclusively renal. CONCLUSION [99mTc]Tc-Duramycin demonstrated acceptable dosimetry (< 5 mSv) and a favorable safety profile. Due to slow blood clearance, optimal target-to-background ratios are expected 5 h PI. These data support the further assessment of [99mTc]Tc-Duramycin for clinical treatment response evaluation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT05177640, Registered April 30, 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05177640 .
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stijn De Schepper
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
| | - Christel Vangestel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology (MIRA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Stef De Lombaerde
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology (MIRA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Leonie Wyffels
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology (MIRA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Tim Van den Wyngaert
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology (MIRA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jeffrey Mattis
- Molecular Targeting Technologies, Inc., West Chester, PA, USA
| | - Brian Gray
- Molecular Targeting Technologies, Inc., West Chester, PA, USA
| | - Koon Pak
- Molecular Targeting Technologies, Inc., West Chester, PA, USA
| | - Sigrid Stroobants
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology (MIRA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Filipe Elvas
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium.
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology (MIRA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
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5
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Mikail N, Chequer R, Imperiale A, Meisel A, Bengs S, Portmann A, Gimelli A, Buechel RR, Gebhard C, Rossi A. Tales from the future-nuclear cardio-oncology, from prediction to diagnosis and monitoring. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2023; 24:1129-1145. [PMID: 37467476 PMCID: PMC10501471 DOI: 10.1093/ehjci/jead168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) often share common risk factors, and patients with CVD who develop cancer are at high risk of experiencing major adverse cardiovascular events. Additionally, cancer treatment can induce short- and long-term adverse cardiovascular events. Given the improvement in oncological patients' prognosis, the burden in this vulnerable population is slowly shifting towards increased cardiovascular mortality. Consequently, the field of cardio-oncology is steadily expanding, prompting the need for new markers to stratify and monitor the cardiovascular risk in oncological patients before, during, and after the completion of treatment. Advanced non-invasive cardiac imaging has raised great interest in the early detection of CVD and cardiotoxicity in oncological patients. Nuclear medicine has long been a pivotal exam to robustly assess and monitor the cardiac function of patients undergoing potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapies. In addition, recent radiotracers have shown great interest in the early detection of cancer-treatment-related cardiotoxicity. In this review, we summarize the current and emerging nuclear cardiology tools that can help identify cardiotoxicity and assess the cardiovascular risk in patients undergoing cancer treatments and discuss the specific role of nuclear cardiology alongside other non-invasive imaging techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidaa Mikail
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Renata Chequer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Bichat University Hospital, AP-HP, University Diderot, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Alessio Imperiale
- Nuclear Medicine, Institut de Cancérologie de Strasbourg Europe (ICANS), University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 67093 Strasbourg, France
- Molecular Imaging-DRHIM, IPHC, UMR 7178, CNRS/Unistra, 67093 Strasbourg, France
| | - Alexander Meisel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Kantonsspital Glarus, Burgstrasse 99, 8750 Glarus, Switzerland
| | - Susan Bengs
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Angela Portmann
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Alessia Gimelli
- Imaging Department, Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Ronny R Buechel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cathérine Gebhard
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Inselspital Bern, Freiburgstrasse 18, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alexia Rossi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
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Jong J, Pinney JR, Packard RRS. Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity: From pathobiology to identification of molecular targets for nuclear imaging. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:919719. [PMID: 35990941 PMCID: PMC9381993 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.919719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthracyclines are a widely used class of chemotherapy in pediatric and adult cancers, however, their use is hampered by the development of cardiotoxic side-effects and ensuing complications, primarily heart failure. Clinically used imaging modalities to screen for cardiotoxicity are mostly echocardiography and occasionally cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. However, the assessment of diastolic and global or segmental systolic function may not be sensitive to detect subclinical or early stages of cardiotoxicity. Multiple studies have scrutinized molecular nuclear imaging strategies to improve the detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Anthracyclines can activate all forms of cell death in cardiomyocytes. Injury mechanisms associated with anthracycline usage include apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as cardiac fibrosis and perturbation in sympathetic drive and myocardial blood flow; some of which have been targeted using nuclear probes. This review retraces the pathobiology of anthracycline-induced cardiac injury, details the evidence to date supporting a molecular nuclear imaging strategy, explores disease mechanisms which have not yet been targeted, and proposes a clinical strategy incorporating molecular imaging to improve patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Jong
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - James R. Pinney
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - René R. Sevag Packard
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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7
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Jouberton E, Schmitt S, Maisonial-Besset A, Chautard E, Penault-Llorca F, Cachin F. Interest and Limits of [18F]ML-10 PET Imaging for Early Detection of Response to Conventional Chemotherapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:789769. [PMID: 34988022 PMCID: PMC8722713 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.789769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the current challenges in oncology is to develop imaging tools to early detect the response to conventional chemotherapy and adjust treatment strategies when necessary. Several studies evaluating PET imaging with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) as a predictive tool of therapeutic response highlighted its insufficient specificity and sensitivity. The [18F]FDG uptake reflects only tumor metabolic activity and not treatment-induced cell death, which seems to be relevant for therapeutic evaluation. Therefore, to evaluate this parameter in vivo, several cell death radiotracers have been developed in the last years. However, few of them have reached the clinical trials. This systematic review focuses on the use of [18F]ML-10 (2-(5-[18F]fluoropentyl)-2-methylmalonic acid) as radiotracer of apoptosis and especially as a measure of tumor response to treatment. A comprehensive literature review concerning the preclinical and clinical investigations conducted with [18F]ML-10 was performed. The abilities and applications of this radiotracer as well as its clinical relevance and limitations were discussed. Most studies highlighted a good ability of the radiotracer to target apoptotic cells. However, the increase in apoptosis during treatment did not correlate with the radiotracer tumoral uptake, even using more advanced image analysis (voxel-based analysis). [18F]ML-10 PET imaging does not meet current clinical expectations for early detection of the therapeutic response to conventional chemotherapy. This review has pointed out the challenges of applying various apoptosis imaging strategies in clinical trials, the current methodologies available for image analysis and the future of molecular imaging to assess this therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Jouberton
- Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Centre Jean PERRIN, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Imagerie Moléculaire et Stratégies Théranostiques, UMR1240, Université Clermont Auvergne, INSERM, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- *Correspondence: Elodie Jouberton,
