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Di Gregorio E, Papi C, Conti L, Di Lorenzo A, Cavallari E, Salvatore M, Cavaliere C, Ferrauto G, Aime S. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (MRI-CEST) Method for the Detection of Water Cycling across Cellular Membranes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202313485. [PMID: 37905585 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202313485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Water cycling across the membrane transporters is considered a hallmark of cellular metabolism and it could be of high diagnostic relevance in the characterization of tumors and other diseases. The method relies on the response of intracellular proton exchanging molecules to the presence of extracellular Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Paramagnetic GBCAs enhances the relaxation rate of water molecules in the extracellular compartment and, through membrane exchange, the relaxation enhancement is transferred to intracellular molecules. The effect is detected at the MRI-CEST (Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer) signal of intracellular proton exchanging molecules. The magnitude of the change in the CEST response reports on water cycling across the membrane. The method has been tested on Red Blood Cells and on orthotopic murine models of breast cancer with different degree of malignancy (4T1, TS/A and 168FARN). The distribution of voxels reporting on membrane permeability fits well with the cells' aggressiveness and acts as an early reporter to monitor therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enza Di Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Chiara Papi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Laura Conti
- Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Antonino Di Lorenzo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Eleonora Cavallari
- Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Marco Salvatore
- IRCCS SDN SynLab, Via E. Gianturco 113, 80143, Napoli, Italy
| | - Carlo Cavaliere
- IRCCS SDN SynLab, Via E. Gianturco 113, 80143, Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ferrauto
- Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Silvio Aime
- IRCCS SDN SynLab, Via E. Gianturco 113, 80143, Napoli, Italy
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2
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Longo DL, Carella A, Corrado A, Pirotta E, Mohanta Z, Singh A, Stabinska J, Liu G, McMahon MT. A snapshot of the vast array of diamagnetic CEST MRI contrast agents. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4715. [PMID: 35187749 PMCID: PMC9724179 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Since the inception of CEST MRI in the 1990s, a number of compounds have been identified as suitable for generating contrast, including paramagnetic lanthanide complexes, hyperpolarized atom cages and, most interesting, diamagnetic compounds. In the past two decades, there has been a major emphasis in this field on the identification and application of diamagnetic compounds that have suitable biosafety profiles for usage in medical applications. Even in the past five years there has been a tremendous growth in their numbers, with more and more emphasis being placed on finding those that can be ultimately used for patient studies on clinical 3 T scanners. At this point, a number of endogenous compounds present in tissue have been identified, and also natural and synthetic organic compounds that can be administered to highlight pathology via CEST imaging. Here we will provide a very extensive snapshot of the types of diamagnetic compound that can generate CEST MRI contrast, together with guidance on their utility on typical preclinical and clinical scanners and a review of the applications that might benefit the most from this new technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Livio Longo
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Turin, Italy
| | - Antonella Carella
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Turin, Italy
| | - Alessia Corrado
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Turin, Italy
| | - Elisa Pirotta
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Turin, Italy
| | - Zinia Mohanta
- F.M. Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Aruna Singh
- F.M. Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Julia Stabinska
- F.M. Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Guanshu Liu
- F.M. Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael T. McMahon
- F.M. Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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3
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Gilad AA, Bar-Shir A, Bricco AR, Mohanta Z, McMahon MT. Protein and peptide engineering for chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging in the age of synthetic biology. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4712. [PMID: 35150021 PMCID: PMC10642350 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
At the beginning of the millennium, the first chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) contrast agents were bio-organic molecules. However, later, metal-based CEST agents (paraCEST agents) took center stage. This did not last too long as paraCEST agents showed limited translational potential. By contrast, the CEST field gradually became dominated by metal-free CEST agents. One branch of research stemming from the original work by van Zijl and colleagues is the development of CEST agents based on polypeptides. Indeed, in the last 2 decades, tremendous progress has been achieved in this field. This includes the design of novel peptides as biosensors, genetically encoded recombinant as well as synthetic reporters. This was a result of extensive characterization and elucidation of the theoretical requirements for rational designing and engineering of such agents. Here, we provide an extensive overview of the evolution of more precise protein-based CEST agents, review the rationalization of enzyme-substrate pairs as CEST contrast enhancers, discuss the theoretical considerations to improve peptide selectivity, specificity and enhance CEST contrast. Moreover, we discuss the strong influence of synthetic biology on the development of the next generation of protein-based CEST contrast agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf A. Gilad
