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Nyström NN, McRae SW, Martinez FM, Kelly JJ, Scholl TJ, Ronald JA. A Genetically Encoded Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reporter Enables Sensitive Detection and Tracking of Spontaneous Metastases in Deep Tissues. Cancer Res 2023; 83:673-685. [PMID: 36512633 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related death. However, it remains a poorly understood aspect of cancer biology, and most preclinical cancer studies do not examine metastasis, focusing solely on the primary tumor. One major factor contributing to this paradox is a gap in available tools for accurate spatiotemporal measurements of metastatic spread in vivo. Here, our objective was to develop an imaging reporter system that offers sensitive three-dimensional (3D) detection of cancer cells at high resolutions in live mice. An organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1b3 (oatp1b3) was used as an MRI reporter gene, and its sensitivity was systematically optimized for in vivo tracking of viable cancer cells in a spontaneous metastasis model. Metastases with oatp1b3-MRI could be observed at the single lymph node level and tracked over time as cancer cells spread to multiple lymph nodes and different organ systems in individual animals. While initial single lesions were successfully imaged in parallel via bioluminescence, later metastases were largely obscured by light scatter from the initial node. Importantly, MRI could detect micrometastases in lung tissue comprised on the order of 1,000 cancer cells. In summary, oatp1b3-MRI enables longitudinal tracking of cancer cells with combined high resolution and high sensitivity that provides 3D spatial information and the surrounding anatomical context. SIGNIFICANCE An MRI reporter gene system optimized for tracking metastasis in deep tissues at high resolutions and able to detect spontaneous micrometastases in lungs of mice provides a useful tool for metastasis research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivin N Nyström
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Sean W McRae
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Imaging Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Francisco M Martinez
- Imaging Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - John J Kelly
- Imaging Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Timothy J Scholl
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Imaging Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John A Ronald
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Imaging Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
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Kyjacova L, Saup R, Rothley M, Schmaus A, Wagner T, Boßerhoff A, Garvalov BK, Thiele W, Sleeman JP. Quantitative Detection of Disseminated Melanoma Cells by Trp-1 Transcript Analysis Reveals Stochastic Distribution of Pulmonary Metastases. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10225459. [PMID: 34830742 PMCID: PMC8618565 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10225459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of the process of melanoma metastasis is required to underpin the development of novel therapies that will improve patient outcomes. The use of appropriate animal models is indispensable for investigating the mechanisms of melanoma metastasis. However, reliable and practicable quantification of metastases in experimental mice remains a challenge, particularly if the metastatic burden is low. Here, we describe a qRT-PCR-based protocol that employs the melanocytic marker Trp-1 for the sensitive quantification of melanoma metastases in the murine lung. Using this protocol, we were able to detect the presence of as few as 100 disseminated melanoma cells in lung tissue. This allowed us to quantify metastatic burden in a spontaneous syngeneic B16-F10 metastasis model, even in the absence of visible metastases, as well as in the autochthonous Tg(Grm1)/Cyld−/− melanoma model. Importantly, we also observed an uneven distribution of disseminated melanoma cells amongst the five lobes of the murine lung, which varied considerably from animal to animal. Together, our findings demonstrate that the qRT-PCR-based detection of Trp-1 allows the quantification of low pulmonary metastatic burden in both transplantable and autochthonous murine melanoma models, and show that the analysis of lung metastasis in such models needs to take into account the stochastic distribution of metastatic lesions amongst the lung lobes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Kyjacova
- Department of Microvascular Biology and Pathobiology, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany; (L.K.); (R.S.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (T.W.); (B.K.G.); (W.T.)
| | - Rafael Saup
- Department of Microvascular Biology and Pathobiology, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany; (L.K.); (R.S.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (T.W.); (B.K.G.); (W.T.)
| | - Melanie Rothley
- Department of Microvascular Biology and Pathobiology, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany; (L.K.); (R.S.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (T.W.); (B.K.G.); (W.T.)
- Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)-Campus North, D-76344 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Anja Schmaus
- Department of Microvascular Biology and Pathobiology, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany; (L.K.); (R.S.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (T.W.); (B.K.G.); (W.T.)
- Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)-Campus North, D-76344 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Tabea Wagner
- Department of Microvascular Biology and Pathobiology, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany; (L.K.); (R.S.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (T.W.); (B.K.G.); (W.T.)
| | - Anja Boßerhoff
- Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), D-91054 Erlangen, Germany;
| | - Boyan K. Garvalov
- Department of Microvascular Biology and Pathobiology, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany; (L.K.); (R.S.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (T.W.); (B.K.G.); (W.T.)
| | - Wilko Thiele
- Department of Microvascular Biology and Pathobiology, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany; (L.K.); (R.S.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (T.W.); (B.K.G.); (W.T.)
- Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)-Campus North, D-76344 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jonathan P. Sleeman
- Department of Microvascular Biology and Pathobiology, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167 Mannheim, Germany; (L.K.); (R.S.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (T.W.); (B.K.G.); (W.T.)
- Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)-Campus North, D-76344 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-621-383-71595
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Dahn ML, Dean CA, Jo DB, Coyle KM, Marcato P. Human-specific GAPDH qRT-PCR is an accurate and sensitive method of xenograft metastasis quantification. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2020; 20:398-408. [PMID: 33575432 PMCID: PMC7848707 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is the primary cause of cancer-related mortality. Experimental models that accurately reflect changes in metastatic burden are essential tools for developing treatments and to gain a better understanding of disease. Murine xenograft tumor models mimic the human scenario and provide a platform for metastasis analyses. An ex vivo quantitative method, gaining favor for its ease and accuracy, is quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR); however, it is currently unclear how well this method correlates with gold-standard histological analysis, and its use has required detection of overexpressed exogenous genes. We have introduced a variation of the qRT-PCR method: human-specific glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) qRT-PCR, which allows quantification of metastasis in xenograft models without the requirement of overexpressed exogenous genes. This makes the method easily amenable to many xenograft models without alteration of the cancer cells. We determined that the method is able to detect a few human cells within abundant mouse lung tissue. Further, the human-specific GAPDH qRT-PCR is more sensitive and correlates with histological analysis in terms of determining relative metastatic burden, suggesting that human-specific GAPDH qRT-PCR could be used as a primary method for quantification of disseminated human cells in murine xenograft models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Dahn
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Cheryl A Dean
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Diana B Jo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Krysta M Coyle
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Paola Marcato
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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Abstract
ATP is required for mammalian cells to remain viable and to perform genetically programmed functions. Maintenance of the ΔG′ATP hydrolysis of −56 kJ/mole is the endpoint of both genetic and metabolic processes required for life. Various anomalies in mitochondrial structure and function prevent maximal ATP synthesis through OxPhos in cancer cells. Little ATP synthesis would occur through glycolysis in cancer cells that express the dimeric form of pyruvate kinase M2. Mitochondrial substrate level phosphorylation (mSLP) in the glutamine-driven glutaminolysis pathway, substantiated by the succinate-CoA ligase reaction in the TCA cycle, can partially compensate for reduced ATP synthesis through both OxPhos and glycolysis. A protracted insufficiency of OxPhos coupled with elevated glycolysis and an auxiliary, fully operational mSLP, would cause a cell to enter its default state of unbridled proliferation with consequent dedifferentiation and apoptotic resistance, i.e., cancer. The simultaneous restriction of glucose and glutamine offers a therapeutic strategy for managing cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas N Seyfried
- Biology Department, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Gabriel Arismendi-Morillo
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Biological Researches Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela
| | - Purna Mukherjee
- Biology Department, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Christos Chinopoulos
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1094, Hungary
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Blocking c-MET/ERBB1 Axis Prevents Brain Metastasis in ERBB2+ Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12102838. [PMID: 33019652 PMCID: PMC7601177 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Targeted monotherapies are ineffective in the treatment of brain metastasis of ERBB2+ breast cancer (BC) underscoring the need for combination therapies. The lack of robust preclinical models has further hampered the assessment of treatment modalities. We report here a clinically relevant orthotopic mouse model of ERBB2+ BC that spontaneously metastasizes to brain and demonstrates that targeting the c-MET/ERBB1 axis with a combination of cabozantinib and neratinib decreases primary tumor growth and prevents brain metastasis in ERBB2+ BC. Abstract Brain metastasis (BrM) remains a significant cause of cancer-related mortality in epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (ERBB2+) breast cancer (BC) patients. We proposed here that a combination treatment of irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor neratinib (NER) and the c-MET inhibitor cabozantinib (CBZ) could prevent brain metastasis. To address this, we first tested the combination treatment of NER and CBZ in the brain-seeking ERBB2+ cell lines SKBrM3 and JIMT-1-BR3, and in ERBB2+ organoids that expressed the c-MET/ERBB1 axis. Next, we developed and characterized an orthotopic mouse model of spontaneous BrM and evaluated the therapeutic effect of CBZ and NER in vivo. The combination treatment of NER and CBZ significantly inhibited proliferation and migration in ERBB2+ cell lines and reduced the organoid growth in vitro. Mechanistically, the combination treatment of NER and CBZ substantially inhibited ERK activation downstream of the c-MET/ERBB1 axis. Orthotopically implanted SKBrM3+ cells formed primary tumor in the mammary fat pad and spontaneously metastasized to the brain and other distant organs. Combination treatment with NER and CBZ inhibited primary tumor growth and predominantly prevented BrM. In conclusion, the orthotopic model of spontaneous BrM is clinically relevant, and the combination therapy of NER and CBZ might be a useful approach to prevent BrM in BC.
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