| | - Sébastien Schmitt
- Imagerie Moléculaire et Stratégies Théranostiques, UMR1240, Université Clermont Auvergne, INSERM, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Aurélie Maisonial-Besset
- Imagerie Moléculaire et Stratégies Théranostiques, UMR1240, Université Clermont Auvergne, INSERM, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Emmanuel Chautard
- Imagerie Moléculaire et Stratégies Théranostiques, UMR1240, Université Clermont Auvergne, INSERM, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Service de Pathologie, Centre Jean PERRIN, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Frédérique Penault-Llorca
- Imagerie Moléculaire et Stratégies Théranostiques, UMR1240, Université Clermont Auvergne, INSERM, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Service de Pathologie, Centre Jean PERRIN, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Florent Cachin
- Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Centre Jean PERRIN, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Imagerie Moléculaire et Stratégies Théranostiques, UMR1240, Université Clermont Auvergne, INSERM, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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8
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Wang Y, Ye D. A caspase-3 activatable photoacoustic probe for in vivo imaging of tumor apoptosis. Methods Enzymol 2021; 657:21-57. [PMID: 34353488 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging imaging technique, which combines high spatial resolution and deep tissue penetration of ultrasound imaging with high sensitivity of fluorescence imaging. In the past few years, PA has shown promise for noninvasive imaging of biomolecules in vivo. In this chapter, we present the synthesis and application of a tumor targeting and caspase-3 activatable PA probe (1-RGD) for real-time and noninvasive imaging of tumor apoptosis. 1-RGD can be efficiently delivered into tumor tissues and recognized by caspase-3, which triggered efficient proteolysis of DEVD substrate and subsequent intramolecular macrocyclization, followed by in situ self-assembly into nanoparticles, leading to prolonged retention in apoptotic tumors and enhanced PA signals. With 1-RGD, high-resolution 3D PA images of tumor tissues can be obtained, allowing to report on the activity and distribution of caspase-3 within DOX-treated tumors, which was helpful for early monitoring of tumor response to therapy. We provide detailed protocols for the synthesis, in vitro characterization and in vivo applications of 1-RGD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Deju Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
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9
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Beroske L, Van den Wyngaert T, Stroobants S, Van der Veken P, Elvas F. Molecular Imaging of Apoptosis: The Case of Caspase-3 Radiotracers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083948. [PMID: 33920463 PMCID: PMC8069194 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular imaging of apoptosis remains an important method for the diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of certain diseases and the evaluation of the efficacy of anticancer apoptosis-inducing therapies. Among the multiple biomarkers involved in apoptosis, activated caspase-3 is an attractive target, as it is the most abundant of the executioner caspases. Nuclear imaging is a good candidate, as it combines a high depth of tissue penetration and high sensitivity, features necessary to detect small changes in levels of apoptosis. However, designing a caspase-3 radiotracer comes with challenges, such as selectivity, cell permeability and transient caspase-3 activation. In this review, we discuss the different caspase-3 radiotracers for the imaging of apoptosis together with the challenges of the translation of various apoptosis-imaging strategies in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Beroske
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;
| | - Tim Van den Wyngaert
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
| | - Sigrid Stroobants
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
| | - Pieter Van der Veken
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;
| | - Filipe Elvas
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
- Correspondence:
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10
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Van de Wiele C, Ustmert S, De Spiegeleer B, De Jonghe PJ, Sathekge M, Alex M. Apoptosis Imaging in Oncology by Means of Positron Emission Tomography: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052753. [PMID: 33803180 PMCID: PMC7963162 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, a wide variety of potential PET-apoptosis imaging radiopharmaceuticals targeting apoptosis-induced cell membrane asymmetry and acidification, as well as caspase 3 activation (substrates and inhibitors) have been developed with the purpose of rapidly assessing the response to treatment in cancer patients. Many of these probes were shown to specifically bind to their apoptotic target in vitro and their uptake to be enhanced in the in vivo-xenografted tumours in mice treated by means of chemotherapy, however, to a significantly variable degree. This may, in part, relate to the tumour model used given the fact that different tumour cell lines bear a different sensitivity to a similar chemotherapeutic agent, to differences in the chemotherapeutic concentration and exposure time, as well as to the different timing of imaging performed post-treatment. The best validated cell membrane acidification and caspase 3 targeting radioligands, respectively 18F-ML-10 from the Aposense family and the radiolabelled caspase 3 substrate 18F-CP18, have also been injected in healthy individuals and shown to bear favourable dosimetric and safety characteristics. However, in contrast to, for instance, the 99mTc-HYNIC-Annexin V, neither of both tracers was taken up to a significant degree by the bone marrow in the healthy individuals under study. Removal of white and red blood cells from the bone marrow through apoptosis plays a major role in the maintenance of hematopoietic cell homeostasis. The major apoptotic population in normal bone marrow are immature erythroblasts. While an accurate estimate of the number of immature erythroblasts undergoing apoptosis is not feasible due to their unknown clearance rate, their number is likely substantial given the ineffective quote of the erythropoietic process described in healthy subjects. Thus, the clinical value of both 18F-ML-10 and 18F-CP18 for apoptosis imaging in cancer patients, as suggested by a small number of subsequent clinical phase I/II trials in patients suffering from primary or secondary brain malignancies using 18F-ML-10 and in an ongoing trial in patients suffering from cancer of the ovaries using 18F-CP18, remains to be proven and warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Van de Wiele
- Department of Nuclear Medicine AZ Groeninge, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; (S.U.); (P.-J.D.J.); (M.A.)
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, University Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-5663-4120
| | - Sezgin Ustmert
- Department of Nuclear Medicine AZ Groeninge, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; (S.U.); (P.-J.D.J.); (M.A.)
| | - Bart De Spiegeleer
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, DRUQUAR, University Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Pieter-Jan De Jonghe
- Department of Nuclear Medicine AZ Groeninge, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; (S.U.); (P.-J.D.J.); (M.A.)
| | - Mike Sathekge
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa;
| | - Maes Alex
- Department of Nuclear Medicine AZ Groeninge, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; (S.U.); (P.-J.D.J.); (M.A.)
- Department of Morphology and Imaging, University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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11
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Chaturvedi S, Hazari PP, Kaul A, Mishra AK. Microenvironment Stimulated Bioresponsive Small Molecule Carriers for Radiopharmaceuticals. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:26297-26306. [PMID: 33110957 PMCID: PMC7581084 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c03601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The widespread and successful use of radiopharmaceuticals in diagnosis, treatment, and therapeutic monitoring of cancer and other ailments has spawned significant literature. The transition from untargeted to targeted radiopharmaceuticals reflects the various stages of design and development. Targeted radiopharmaceuticals bind to specific biomarkers, get fixed, and highlight the disease site. A new subset of radioprobes, the bioresponsive radiopharmaceuticals, has been developed in recent years. These probes generally benefit from signal enhancement after undergoing molecular changes due to the fluctuations in the environment (pH, redox, or enzymatic activity) at the site of interest. This review presents a comprehensive overview of bioresponsive radioimaging probes covering the basis, application, and scope of development.