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Amnon Bar-Shir
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alexander R. Bricco
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Zinia Mohanta
- Division of MR Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael T. McMahon
- Division of MR Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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4
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Identification and Expression Analysis of MPK and MKK Gene Families in Pecan ( Carya illinoinensis). Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315190. [PMID: 36499523 PMCID: PMC9737717 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinases consist of three kinase modules composed of MPKs, MKKs, and MPKKKs. As members of the protein kinase (PK) superfamily, they are involved in various processes, such as developmental programs, cell division, hormonal progression, and signaling responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, a total of 18 MPKs and 10 MKKs were annotated on the pecan genome, all of which could be classified into four subgroups, respectively. The gene structures and conserved sequences of family members in the same branch were relatively similar. All MPK proteins had a conserved motif TxY, and D(L/I/V)K and VGTxxYMSPER existed in all MKK proteins. Duplication events contributed largely to the expansion of the pecan MPK and MKK gene families. Phylogenetic analysis of protein sequences from six plants indicated that species evolution occurred in pecan. Organ-specific expression profiles of MPK and MKK showed functional diversity. Ka/Ks values indicated that all genes with duplicated events underwent strong negative selection. Seven CiPawMPK and four CiPawMKK genes with high expression levels were screened by transcriptomic data from different organs, and these candidates were validated by qRT-PCR analysis of hormone-treated and stressed samples.
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Cheng X, Li Y, Kou J, Liao D, Zhang W, Yin L, Man S, Ma L. Novel non-nucleic acid targets detection strategies based on CRISPR/Cas toolboxes: A review. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 215:114559. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Kombala CJ, Kotrotsou A, Schuler FW, de la Cerda J, Ma JC, Zhang S, Pagel MD. Development of a Nanoscale Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent That Measures pH. ACS NANO 2021; 15:20678-20688. [PMID: 34870957 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c10107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
AcidoCEST MRI can measure the extracellular pH (pHe) of the tumor microenvironment in mouse models of human cancers and in patients who have cancer. However, chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) is an insensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast mechanism, requiring a high concentration of small-molecule agent to be delivered to the tumor. Herein, we developed a nanoscale CEST agent that can measure pH using acidoCEST MRI, which may decrease the requirement for high delivery concentrations of agent. We also developed a monomer agent for comparison to the polymer. After optimizing CEST experimental conditions, we determined that the polymer agent could be used during acidoCEST MRI studies at 125-fold and 488-fold lower concentration than the monomer agent and iopamidol, respectively. We also determined that both agents can measure pH with negligible dependence on temperature. However, pH measurements with both agents were dependent on concentration, which may be due to concentration-dependent changes in hydrogen bonding and/or steric hindrance. We performed in vivo acidoCEST MRI studies using the three agents to study a xenograft MDA-MB-231 model of mammary carcinoma. The tumor pHe measurements were 6.33 ± 0.12, 6.70 ± 0.15, and 6.85 ± 0.15 units with iopamidol, the monomer agent, and polymer agent, respectively. The higher pHe measurements with the monomer and polymer agents were attributed to the concentration dependence of these agents. This study demonstrated that nanoscale agents have merit for CEST MRI studies, but consideration should be given to the dependence of CEST contrast on the concentration of these agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chathuri J Kombala
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Aikaterini Kotrotsou
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - F William Schuler
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Jorge de la Cerda
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Jacqueline C Ma
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Shu Zhang
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Mark D Pagel
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
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7
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Kombala CJ, Lokugama SD, Kotrotsou A, Li T, Pollard AC, Pagel MD. Simultaneous Evaluations of pH and Enzyme Activity with a CEST MRI Contrast Agent. ACS Sens 2021; 6:4535-4544. [PMID: 34856102 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c02408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular tumor microenvironment of many solid tumors has high acidosis and high protease activity. Simultaneously assessing both characteristics may improve diagnostic evaluations of aggressive tumors and the effects of anticancer treatments. Noninvasive imaging methods have previously been developed that measure extracellular pH or can detect enzyme activity using chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Herein, we developed a single-hybrid CEST agent that can simultaneously measure pH and evaluate protease activity using a combination of dual-power acidoCEST MRI and catalyCEST MRI. Our agent showed CEST signals at 9.2 ppm from a salicylic acid moiety