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12
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García-Argüello SF, Lopez-Lorenzo B, Cornelissen B, Smith G. Development of [ 18F]ICMT-11 for Imaging Caspase-3/7 Activity during Therapy-Induced Apoptosis. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2191. [PMID: 32781531 PMCID: PMC7465189 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Insufficient apoptosis is a recognised hallmark of cancer. A strategy to quantitatively measure apoptosis in vivo would be of immense value in both drug discovery and routine patient management. The first irreversible step in the apoptosis cascade is activation of the "executioner" caspase-3 enzyme to commence cleavage of key structural proteins. One strategy to measure caspase-3 activity is Positron Emission Tomography using isatin-5-sulfonamide radiotracers. One such radiotracer is [18F]ICMT-11, which has progressed to clinical application. This review summarises the design and development process for [18F]ICMT-11, suggesting potential avenues for further innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Segundo Francisco García-Argüello
- Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, Fundación General Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain;
- Grupo de Arteriosclerosis, Prevención Cardiovascular y Metabolismo, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Beatriz Lopez-Lorenzo
- Biomedicina, Investigación Traslacional y Nuevas Tecnologías en Salud, Universidad de Málaga, 29016 Málaga, Spain;
- BIONAND-Centro Andaluz de Nanomedicina y Biotecnología (Junta de Andalucía—Universidad de Málaga), 29590 Málaga, Spain
| | - Bart Cornelissen
- Department of Oncology, CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Off Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK;
| | - Graham Smith
- Department of Oncology, CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Off Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK;
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13
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Mosayebnia M, Hajiramezanali M, Shahhosseini S. Radiolabeled Peptides for Molecular Imaging of Apoptosis. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:7064-7089. [PMID: 32532184 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666200612152655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a regulated cell death induced by extrinsic and intrinsic stimulants. Tracking of apoptosis provides an opportunity for the assessment of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases as well as monitoring of cancer therapy at early stages. There are some key mediators in apoptosis cascade, which could be considered as specific targets for delivering imaging or therapeutic agents. The targeted radioisotope-based imaging agents are able to sensitively detect the physiological signal pathways which make them suitable for apoptosis imaging at a single-cell level. Radiopeptides take advantage of both the high sensitivity of nuclear imaging modalities and favorable features of peptide scaffolds. The aim of this study is to review the characteristics of those radiopeptides targeting apoptosis with different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Mosayebnia
- Department of Radiopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maliheh Hajiramezanali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Radiopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Behesti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soraya Shahhosseini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Radiopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Behesti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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14
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Zhang D, Jin Q, Jiang C, Gao M, Ni Y, Zhang J. Imaging Cell Death: Focus on Early Evaluation of Tumor Response to Therapy. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 31:1025-1051. [PMID: 32150392 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cell death plays a prominent role in the treatment of cancer, because most anticancer therapies act by the induction of cell death including apoptosis, necrosis, and other pathways of cell death. Imaging cell death helps to identify treatment responders from nonresponders and thus enables patient-tailored therapy, which will increase the likelihood of treatment response and ultimately lead to improved patient survival. By taking advantage of molecular probes that specifically target the biomarkers/biochemical processes of cell death, cell death imaging can be successfully achieved. In recent years, with the increased understanding of the molecular mechanism of cell death, a variety of well-defined biomarkers/biochemical processes of cell death have been identified. By targeting these established cell death biomarkers/biochemical processes, a set of molecular imaging probes have been developed and evaluated for early monitoring treatment response in tumors. In this review, we mainly present the recent advances in identifying useful biomarkers/biochemical processes for both apoptosis and necrosis imaging and in developing molecular imaging probes targeting these biomarkers/biochemical processes, with a focus on their application in early evaluation of tumor response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjian Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
| | - Qiaomei Jin
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
| | - Cuihua Jiang
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
| | - Meng Gao
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
| | - Yicheng Ni
- Theragnostic Laboratory, Campus Gasthuisberg, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jian Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China.,Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, P.R. China
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15
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Rangger C, Haubner R. Radiolabelled Peptides for Positron Emission Tomography and Endoradiotherapy in Oncology. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E22. [PMID: 32019275 PMCID: PMC7169460 DOI: 10.3390/ph13020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This review deals with the development of peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals for the use with positron emission tomography and peptide receptor radiotherapy. It discusses the pros and cons of this class of radiopharmaceuticals as well as the different labelling strategies, and summarises approaches to optimise metabolic stability. Additionally, it presents different target structures and addresses corresponding tracers, which are already used in clinical routine or are being investigated in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roland Haubner
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
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16
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Elvas F, Vanden Berghe T, Adriaenssens Y, Vandenabeele P, Augustyns K, Staelens S, Stroobants S, Van der Veken P, Wyffels L. Caspase-3 probes for PET imaging of apoptotic tumor response to anticancer therapy. Org Biomol Chem 2020; 17:4801-4824. [PMID: 31033991 DOI: 10.1039/c9ob00657e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a highly regulated process involved in the normal organism development and homeostasis. In the context of anticancer therapy, apoptosis is also studied intensively in an attempt to induce cell death in cancer cells. Caspase activation is a known key event in the apoptotic process. In particular, active caspase-3 and -7 are the common effectors in several apoptotic pathways, therefore effector caspase activation may be a promising biomarker for response evaluation to anticancer therapy. Quantitative imaging of apoptosis in vivo could provide early assessment of therapeutic effectiveness and could also be used in drug development to evaluate the efficacy as well as potential toxicity of novel treatments. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a highly sensitive molecular imaging modality that allows non-invasive in vivo imaging of biological processes such as apoptosis by using radiolabeled probes. Here we describe the development and evaluation of fluorine-18-labeled caspase-3 activity-based probes (ABPs) for PET imaging of apoptosis. ABPs were selected by screening of a small library of fluorine-19-labeled DEVD peptides containing different electrophilic warhead groups. An acyloxymethyl ketone was identified with low nanomolar affinity for caspase-3 and was radiolabeled with fluorine-18. The resulting radiotracer, [18F]MICA-302, showed good labeling of active caspase-3 in vitro and favorable pharmacokinetic properties. A μPET imaging experiment in colorectal tumor xenografts demonstrated an increased tumor accumulation of [18F]MICA-302 in drug-treated versus control animals. Therefore, our data suggest this radiotracer may be useful for clinical PET imaging of response to anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Elvas
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
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17
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Glaser M, Rajkumar V, Diocou S, Gendron T, Yan R, Sin PKB, Sander K, Carroll L, Pedley RB, Aboagye EO, Witney TH, Årstad E. One-Pot Radiosynthesis and Biological Evaluation of a Caspase-3 Selective 5-[ 123,125I]iodo-1,2,3-triazole derived Isatin SPECT Tracer. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19299. [PMID: 31848442 PMCID: PMC6917698 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55992-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Induction of apoptosis is often necessary for successful cancer therapy, and the non-invasive monitoring of apoptosis post-therapy could assist in clinical decision making. Isatins are a class of compounds that target activated caspase-3 during apoptosis. Here we report the synthesis of the 5-iodo-1,2,3-triazole (FITI) analog of the PET tracer [18F]ICMT11 as a candidate tracer for imaging of apoptosis with SPECT, as well as PET. Labelling with radioiodine (123,125I) was achieved in 55 ± 12% radiochemical yield through a chelator-accelerated one-pot cycloaddition reaction mediated by copper(I) catalysis. The caspase-3 binding affinity and selectivity of FITI compares favourably to that of [18F]ICMT11 (Ki = 6.1 ± 0.9 nM and 12.4 ± 4.7 nM, respectively). In biodistribution studies, etoposide-induced cell death in a SW1222 xenograft model resulted in a 2-fold increase in tumour uptake of the tracer. However, the tumour uptake was too low to allow in vivo imaging of apoptosis with SPECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Glaser
- Centre for Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, University College London, 5 Gower Place, London, WC1E 6BS, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | | | - Seckou Diocou
- UCL, Cancer Institute, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Thibault Gendron
- Centre for Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, University College London, 5 Gower Place, London, WC1E 6BS, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ran Yan
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St. Thomas' Hospital, SE1 7EH, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pak Kwan Brian Sin
- Centre for Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, University College London, 5 Gower Place, London, WC1E 6BS, United Kingdom
| | - Kerstin Sander
- Centre for Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, University College London, 5 Gower Place, London, WC1E 6BS, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence Carroll
- Imperial College London, Science, Technology & Medicine, Department of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, DuCane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | | | - Eric O Aboagye
- Imperial College London, Science, Technology & Medicine, Department of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, DuCane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy H Witney
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St. Thomas' Hospital, SE1 7EH, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Erik Årstad
- Centre for Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, University College London, 5 Gower Place, London, WC1E 6BS, United Kingdom.
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.
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18
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Bocan TM, Stafford RG, Brown JL, Akuoku Frimpong J, Basuli F, Hollidge BS, Zhang X, Raju N, Swenson RE, Smith DR. Characterization of Brain Inflammation, Apoptosis, Hypoxia, Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity and Metabolism in Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV TC-83) Exposed Mice by In Vivo Positron Emission Tomography Imaging. Viruses 2019; 11:v11111052. [PMID: 31766138 PMCID: PMC6893841 DOI: 10.3390/v11111052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional pathogenesis studies of alphaviruses involves monitoring survival, viremia, and pathogen dissemination via serial necropsies; however, molecular imaging shifts this paradigm and provides a dynamic assessment of pathogen infection. Positron emission tomography (PET) with PET tracers targeted to study neuroinflammation (N,N-diethyl-2-[4-phenyl]-5,7-dimethylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-3-acetamide, [18F]DPA-714), apoptosis (caspase-3 substrate, [18F]CP-18), hypoxia (fluormisonidazole, [18F]FMISO), blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity ([18F]albumin), and metabolism (fluorodeoxyglucose, [18F]FDG) was performed on C3H/HeN mice infected intranasally with 7000 plaque-forming units (PFU) of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) TC-83. The main findings are as follows: (1) whole-brain [18F]DPA-714 and [18F]CP-18 uptake increased three-fold demonstrating, neuroinflammation and apoptosis, respectively; (2) [18F]albumin uptake increased by 25% across the brain demonstrating an altered BBB; (3) [18F]FMISO uptake increased by 50% across the whole brain indicating hypoxic regions; (4) whole-brain [18F]FDG uptake was unaffected; (5) [18F]DPA-714 uptake in (a) cortex, thalamus, striatum, hypothalamus, and hippocampus increased through day seven and decreased by day 10 post exposure, (b) olfactory bulb increased at day three, peaked day seven, and decreased day 10, and (c) brain stem and cerebellum increased through day 10. In conclusion, intranasal exposure of C3H/HeN mice to VEEV TC-83 results in both time-dependent and regional increases in brain inflammation, apoptosis, and hypoxia, as well as modest decreases in BBB integrity; however, it has no effect on brain glucose metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Bocan
- Translational Sciences Directorate, Countermeasure Development Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter St., Ft. Detrick, MD 21702, USA;
- Cherokee Nation Assurance, 777 West Cherokee Street, Catoosa, OK 74015, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(301)-619-2647
| | - Robert G. Stafford
- Translational Sciences Directorate, Countermeasure Development Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter St., Ft. Detrick, MD 21702, USA;
| | - Jennifer L. Brown
- Foundational Sciences Directorate, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter St., Ft. Detrick, MD 21702, USA;
- General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), 3211 Jermantown Road, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Justice Akuoku Frimpong
- Foundational Sciences Directorate, Virology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter St., Ft. Detrick, MD 21702, USA; (J.A.F.); (B.S.H.)
| | - Falguni Basuli
- Imaging Probe Development Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (F.B.); (X.Z.); (N.R.); (R.E.S.)
| | - Bradley S. Hollidge
- Foundational Sciences Directorate, Virology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter St., Ft. Detrick, MD 21702, USA; (J.A.F.); (B.S.H.)
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Imaging Probe Development Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (F.B.); (X.Z.); (N.R.); (R.E.S.)
| | - Natarajan Raju
- Imaging Probe Development Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (F.B.); (X.Z.); (N.R.); (R.E.S.)
| | - Rolf E. Swenson
- Imaging Probe Development Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (F.B.); (X.Z.); (N.R.); (R.E.S.)
| | - Darci R. Smith
- Immunodiagnostic Department, Naval Medical Research Center, 8400 Research Plaza, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA;
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19
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Tong D, Zaha VG. Metabolic Imaging in Cardio-oncology. J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2019; 13:357-366. [PMID: 31696405 DOI: 10.1007/s12265-019-09927-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Tremendous progress in cancer detection and therapy has improved survival. However, cardiovascular complications are a major source of morbidity in cancer survivors. Cardiotoxicity is currently defined by structural myocardial changes and cardiac injury biomarkers. In many instances, such changes are late and irreversible. Therefore, diagnostic modalities that can identify early alterations in potentially reversible biochemical and molecular signaling processes are of interest. This review is focused on emerging translational metabolic imaging modalities. We present in context relevant mitochondrial biology aspects that ground the development and application of these technologies for detection of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD). The application of these modalities may improve the assessment of cardiovascular risk when anticancer treatments with a defined cardiometabolic toxic mechanism are to be used. Also, they may serve as screening tools for cardiotoxicity when novel lines of cancer therapies are applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Tong
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Vlad G Zaha
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, USA. .,Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA. .,Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA.
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20
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Qiu L, Wang W, Li K, Peng Y, Lv G, Liu Q, Gao F, Seimbille Y, Xie M, Lin J. Rational design of caspase-responsive smart molecular probe for positron emission tomography imaging of drug-induced apoptosis. Theranostics 2019; 9:6962-6975. [PMID: 31660080 PMCID: PMC6815954 DOI: 10.7150/thno.35084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of apoptosis is very important for early evaluation of tumor therapeutic efficacy. A stimuli-responsive probe based on the peptide sequence Asp-Glu-Val-Asp (DEVD), [18F]DEVD-Cys(StBu)-PPG(CBT)-AmBF3 ([18F]1), for PET imaging of tumor apoptosis was designed and prepared. This study aimed to develop a novel smart probe using a convenient radiosynthesis method and to fully examine the sensitivity and specificity of the probe response to the tumor treatment. Methods: The radiolabelling precursor DEVD-Cys(StBu)-PPG(CBT)-AmBF3 (1) was synthesized through multistep reactions. The reduction together with caspase-controlled macrocyclization and self-assembly of 1 was characterized and validated in vitro. After [18F]fluorination in the buffer (pH= 2.5), the radiolabelling yield (RLY), radiochemical purity (RCP) and stability of the probe [18F]1 in PBS and mouse serum were investigated by radio-HPLC. The sensitivity and specificity of [18F]1 for detecting the drug-induced apoptosis was fully evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The effect of cold precursor 1 on the cell uptake and tumor imaging of [18F]1 was also assessed. The level of activated caspase-3 in Hela cells and tumors with or without apoptosis induction was analyzed and compared by western blotting and histological staining. Results: The whole radiosynthesis process of [18F]1 was around 25 min with RLY of 50%, RCP of over 99% and specific activity of 1.45 ± 0.4 Ci/µmol. The probe was very stable in both PBS and mouse serum within 4 h. It can be activated by caspase-3 and then undergo an intermolecular cyclization to form nanosized particles. The retained [18F]1 in DOX-treated HeLa cells was 2.2 folds of that in untreated cells. Within 1 h microPET imaging of the untreated Hela-bearing mice, the injection of [18F]1 resulted in the increase of the uptake ratio of tumor to muscle (T/M) only from 1.74 to 2.18, while in the DOX-treated Hela-bearing mice T/M increased from 1.88 to 10.52 and the co-injection of [18F]1 and 1 even led to the increase of T/M from 3.08 to 14.81. Conclusions: A caspase-responsive smart PET probe [18F]1 was designed and prepared in a kit-like manner. Co-injection of [18F]1 and 1 generated remarkably enhanced tumor uptake and signal-to-noise ratio in the tumor-bearing mice with drug-induced apoptosis, which correlated well with the expression level of activated caspase-3. This early readout of treatment response ensured that the probe [18F]1 could serve as a promising PET imaging probe for timely and noninvasive evaluation of tumor therapy.
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The Continuing Evolution of Molecular Functional Imaging in Clinical Oncology: The Road to Precision Medicine and Radiogenomics (Part I). Mol Diagn Ther 2019; 23:1-26. [PMID: 30411216 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-018-0366-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The present era of precision medicine sees 'cancer' as a consequence of molecular derangements occurring at the commencement of the disease process, with morphologic changes happening much later in the process of tumorigenesis. Conventional imaging techniques, such as computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), play an integral role in the detection of disease at a macroscopic level. However, molecular functional imaging (MFI) techniques entail the visualisation and quantification of biochemical and physiological processes occurring during tumorigenesis, and thus has the potential to play a key role in heralding the transition from the concept of 'one size fits all' to 'precision medicine'. Integration of MFI with other fields of tumour biology such as genomics has spawned a novel concept called 'radiogenomics', which could serve as an indispensable tool in translational cancer research. With recent advances in medical image processing, such as texture analysis, deep learning, and artificial intelligence (AI), the future seems promising; however, their clinical utility remains unproven at present. Despite the emergence of novel imaging biomarkers, a majority of these require validation before clinical translation is possible. In this two-part review, we discuss the systematic collaboration across structural, anatomical, and molecular imaging techniques that constitute MFI. Part I reviews positron emission tomography, radiogenomics, AI, and optical imaging, while part II reviews MRI, CT and ultrasound, their current status, and recent advances in the field of precision oncology.