and at 5.0 ppm from an aryl amide. The CEST signal at 9.2 ppm could be measured after selective saturation was applied at 1 and 4 μT, and these measurements could be used with a ratiometric analysis to determine pH. The CEST signal at 5.0 ppm from the aryl amide disappeared after the agent was treated with cathepsin B, while the CEST signal at 9.2 ppm remained, indicating that the agent could detect protease activity through the amide bond cleavage. Michaelis-Menten kinetics studies with catalyCEST MRI demonstrated that the binding affinity (as shown with the Michaelis constant KM), the catalytic turnover rate (kcat), and catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) were each higher for cathepsin B at lower pH. The kcat rates measured with catalyCEST MRI were lower than the comparable rates measured with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), which reflected a limitation of inherently noisy and relatively insensitive CEST MRI analyses. Although this level of precision limited catalyCEST MRI to semiquantitative evaluations, these semiquantitative assessments of high and low protease activity still had value by demonstrating that high acidosis and high protease activity can be used as synergistic, multiparametric biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chathuri J. Kombala
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Sanjaya D. Lokugama
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Aikaterini Kotrotsou
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Tianzhe Li
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Alyssa C. Pollard
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251, United States
| | - Mark D. Pagel
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
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8
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Gao T, Zou C, Li Y, Jiang Z, Tang X, Song X. A Brief History and Future Prospects of CEST MRI in Clinical Non-Brain Tumor Imaging. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11559. [PMID: 34768990 PMCID: PMC8584005 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is a promising molecular imaging tool which allows the specific detection of metabolites that contain exchangeable amide, amine, and hydroxyl protons. Decades of development have progressed CEST imaging from an initial concept to a clinical imaging tool that is used to assess tumor metabolism. The first translation efforts involved brain imaging, but this has now progressed to imaging other body tissues. In this review, we summarize studies using CEST MRI to image a range of tumor types, including breast cancer, pelvic tumors, digestive tumors, and lung cancer. Approximately two thirds of the published studies involved breast or pelvic tumors which are sites that are less affected by body motion. Most studies conclude that CEST shows good potential for the differentiation of malignant from benign lesions with a number of reports now extending to compare different histological classifications along with the effects of anti-cancer treatments. Despite CEST being a unique 'label-free' approach with a higher sensitivity than MR spectroscopy, there are still some obstacles for implementing its clinical use. Future research is now focused on overcoming these challenges. Vigorous ongoing development and further clinical trials are expected to see CEST technology become more widely implemented as a mainstream imaging technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianxin Gao
- School of Life Science, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (T.G.); (C.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Chuyue Zou
- School of Life Science, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (T.G.); (C.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Yifan Li
- Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Zhenqi Jiang
- School of Life Science, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (T.G.); (C.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- School of Life Science, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (T.G.); (C.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Xiaolei Song
- Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
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Laine S, Morfin JF, Galibert M, Aucagne V, Bonnet CS, Tóth É. Lanthanide DO3A-Complexes Bearing Peptide Substrates: The Effect of Peptidic Side Chains on Metal Coordination and Relaxivity. Molecules 2021; 26:2176. [PMID: 33918899 PMCID: PMC8069257 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Two DO3A-type ligands conjugated to substrates of urokinase (L3) and caspase-3 (L4) via a propyl-amide linker were synthesized and their lanthanide(III) (Ln3+) complexes studied. A model compound without peptide substrate (L2) and an amine derivative ligand mimicking the state after enzymatic cleavage (L1) were also prepared. Proton Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation Dispersion (NMRD) profiles recorded on the gadolinium(III) (Gd3+) complexes, complemented with the assessment of hydration numbers via luminescence lifetime measurements on the Eu3+ analogues, allowed us to characterize the lanthanide coordination sphere in the chelates. These data suggest that the potential donor groups of the peptide side chains (carboxylate, amine) interfere in metal coordination, leading to non-hydrated LnL3 and LnL4 complexes. Nevertheless, GdL3 and GdL4 retain a relatively high relaxivity due to an important second-sphere contribution generated by the strongly hydrophilic peptide chain. Weak PARACEST effects are detected for the amine-derivative EuL1 and NdL1 chelates. Unfortunately, the GdL3 and GdL4 complexes are not significantly converted by the enzymes. The lack of enzymatic recognition of these complexes can likely be explained by the participation of donor groups from the peptide side chain in metal coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Éva Tóth
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, Rue Charles Sadron, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orléans, France; (S.L.); (J.-F.M.); (M.G.); (V.A.); (C.S.B.)