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Wang Y, Hu X, Weng J, Li J, Fan Q, Zhang Y, Ye D. A Photoacoustic Probe for the Imaging of Tumor Apoptosis by Caspase‐Mediated Macrocyclization and Self‐Assembly. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201813748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life ScienceSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNanjing University Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Xiaoming Hu
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM)Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM)Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Jianhui Weng
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life ScienceSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNanjing University Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Jinbo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life ScienceSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNanjing University Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Quli Fan
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM)Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM)Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life ScienceSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNanjing University Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Deju Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life ScienceSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNanjing University Nanjing 210023 China
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Wang Y, Hu X, Weng J, Li J, Fan Q, Zhang Y, Ye D. A Photoacoustic Probe for the Imaging of Tumor Apoptosis by Caspase-Mediated Macrocyclization and Self-Assembly. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:4886-4890. [PMID: 30688393 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201813748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Photoacoustic (PA) imaging shows promise in the sensitive detection of caspase-3 activated in early tumor apoptosis in response to chemotherapy; smart PA probes are thus in high demand. Herein, we report the first smart PA probe (1-RGD) responsive to caspase-3, enabling real-time and high-resolution imaging of tumor apoptosis. 1-RGD is designed to leverage the synergetic effect of active delivery and caspase-3 activation. It is selectively recognized by active caspase-3 to trigger peptide substrate cleavage and biocompatible macrocyclization-mediated self-assembly, leading to an amplified PA imaging signal and prolonged retention in apoptotic tumor cells. Strong, high-resolution PA images are obtained in chemotherapy-induced apoptotic tumors in living mice after intravenous administration with 1-RGD, facilitating sensitive reporting of caspase-3 activity and distribution within tumor tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiaoming Hu
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jianhui Weng
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jinbo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Quli Fan
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Deju Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
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Vassileva V, Stribbling SM, Barnes C, Carroll L, Braga M, Abrahams J, Heinzmann K, Haegeman C, MacFarlane M, Simpson KL, Dive C, Honeychurch J, Illidge TM, Aboagye EO. Evaluation of apoptosis imaging biomarkers in a genetic model of cell death. EJNMMI Res 2019; 9:18. [PMID: 30783791 PMCID: PMC6381199 DOI: 10.1186/s13550-019-0487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We have previously developed the caspase-based radiotracer, 18F-ICMT-11, for PET imaging to monitor treatment response. We further validated 18F-ICMT-11 specificity in a murine melanoma death-switch tumour model with conditional activation of caspase-3 induced by doxycycline. METHODS Caspase-3/7 activity and cellular uptake of 18F-ICMT-11, 18F-ML-10 and 18F-FDG were assessed in B16ova and B16ovaRevC3 cells after death-switch induction. Death-switch induction was confirmed in vivo in xenograft tumours, and 18F-ICMT-11 and 18F-ML-10 biodistribution was assessed by ex vivo gamma counting of select tissues. PET imaging was performed with 18F-ICMT-11, 18F-ML-10 and 18F-FDG. Caspase-3 activation was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Significantly increased caspase-3/7 activity was observed only in B16ovaRevC3 cells after death-switch induction, accompanied by significantly increased 18F-ICMT-11 (p < 0.001) and 18F-ML-10 (p < 0.05) and decreased 18F-FDG (p < 0.001) uptake compared with controls. B16ova and B16ovaRevC3 tumours had similar growth in vivo; however, B16ovaRevC3 growth was significantly reduced with death-switch induction (p < 0.01). Biodistribution studies showed significantly increased 18F-ICMT-11 tumour uptake following death-switch induction (p < 0.01), but not for 18F-ML-10. Tumour uptake of 18F-ICMT-11 was higher than that of 18F-ML-10 after death-switch induction. PET imaging studies showed that 18F-ICMT-11 can be used to detect apoptosis after death-switch induction, which was accompanied by significantly increased expression of cleaved caspase-3. 18F-FDG signal decreased in tumours after death-switch induction. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that 18F-ICMT-11 can be used to detect caspase-3 activation in a death-switch tumour model, independent of the confounding effects of cancer therapeutics, thus confirming its specificity and supporting the development of this radiotracer for clinical use to monitor tumour apoptosis and therapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vessela Vassileva
- Cancer Imaging Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Stephen M. Stribbling
- Cancer Imaging Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Chris Barnes
- Cancer Imaging Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Laurence Carroll
- Cancer Imaging Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Marta Braga
- Cancer Imaging Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Joel Abrahams
- Cancer Imaging Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Kathrin Heinzmann
- Cancer Imaging Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Caroline Haegeman
- Cancer Imaging Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Marion MacFarlane
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN UK
| | - Kathryn L. Simpson
- Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park, Manchester, SK10 4TG UK
| | - Caroline Dive
- Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park, Manchester, SK10 4TG UK
| | - Jamie Honeychurch
- Targeted Therapy Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, Christie Hospital, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Timothy M. Illidge
- Targeted Therapy Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, Christie Hospital, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Eric O. Aboagye
- Cancer Imaging Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
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Ostapchenko VG, Snir J, Suchy M, Fan J, Cobb MR, Chronik BA, Kovacs M, Prado VF, Hudson RHE, Pasternak SH, Prado MAM, Bartha R. Detection of Active Caspase-3 in Mouse Models of Stroke and Alzheimer's Disease with a Novel Dual Positron Emission Tomography/Fluorescent Tracer [ 68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA. CONTRAST MEDIA & MOLECULAR IMAGING 2019; 2019:6403274. [PMID: 30755766 PMCID: PMC6348924 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6403274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a feature of stroke and Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet there is no accepted method to detect or follow apoptosis in the brain in vivo. We developed a bifunctional tracer [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA containing a cell-penetrating peptide separated from fluorescent Oregon Green and 68Ga-bound labels by the caspase-3 recognition peptide DEVD. We hypothesized that this design would allow [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA to accumulate in apoptotic cells. In vitro, Ga-TC3-OGDOTA labeled apoptotic neurons following exposure to camptothecin, oxygen-glucose deprivation, and β-amyloid oligomers. In vivo, PET showed accumulation of [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA in the brain of mouse models of stroke or AD. Optical clearing revealed colocalization of [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA and cleaved caspase-3 in brain cells. In stroke, [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA accumulated in neurons in the penumbra area, whereas in AD mice [68Ga]Ga-TC3-OGDOTA was found in single cells in the forebrain and diffusely around amyloid plaques. In summary, this bifunctional tracer is selectively associated with apoptotic cells in vitro and in vivo in brain disease models and represents a novel tool for apoptosis detection that can be used in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeriy G. Ostapchenko
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Jonatan Snir
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Mojmir Suchy
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Jue Fan
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - M. Rebecca Cobb
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Blaine A. Chronik
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Michael Kovacs
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Lawson Health Research Institute, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 4V2
| | - Vania F. Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Robert H. E. Hudson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Stephen H. Pasternak
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Marco A. M. Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Robert Bartha
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
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Evaluation of [ 18F]CP18 as a Substrate-Based Apoptosis Imaging Agent for the Assessment of Early Treatment Response in Oncology. Mol Imaging Biol 2018; 19:560-569. [PMID: 28050749 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-016-1037-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The substrate-based positron emission tomography (PET) tracer [18F]CP18 is capable of detecting the activity of caspase-3/7, two key executioner proteases in the apoptosis pathway, through selective cleavage of the ligand by the activated proteases and subsequent accumulation in apoptotic cells. Using an in vitro and in vivo model of colorectal cancer (CRC), we investigated whether [18F]CP18 tracer accumulation provides a measure for apoptosis and reliably reflects early treatment response to chemotherapeutics. PROCEDURES [18F]CP18 cell uptake was assessed in treated Colo205 cells (saline, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), irinotecan or their combination) and correlated with caspase-3/7 activity. [18F]CP18 imaging was performed in Colo205 xenografts, starting with a baseline μPET/micro X-ray computed tomography (μCT) scan, followed by a 3-day treatment with saline (n = 5), 5-FU (low sensitivity, n = 4), irinotecan (high sensitivity, n = 5), or a combination of both (n = 7). The study was concluded with a second [18F]CP18 scan, 24 h after final treatment administration, followed by tumor removal for gamma counting (%ID/g) and for cleaved caspase-3 immunohistochemistry (apoptotic index/necrosis). Tumors were delineated on μCT images and, using the obtained volumes of interest, average percentage injected dose per cubic centimeter (%ID/cm3) was calculated from every μPET image. RESULTS In vitro, [18F]CP18 cell uptake was positively correlated with caspase-3/7 activity (r = 0.59, p = 0.003). A drug-dependent increase in [18F]CP18 tumor uptake compared to baseline was observed in animals treated with 5-FU (+14 ± 25 %), irinotecan (+56 ± 54 %), and their combination (+158 ± 69 %, p = 0.002). %ID/cm3 showed a positive relationship with both %ID/g (r = 0.83, p < 0.0001) and the apoptotic index (r = 0.60, p = 0.004), but not with tumor necrosis (r = 0.22, p = 0.36). CONCLUSION Both our in vitro and in vivo findings have shown the ability of [18F]CP18-PET to visualize therapy-induced cancer cell apoptosis and possibly serve as a biomarker for early therapy response.
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Demirci E, Ahmed R, Ocak M, Latoche J, Radelet A, DeBlasio N, Mason NS, Anderson CJ, Mountz JM. Preclinical Evaluation of 18F-ML-10 to Determine Timing of Apoptotic Response to Chemotherapy in Solid Tumors. Mol Imaging 2018; 16:1536012116685941. [PMID: 28654376 PMCID: PMC5469516 DOI: 10.1177/1536012116685941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: We investigated 2-(5-fluoro-pentyl)-2-methyl-malonic acid (18F-ML-10) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of apoptosis posttherapy to determine optimal timing for predicting chemotherapy response in a mouse head/neck xenograft cancer model. Procedures: BALB/c nude mice (4-8 weeks old) were implanted with UM-SCC-22B tumors. The treatment group received 2 doses of doxorubicin (10 mg/kg, days 0, 2). Small animal 18F-ML-10 PET/computed tomography was performed before and on days 1, 3, and 7 postchemotherapy. Using regions of interest around tumors, 18F-ML-10 uptake change was measured as %ID/g and uptake relative to liver. Terminal Uridine Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) immunohistochemistry assay was performed using tumor samples of baseline and on days 1, 3, and 7 posttreatment. Results: Treated mice demonstrated increased 18F-ML-10 uptake compared to baseline and controls, and 10 of 13 mice showed tumor volume decreases. All control mice showed tumor volume increases. Tumor-to-liver (T/L) ratios from the control group mice did not show significant change from baseline (P > .05); however, T/L ratios of the treatment group showed significant 18F-ML-10 uptake differences from baseline compared to days 3 and 7 posttreatment (P < .05), but no significant difference at 1 day posttreatment. Conclusion: 2-(5-Fluoro-pentyl)-2-methyl-malonic acid PET imaging has the potential for early assessment of treatment-induced apoptosis. Timing and image analysis strategies may require optimization, depending on the type of tumor and cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Demirci
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,2 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Rafay Ahmed
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Meltem Ocak
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,3 Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacy Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Joseph Latoche
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - April Radelet
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nicole DeBlasio
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - N Scott Mason
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carolyn J Anderson
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,4 Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,5 Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,6 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - James M Mountz
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Rybczynska AA, Boersma HH, de Jong S, Gietema JA, Noordzij W, Dierckx RAJO, Elsinga PH, van Waarde A. Avenues to molecular imaging of dying cells: Focus on cancer. Med Res Rev 2018. [PMID: 29528513 PMCID: PMC6220832 DOI: 10.1002/med.21495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Successful treatment of cancer patients requires balancing of the dose, timing, and type of therapeutic regimen. Detection of increased cell death may serve as a predictor of the eventual therapeutic success. Imaging of cell death may thus lead to early identification of treatment responders and nonresponders, and to “patient‐tailored therapy.” Cell death in organs and tissues of the human body can be visualized, using positron emission tomography or single‐photon emission computed tomography, although unsolved problems remain concerning target selection, tracer pharmacokinetics, target‐to‐nontarget ratio, and spatial and temporal resolution of the scans. Phosphatidylserine exposure by dying cells has been the most extensively studied imaging target. However, visualization of this process with radiolabeled Annexin A5 has not become routine in the clinical setting. Classification of death modes is no longer based only on cell morphology but also on biochemistry, and apoptosis is no longer found to be the preponderant mechanism of cell death after antitumor therapy, as was earlier believed. These conceptual changes have affected radiochemical efforts. Novel probes targeting changes in membrane permeability, cytoplasmic pH, mitochondrial membrane potential, or caspase activation have recently been explored. In this review, we discuss molecular changes in tumors which can be targeted to visualize cell death and we propose promising biomarkers for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Rybczynska
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Hendrikus H Boersma
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Steven de Jong
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jourik A Gietema
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Walter Noordzij
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Rudi A J O Dierckx
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Philip H Elsinga
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Aren van Waarde
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Palmieri L, Elvas F, Vangestel C, Pak K, Gray B, Stroobants S, Staelens S, wyffels L. [ 99m Tc]duramycin for cell death imaging: Impact of kit formulation, purification and species difference. Nucl Med Biol 2018; 56:1-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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SPECT and PET radiopharmaceuticals for molecular imaging of apoptosis: from bench to clinic. Oncotarget 2017; 8:20476-20495. [PMID: 28108738 PMCID: PMC5386778 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Owing to the central role of apoptosis in many human diseases and the wide-spread application of apoptosis-based therapeutics, molecular imaging of apoptosis in clinical practice is of great interest for clinicians, and holds great promises. Based on the well-defined biochemical changes for apoptosis, a rich assortment of probes and approaches have been developed for molecular imaging of apoptosis with various imaging modalities. Among these imaging techniques, nuclear imaging (including single photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography) remains the premier clinical method owing to their high specificity and sensitivity. Therefore, the corresponding radiopharmaceuticals have been a major focus, and some of them like 99mTc-Annexin V, 18F-ML-10, 18F-CP18, and 18F-ICMT-11 are currently under clinical investigations in Phase I/II or Phase II/III clinical trials on a wide scope of diseases. In this review, we summarize these radiopharmaceuticals that have been widely used in clinical trials and elaborate them in terms of radiosynthesis, pharmacokinetics and dosimetry, and their applications in different clinical stages. We also explore the unique features required to qualify a desirable radiopharmaceutical for imaging apoptosis in clinical practice. Particularly, a perspective of the impact of these clinical efforts, namely, apoptosis imaging as predictive and prognostic markers, early-response indicators and surrogate endpoints, is also the highlight of this review.