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10
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Chakraborty S, Peruncheralathan S, Ghosh A. Paracetamol and other acetanilide analogs as inter-molecular hydrogen bonding assisted diamagnetic CEST MRI contrast agents. RSC Adv 2021; 11:6526-6534. [PMID: 35423188 PMCID: PMC8694904 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra10410h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracetamol and a few other acetanilide derivatives are reported as a special class of diamagnetic Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (diaCEST) MRI contrast agents, that exhibit contrast only when the molecules form inter-molecular hydrogen bonding mediated molecular chains or sheets. Without the protection of the hydrogen bonding their contrast producing labile proton exchanges too quickly with the solvent to produce any appreciable contrast. Through a number of variable temperature experiments we demonstrate that under the conditions when the hydrogen bond network breaks and the high exchange returns back, the contrast drops quickly. The well-known analgesic drug paracetamol shows 12% contrast at a concentration of 15 mM at physiological conditions. With the proven safety track-record for human consumption and appreciable physiological contrast, paracetamol shows promise as a diaCEST agent for in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhayan Chakraborty
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), HBNI Bhubaneswar 752050 Odisha India
| | - S Peruncheralathan
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), HBNI Bhubaneswar 752050 Odisha India
| | - Arindam Ghosh
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), HBNI Bhubaneswar 752050 Odisha India
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11
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Abstract
Volatolomics allows us to elucidate cell metabolic processes in real time. In particular, a volatile organic compound (VOC) excreted from our bodies may be specific for a certain disease, such that measuring this VOC may afford a simple, fast, accessible and safe diagnostic approach. Yet, finding the optimal endogenous volatile marker specific to a pathology is non-trivial because of interlaboratory disparities in sample preparation and analysis, as well as high interindividual variability. These limit the sensitivity and specificity of volatolomics and its applications in biological and clinical fields but have motivated the development of induced volatolomics. This approach aims to overcome issues by measuring VOCs that result not from an endogenous metabolite but, rather, from the pathogen-specific or metabolic-specific enzymatic metabolism of an exogenous biological or chemical probe. In this Review, we introduce volatile-compound-based probes and discuss how they can be exploited to detect and discriminate pathogenic infections, to assess organ function and to diagnose and monitor cancers in real time. We focus on cases in which labelled probes have informed us about metabolic processes and consider the potential and drawbacks of the probes for clinical trials. Beyond diagnostics, VOC-based probes may also be effective tools to explore biological processes more generally.
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12
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Liu G, van Zijl PC. CEST (Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer) MR Molecular Imaging. Mol Imaging 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816386-3.00012-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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13
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Repurposing Clinical Agents for Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Current Status and Future Perspectives. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 14:ph14010011. [PMID: 33374213 PMCID: PMC7824058 DOI: 10.3390/ph14010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular imaging is becoming an indispensable tool to pursue precision medicine. However, quickly translating newly developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents into clinical use remains a formidable challenge. Recently, Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) MRI is emerging as an attractive approach with the capability of directly using low concentration, exchangeable protons-containing agents for generating quantitative MRI contrast. The ability to utilize diamagnetic compounds has been extensively exploited to detect many clinical compounds, such as FDA approved drugs, X-ray/CT contrast agents, nutrients, supplements, and biopolymers. The ability to directly off-label use clinical compounds permits CEST MRI to be rapidly translated to clinical settings. In this review, the current status of CEST MRI based on clinically available compounds will be briefly introduced. The advancements and limitations of these studies are reviewed in the context of their pre-clinical or clinical applications. Finally, future directions will be briefly discussed.