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Jackson IM, Scott PJ, Thompson S. Clinical Applications of Radiolabeled Peptides for PET. Semin Nucl Med 2017; 47:493-523. [DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2017.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Kwak W, Ha YS, Soni N, Lee W, Park SI, Ahn H, An GI, Kim IS, Lee BH, Yoo J. Apoptosis imaging studies in various animal models using radio-iodinated peptide. Apoptosis 2015; 20:110-21. [PMID: 25430587 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-014-1059-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis has a role in many medical disorders and treatments; hence, its non-invasive evaluation is one of the most riveting research topics. Currently annexin V is used as gold standard for imaging apoptosis. However, several drawbacks, including high background, slow body clearance, make it a suboptimum marker for apoptosis imaging. In this study, we radiolabeled the recently identified histone H1 targeting peptide (ApoPep-1) and evaluated its potential as a new apoptosis imaging agent in various animal models. ApoPep-1 (CQRPPR) was synthesized, and an extra tyrosine residue was added to its N-terminal end for radiolabeling. This peptide was radiolabeled with (124)I and (131)I and was tested for its serum stability. Surgery- and drug-induced apoptotic rat models were prepared for apoptosis evaluation, and PET imaging was performed. Doxorubicin was used for xenograft tumor treatment in mice, and the induced apoptosis was studied. Tumor metabolism and proliferation were assessed by [(18)F]FDG and [(18)F]FLT PET imaging and compared with ApoPep-1 after doxorubicin treatment. The peptide was radiolabeled at high purity, and it showed reasonably good stability in serum. Cell death was easily imaged by radiolabeled ApoPep-1 in an ischemia surgery model. And, liver apoptosis was more clearly identified by ApoPep-1 rather than [(124)I]annexin V in cycloheximide-treated models. Three doxorubicin doses inhibited tumor growth, which was evaluated by 30-40% decreases of [(18)F]FDG and [(18)F]FLT PET uptake in the tumor area. However, ApoPep-1 demonstrated more than 200% increase in tumor uptake after chemotherapy, while annexin V did not show any meaningful uptake in the tumor compared with the background. Biodistribution data were also in good agreement with the microPET imaging results. All of the experimental data clearly demonstrated high potential of the radiolabeled ApoPep-1 for in vivo apoptosis imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonjung Kwak
- Department of Molecular Medicine, BK21 Plus KNU Biomedical Convergence Program, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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Palner M, Shen B, Jeon J, Lin J, Chin FT, Rao J. Preclinical Kinetic Analysis of the Caspase-3/7 PET Tracer 18F-C-SNAT: Quantifying the Changes in Blood Flow and Tumor Retention After Chemotherapy. J Nucl Med 2015; 56:1415-21. [PMID: 26045308 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.115.155259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Early detection of tumor response to therapy is crucial to the timely identification of the most efficacious treatments. We recently developed a novel apoptosis imaging tracer, (18)F-C-SNAT (C-SNAT is caspase-sensitive nanoaggregation tracer), that undergoes an intramolecular cyclization reaction after cleavage by caspase-3/7, a biomarker of apoptosis. This caspase-3/7-dependent reaction leads to an enhanced accumulation and retention of (18)F activity in apoptotic tumors. This study aimed to fully examine in vivo pharmacokinetics of the tracer through PET imaging and kinetic modeling in a preclinical mouse model of tumor response to systemic anticancer chemotherapy. METHODS Tumor-bearing nude mice were treated 3 times with intravenous injections of doxorubicin before undergoing a 120-min dynamic (18)F-C-SNAT PET/CT scan. Time-activity curves were extracted from the tumor and selected organs. A 2-tissue-compartment model was fitted to the time-activity curves from tumor and muscle, using the left ventricle of the heart as input function, and the pharmacokinetic rate constants were calculated. RESULTS Both tumor uptake (percentage injected dose per gram) and the tumor-to-muscle activity ratio were significantly higher in the treated mice than untreated mice. Pharmacokinetic rate constants calculated by the 2-tissue-compartment model showed a significant increase in delivery and accumulation of the tracer after the systemic chemotherapeutic treatment. Delivery of (18)F-C-SNAT to the tumor tissue, quantified as K1, increased from 0.31 g⋅(mL⋅min)(-1) in untreated mice to 1.03 g⋅(mL⋅min)(-1) in treated mice, a measurement closely related to changes in blood flow. Accumulation of (18)F-C-SNAT, quantified as k3, increased from 0.03 to 0.12 min(-1), proving a higher retention of (18)F-C-SNAT in treated tumors independent from changes in blood flow. An increase in delivery was also found in the muscular tissue of treated mice without increasing accumulation. CONCLUSION (18)F-C-SNAT has significantly increased tumor uptake and significantly increased tumor-to-muscle ratio in a preclinical mouse model of tumor therapy. Furthermore, our kinetic modeling of (18)F-C-SNAT shows that chemotherapeutic treatment increased accumulation (k3) in the treated tumors, independent of increased delivery (K1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Palner
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; and
| | - Bin Shen
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; and
| | - Jongho Jeon
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; and
| | - Jianguo Lin
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; and Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, China
| | - Frederick T Chin
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; and
| | - Jianghong Rao
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; and
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Design of a functional cyclic HSV1-TK reporter and its application to PET imaging of apoptosis. Nat Protoc 2015; 10:807-21. [PMID: 25927390 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2015.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a sensitive and noninvasive imaging method that is widely used to explore molecular events in living subjects. PET can precisely and quantitatively evaluate cellular apoptosis, which has a crucial role in various physiological and pathological processes. In this protocol, we describe the design and use of an engineered cyclic herpes simplex virus 1-thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) PET reporter whose kinase activity is specifically switched on by apoptosis. The expression of cyclic TK (cTK) in healthy cells leads to inactive product, whereas the activation of apoptosis through the caspase-3 pathway cleaves cTK, thus restoring its activity and enabling PET imaging. In addition to detailing the design and construction of the cTK plasmid in this protocol, we include assays for evaluating the function and specificity of the cTK reporter in apoptotic cells, such as assays for measuring the cell uptake of PET tracer in apoptotic cells, correlating doxorubicin (Dox)-induced cell apoptosis to cTK function recovery, and in vivo PET imaging of cancer cell apoptosis, and we also include corresponding data acquisition methods. The time to build the entire cTK reporter is ∼2-3 weeks. The selection of a stable cancer cell line takes ∼4-6 weeks. The time to implement assays regarding cTK function in apoptotic cells and the in vivo imaging varies depending on the experiment. The cyclization strategy described in this protocol can also be adapted to create other reporter systems for broad biomedical applications.
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Su H, Gorodny N, Gomez LF, Gangadharmath U, Mu F, Chen G, Walsh JC, Szardenings K, Kolb HC, Tamarappoo B. Noninvasive molecular imaging of apoptosis in a mouse model of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2015; 8:e001952. [PMID: 25657296 DOI: 10.1161/circimaging.114.001952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and myocardial dysfunction may be associated with apoptosis. Caspase 3 catalyzes a terminal step in apoptosis, and its expression may serve as a marker of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. We synthesized 18F-CP18, a caspase-3 substrate and evaluated cardiac 18F-CP18 uptake in a mouse model of anthracycline cardiotoxicity. METHODS AND RESULTS For 12 weeks, mice were injected with doxorubicin, 3 mg/kg/week, or vehicle (control). Left ventricular fractional shortening was quantified by echocardiography. CP18 uptake after intravenous injection of 250 μCi of 18F-CP18, 24 hours post-doxorubicin treatment was quantified by microPET, autoradiography, and gamma counting. Apoptosis was assessed by enzymatic assay of myocardial caspase 3 and TUNEL staining of tissue sections. Compared with controls, at 6 and 12 weeks of doxorubicin treatment, fractional shortening was reduced (20.7%±2.5% versus 31%±3.5%, P=0.010; and 20.3%±3.1% versus 32.4%±2.1%, P=0.011). Doxorubicin treatment was associated with increased 18F-CP18 uptake in %ID/g by gamma counting from 0.36±0.01 (week 1) to 0.78±0.01 (week 12), P=0.003. A similar increase in 18F-CP18 uptake was observed by microPET (0.41±0.04 versus 0.73±0.1, P=0.014) and autoradiography (1.1±0.3 versus 2.8±0.2 P=0.001). Caspase 3 enzymatic activity and apoptosis by TUNEL staining were also increased after 12 weeks of doxorubicin compared with weeks 1 and 3. CP18 uptake in controls was relatively unchanged at weeks 1, 3, and 12. CONCLUSIONS In a mouse model of cardiotoxicity, doxorubicin treatment is associated with increased myocardial caspase 3 expression and an increase in CP18 uptake. 18F-CP18 may be useful for detection of anthracycline-induced myocardial apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Su
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.)
| | - Natalia Gorodny
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.)
| | - Luis Felipe Gomez
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.)
| | - Umesh Gangadharmath
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.)
| | - Fanrong Mu
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.)
| | - Gang Chen
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.)
| | - Joseph C Walsh
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.)
| | - Katrin Szardenings
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.)
| | - Hartmuth C Kolb
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.)
| | - Balaji Tamarappoo
- From Siemens Molecular Imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Culver City, CA (H.S., N.G., L.F.G., U.G., F.M., G.C., J.C.W., K.S., H.C.K.); and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (B.T.).