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14
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Cai X, Zhang J, Lu J, Yi L, Han Z, Zhang S, Yang X, Liu G. N-Aryl Amides as Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents. Chemistry 2020; 26:11705-11709. [PMID: 32639618 PMCID: PMC10186200 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202002415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI has recently emerged as a versatile molecular imaging approach in which diamagnetic compounds can be utilized to generate an MRI signal. To expand the scope of CEST MRI applications, herein, we systematically investigated the CEST properties of N-aryl amides with different N-aromatic substitution, revealing their chemical shifts (4.6-5.8 ppm) and exchange rates (up to thousands s-1 ) are favorable to be used as CEST agents as compared to alkyl amides. As the first proof-of-concept study, we used CEST MRI to detect the enzymatic metabolism of the drug acebutolol directly by its intrinsic CEST signal without any chemical labeling. Our study implies that N-aryl amides may enable the label-free CEST MRI detection of the metabolism of many N-aryl amide-containing drugs and a variety of enzymes that act on N-aryl amides, greatly expanding the scope of CEST MR molecular imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuekang Cai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, 100034, Beijing, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites and Beijing Key Lab of Bioprocess, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 15 Beisanhuan East Road, Chaoyang District, 100029, Beijing, P. R. China.,Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Jia Zhang
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Jiaqi Lu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA
| | - Long Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites and Beijing Key Lab of Bioprocess, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 15 Beisanhuan East Road, Chaoyang District, 100029, Beijing, P. R. China.,Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Zheng Han
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Shuixing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, 510632, Guangzhou, Guandong, P. R. China
| | - Xing Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, 100034, Beijing, P. R. China.,Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Guanshu Liu
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
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15
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Jia Y, Geng K, Cheng Y, Li Y, Chen Y, Wu R. Nanomedicine Particles Associated With Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Contrast Agents in Biomedical Applications. Front Chem 2020; 8:326. [PMID: 32391334 PMCID: PMC7189014 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Theranostic agents are particles containing both diagnostic and medicinal agents in a single platform. Theranostic approaches often employ nanomedicine because loading both imaging probes and medicinal drugs onto nanomedicine particles is relatively straightforward, which can simultaneously provide diagnostic and medicinal capabilities within a single agent. Such systems have recently been described as nanotheranostic. Currently, nanotheranostic particles incorporating medicinal drugs are being widely explored with multiple imaging methods, including computed tomography, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and fluorescence imaging. However, most of these particles are metal-based multifunctional nanotheranostic agents, which pose potential toxicity or radiation risks. Hence, alternative non-metallic and biocompatible nanotheranostic agents are urgently needed. Recently, nanotheranostic agents that combine medicinal drugs and chemical exchange saturated transfer (CEST) contrast agents have shown good promise because CEST imaging technology can utilize the frequency-selective radiofrequency pulse from exchangeable protons to indirectly image without requiring metals or radioactive agents. In this review, we mainly describe the fundamental principles of CEST imaging, features of nanomedicine particles, potential applications of nanotheranostic agents, and the opportunities and challenges associated with clinical transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanlong Jia
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Kuan Geng
- Department of Radiology, The First People's Hospital of Honghe Prefecture, Mengzi, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Yuanfeng Chen
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Renhua Wu
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
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16
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Yuan Y, Zhang J, Qi X, Li S, Liu G, Siddhanta S, Barman I, Song X, McMahon MT, Bulte JWM. Furin-mediated intracellular self-assembly of olsalazine nanoparticles for enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and tumour therapy. NATURE MATERIALS 2019; 18:1376-1383. [PMID: 31636420 PMCID: PMC6872935 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-019-0503-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Among the strategies used for enhancement of tumour retention of imaging agents or anticancer drugs is the rational design of probes that undergo a tumour-specific enzymatic reaction preventing them from being pumped out of the cell. Here, the anticancer agent olsalazine (Olsa) was conjugated to the cell-penetrating peptide RVRR. Taking advantage of a biologically compatible condensation reaction, single Olsa-RVRR molecules were self-assembled into large intracellular nanoparticles by the tumour-associated enzyme furin. Both Olsa-RVRR and Olsa nanoparticles were readily detected with chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging by virtue of exchangeable Olsa hydroxyl protons. In vivo studies using HCT116 and LoVo murine xenografts showed that the OlsaCEST signal and anti-tumour therapeutic effect were 6.5- and 5.2-fold increased, respectively, compared to Olsa without RVRR, with an excellent 'theranostic correlation' (R2 = 0.97) between the imaging signal and therapeutic response (normalized tumour size). This furin-targeted, magnetic resonance imaging-detectable platform has potential for imaging tumour aggressiveness, drug accumulation and therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yuan