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Zeng W, Wang X, Xu P, Liu G, Eden HS, Chen X. Molecular imaging of apoptosis: from micro to macro. Theranostics 2015; 5:559-82. [PMID: 25825597 PMCID: PMC4377726 DOI: 10.7150/thno.11548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is involved in numerous human conditions including neurodegenerative diseases, ischemic damage, autoimmune disorders and many types of cancer, and is often confused with other types of cell death. Therefore strategies that enable visualized detection of apoptosis would be of enormous benefit in the clinic for diagnosis, patient management, and development of new therapies. In recent years, improved understanding of the apoptotic machinery and progress in imaging modalities have provided opportunities for researchers to formulate microscopic and macroscopic imaging strategies based on well-defined molecular markers and/or physiological features. Correspondingly, a large collection of apoptosis imaging probes and approaches have been documented in preclinical and clinical studies. In this review, we mainly discuss microscopic imaging assays and macroscopic imaging probes, ranging in complexity from simple attachments of reporter moieties to proteins that interact with apoptotic biomarkers, to rationally designed probes that target biochemical changes. Their clinical translation will also be our focus.
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Evaluation of a dansyl-based amino acid DNSBA as an imaging probe for apoptosis detection. Apoptosis 2015; 20:410-20. [DOI: 10.1007/s10495-014-1075-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Hight MR, Cheung YY, Nickels ML, Dawson ES, Zhao P, Saleh S, Buck JR, Tang D, Washington MK, Coffey RJ, Manning HC. A peptide-based positron emission tomography probe for in vivo detection of caspase activity in apoptotic cells. Clin Cancer Res 2014; 20:2126-35. [PMID: 24573549 PMCID: PMC3989451 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-13-2444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, can be leveraged as a surrogate measure of response to therapeutic interventions in medicine. Cysteine aspartic acid-specific proteases, or caspases, are essential determinants of apoptosis signaling cascades and represent promising targets for molecular imaging. Here, we report development and in vivo validation of [(18)F]4-fluorobenzylcarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone ([(18)F]FB-VAD-FMK), a novel peptide-based molecular probe suitable for quantification of caspase activity in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Supported by molecular modeling studies and subsequent in vitro assays suggesting probe feasibility, the labeled pan-caspase inhibitory peptide, [(18)F]FB-VAD-FMK, was produced in high radiochemical yield and purity using a simple two-step, radiofluorination. The biodistribution of [(18)F]FB-VAD-FMK in normal tissue and its efficacy to predict response to molecularly targeted therapy in tumors was evaluated using microPET imaging of mouse models of human colorectal cancer. RESULTS Accumulation of [(18)F]FB-VAD-FMK was found to agree with elevated caspase-3 activity in response to Aurora B kinase inhibition as well as a multidrug regimen that combined an inhibitor of mutant BRAF and a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor in (V600E)BRAF colon cancer. In the latter setting, [(18)F]FB-VAD-FMK PET was also elevated in the tumors of cohorts that exhibited reduction in size. CONCLUSIONS These studies illuminate [(18)F]FB-VAD-FMK as a promising PET imaging probe to detect apoptosis in tumors and as a novel, potentially translatable biomarker for predicting response to personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R. Hight
- Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program, Department of Physics & Astronomy Department, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Yiu-Yin Cheung
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Michael L. Nickels
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Eric S. Dawson
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Vanderbilt University Center for Structural Biology (CSB), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Ping Zhao
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Samir Saleh
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Jason R. Buck
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Dewei Tang
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - M. Kay Washington
- Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Robert J. Coffey
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - H. Charles Manning
- Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program, Department of Physics & Astronomy Department, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Program in Chemical and Physical Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Neurosurgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
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Sipieter F, Ladik M, Vandenabeele P, Riquet F. Shining light on cell death processes - a novel biosensor for necroptosis, a newly described cell death program. Biotechnol J 2014; 9:224-40. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201300200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2013] [Revised: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Doss M, Kolb HC, Walsh JC, Mocharla V, Fan H, Chaudhary A, Zhu Z, Alpaugh RK, Lango MN, Yu JQ. Biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of 18F-CP-18, a potential apoptosis imaging agent, as determined from PET/CT scans in healthy volunteers. J Nucl Med 2013; 54:2087-92. [PMID: 24136934 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.113.119800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED (18)F-CP-18, or (18S,21S,24S,27S,30S)-27-(2-carboxyethyl)-21-(carboxymethyl)-30-((2S,3R,4R,5R,6S)-6-((2-(4-(3-F18-fluoropropyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)acetamido)methyl)-3,4,5-trihydroxytetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-carboxamido)-24-isopropyl-18-methyl-17,20,23,26,29-pentaoxo-4,7,10,13-tetraoxa-16,19,22,25,28-pentaazadotriacontane-1,32-dioic acid, is being evaluated as a tissue apoptosis marker for PET imaging. The purpose of this study was to determine the biodistribution and estimate the normal-organ radiation-absorbed doses and effective dose from (18)F-CP-18. METHODS Successive whole-body PET/CT scans were obtained at approximately 7, 45, 90, 130, and 170 min after intravenous injection of (18)F-CP-18 in 7 healthy human volunteers. Blood samples and urine were collected between the PET/CT scans, and the biostability of (18)F-CP-18 was assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The PET scans were analyzed to determine the radiotracer uptake in different organs. OLINDA/EXM software was used to calculate human radiation doses based on the biodistribution of the tracer. RESULTS (18)F-CP-18 was 54% intact in human blood at 135 min after injection. The tracer cleared rapidly from the blood pool with a half-life of approximately 30 min. Relatively high (18)F-CP-18 uptake was observed in the kidneys and bladder, with diffuse uptake in the liver and heart. The mean standardized uptake values (SUVs) in the bladder, kidneys, heart, and liver at around 50 min after injection were approximately 65, 6, 1.5, and 1.5, respectively. The calculated effective dose was 38 ± 4 μSv/MBq, with the urinary bladder wall having the highest absorbed dose at 536 ± 61 μGy/MBq using a 4.8-h bladder-voiding interval for the male phantom. For a 1-h voiding interval, these doses were reduced to 15 ± 2 μSv/MBq and 142 ± 15 μGy/MBq, respectively. For a typical injected activity of 555 MBq, the effective dose would be 21.1 ± 2.2 mSv for the 4.8-h interval, reduced to 8.3 ± 1.1 mSv for the 1-h interval. CONCLUSION (18)F-CP-18 cleared rapidly through the renal system. The urinary bladder wall received the highest radiation dose and was deemed the critical organ. Both the effective dose and the bladder dose can be reduced by frequent voiding. From the radiation dosimetry perspective, the apoptosis imaging agent (18)F-CP-18 is suitable for human use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan Doss
- Diagnostic Imaging, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Shen B, Jeon J, Palner M, Ye D, Shuhendler A, Chin FT, Rao J. Positron emission tomography imaging of drug-induced tumor apoptosis with a caspase-triggered nanoaggregation probe. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2013; 52:10511-4. [PMID: 23881906 PMCID: PMC4077287 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201303422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Drug Design: An (18)F-labeled caspase-3-sensitive nanoaggregation positron emission tomography tracer was prepared and evaluated for imaging the caspase-3 activity in doxorubicin-treated tumor xenografts. Enhanced retention of the (18)F activity in apoptotic tumors is achieved through intramolecular macrocyclization and in situ aggregation upon caspase-3 activation (see picture).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mikael Palner
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5484, USA
| | - Deju Ye
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5484, USA
| | - Adam Shuhendler
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5484, USA
| | - Frederick T. Chin
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5484, USA
| | - Jianghong Rao
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5484, USA
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