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jia Zhang
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiaoliang Qi
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shuoguo Li
- Center for Biological Imaging, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guanshu Liu
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Soumik Siddhanta
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ishan Barman
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiaolei Song
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael T McMahon
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeff W M Bulte
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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17
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Goldenberg JM, Pagel MD. Assessments of tumor metabolism with CEST MRI. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2019; 32:e3943. [PMID: 29938857 PMCID: PMC7377947 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) is a relatively new contrast mechanism for MRI. CEST MRI exploits a specific MR frequency (chemical shift) of a molecule while generating an image with good spatial resolution using standard MRI techniques, combining the specificity of MRS with the spatial resolution of MRI. Many CEST MRI acquisition methods have been developed to improve analyses of tumor metabolism. GluCEST, CrCEST, and LATEST can map glutamate, creatine, and lactate, which are important metabolites involved in tumor metabolism. GlucoCEST MRI tracks the pharmacokinetics of glucose transport and cell internalization within tumors. CatalyCEST MRI detects enzyme catalysis that changes a substrate CEST agent. AcidoCEST MRI measures extracellular pH of the tumor microenvironment by exploiting a ratio of two pH-dependent CEST signals. This review describes each technique, the technical issues involved with CEST MRI and each specific technique, and the merits and challenges associated with applying each CEST MRI technique to study tumor metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M. Goldenberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mark D. Pagel
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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18
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Zhang J, Yuan Y, Han Z, Li Y, van Zijl PCM, Yang X, Bulte JWM, Liu G. Detecting acid phosphatase enzymatic activity with phenol as a chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent (PhenolCEST MRI). Biosens Bioelectron 2019; 141:111442. [PMID: 31252256 PMCID: PMC6717000 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2019.111442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Phenol contains an exchangeable hydroxyl proton resonant at 4.8 ppm from the resonance frequency of water in the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectrum, enabling itself to be detected at sub-mM concentration by either chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging (CEST MRI) or exchange-based T2 relaxation enhancement (T2ex) effect under acidic and basic conditions, respectively. We recently investigated the T2ex effects of phenol and its derivatives, but the CEST characteristics of phenols are unknown in detail, and no study on using the natural CEST MRI effects of phenol for detecting enzymatic activity has been conducted. Herein, on the basis of the inherent CEST MR property of phenol, namely phenolCEST, we developed the first MRI approach to detect acid phosphatase (AcP) enzymatic activity. Upon the activity of AcP at pH = 5.0, non-CEST-detectable enzyme substrate phenyl phosphate was converted to CEST-detectable phenol, providing a simple way to quantify AcP activity directly without the need for a second signalling probe. We showed the application of this phenolCEST biosensor for measuring AcP activity in both enzyme solutions and cell lysates of prostate cells. This work opens a door for the utilization of phenolCEST MRI technique in sensor design and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Zhang
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yue Yuan
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Zheng Han
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yuguo Li
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Peter C M van Zijl
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Xing Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jeff W M Bulte
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Guanshu Liu
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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19
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Yang C, Wang Q, Ding W. Recent progress in the imaging detection of enzyme activities in vivo. RSC Adv 2019; 9:25285-25302. [PMID: 35530057 PMCID: PMC9070033 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra04508b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzymatic activities are important for normal physiological processes and are also critical regulatory mechanisms for many pathologies. Identifying the enzyme activities in vivo has considerable importance in disease diagnoses and monitoring of the physiological metabolism. In the past few years, great strides have been made towards the imaging detection of enzyme activity in vivo based on optical modality, MRI modality, nuclear modality, photoacoustic modality and multifunctional modality. This review summarizes the latest advances in the imaging detection of enzyme activities in vivo reported within the past years, mainly concentrating on the probe design, imaging strategies and demonstration of enzyme activities in vivo. This review also highlights the potential challenges and the further directions of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjie Yang
- College of Health Science, Yuncheng Polytechnic College Yuncheng Shanxi 044000 PR China
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi 712100 PR China
| | - Qian Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi 712100 PR China
| | - Wu Ding
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi 712100 PR China
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