Tumour scanning with indium-111 dihaematoporphyrin ether

Spotlight on porphyrins: Classifications, mechanisms and medical applications

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) are non-invasive treatment methods with obvious inhibitory effect on tumors and have few side effects, which have been widely concerned and explored by researchers. Sensitizer is the main factor in determining the therapeutic effect of PDT and SDT. Porphyrins, a group of organic compounds widespread in nature, can be activated by light or ultrasound and produce reactive oxygen species. Therefore, porphyrins as sensitizers in PDT have been widely explored and investigated for many years. Herein, we summarize the classical porphyrin compounds and their applications and mechanisms in PDT and SDT. The application of porphyrin in clinical diagnosis and imaging is also discussed. In conclusion, porphyrins have good application prospects in disease treatment as an important part of PDT or SDT, and in clinical diagnosis and imaging.

Radiolabelling of nanomaterials for medical imaging and therapy

Nanomaterials offer unique physical, chemical and biological properties of interest for medical imaging and therapy. Over the last two decades, there has been an increasing effort to translate nanomaterial-based medicinal products (so-called nanomedicines) into clinical practice and, although multiple nanoparticle-based formulations are clinically available, there is still a disparity between the number of pre-clinical products and those that reach clinical approval. To facilitate the efficient clinical translation of nanomedicinal-drugs, it is important to study their whole-body biodistribution and pharmacokinetics from the early stages of their development. Integrating this knowledge with that of their therapeutic profile and/or toxicity should provide a powerful combination to efficiently inform nanomedicine trials and allow early selection of the most promising candidates. In this context, radiolabelling nanomaterials allows whole-body and non-invasive in vivo tracking by the sensitive clinical imaging techniques positron emission tomography (PET), and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Furthermore, certain radionuclides with specific nuclear emissions can elicit therapeutic effects by themselves, leading to radionuclide-based therapy. To ensure robust information during the development of nanomaterials for PET/SPECT imaging and/or radionuclide therapy, selection of the most appropriate radiolabelling method and knowledge of its limitations are critical. Different radiolabelling strategies are available depending on the type of material, the radionuclide and/or the final application. In this review we describe the different radiolabelling strategies currently available, with a critical vision over their advantages and disadvantages. The final aim is to review the most relevant and up-to-date knowledge available in this field, and support the efficient clinical translation of future nanomedicinal products for in vivo imaging and/or therapy.

Nuclear imaging of liposomal drug delivery systems: A critical review of radiolabelling methods and applications in nanomedicine

The integration of nuclear imaging with nanomedicine is a powerful tool for efficient development and clinical translation of liposomal drug delivery systems. Furthermore, it may allow highly efficient imaging-guided personalised treatments. In this article, we critically review methods available for radiolabelling liposomes. We discuss the influence that the radiolabelling methods can have on their biodistribution and highlight the often-overlooked possibility of misinterpretation of results due to decomposition in vivo. We stress the need for knowing the biodistribution/pharmacokinetics of both the radiolabelled liposomal components and free radionuclides in order to confidently evaluate the images, as they often share excretion pathways with intact liposomes (e.g. phospholipids, metallic radionuclides) and even show significant tumour uptake by themselves (e.g. some radionuclides). Finally, we describe preclinical and clinical studies using radiolabelled liposomes and discuss their impact in supporting liposomal drug development and clinical translation in several diseases, including personalised nanomedicine approaches.

Development of (111)In-labeled porphyrins for SPECT imaging

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this research was the development of (111)In-labeled porphyrins as possible radiopharmaceuticals for the imaging of tumors.

METHODS

Ligands, 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis (3, 5-dihydroxyphenyl) porphyrin) (TDHPP), 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis (4-hydroxyphenyl) porphyrin (THPP) and 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis (3,4-dimethoxyphenyl) porphyrin) (TDMPP) were labeled with (111)InCl3 (produced from proton bombardment of natCd target) in 60 min at 80 ºC. Quality control of labeled compounds was performed via RTLC and HPLC followed by stability studies in final formulation and presence of human serum at 37 ºC for 48 h as well as partition coefficient determination. The biodistribution studies performed using tissue dissection and SPECT imaging up to 24h.

RESULTS

The complexes were prepared with more than 99% radiochemical purity (HPLC and RTLC) and high stability to 48 h. Partition coefficients (calculated as log P) for (111)In-TDHPP, (111)In-THPP and (111)In-TDMPP were 0.88, 0.8 and 1.63 respectively.

CONCLUSION

Due to urinary excretion with fast clearance for (111)In-TDMPP, this complex is probably a suitable candidate for considering as a possible tumor imaging agent.

The biological effects of Auger electrons compared to alpha-particles and Li ions

The present study reports the results of V-79 Chinese hamster cell survival studies in which Auger electron emission was stimulated in gadolinium (Gd) after thermal neutron capture. When a porphyrin that had previously been labeled with boron (10BOPP) was also labeled with Gd (Gd-10BOPP), the cells were incubated with Gd-10BOPP to assess the compound's ability to physiologically transport the Gd into the cell, and localize the Gd atoms in or near the cell's critical target, presumably the DNA. It was anticipated that Auger electron emission, stimulated during the 157Gd (n, gamma)158Gd interaction, would impart additional high LET damage to that observed from the alpha-particle and Li ion during the 10B(n, alpha) 7Li reaction. Following irradiation with thermal neutrons from the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor, the effectiveness of the Auger electrons was determined by comparing the response of cells incubated with 10BOPP, where damage was imparted by the boron neutron capture (BNC) products, to that from Gd-10BOPP, with equal concentration of 10B in both solutions. An Auger effectiveness factor of approximately 2 was found for the Gd-10BOPP cells. The Auger effectiveness observed with Gd strongly suggested that the 10BOPP molecule physiologically transported the Gd3+ ion intracellularly where it probably bound to DNA. Others have reported that Gd3+ does, in fact, complex with DNA. While depositing less energy per interaction than the high LET BNC reaction by-products, Auger electron ionization was more effective.

Clinical and preclinical photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality that utilizes a photosensitizing drug activated by laser generated light, and is proving effective for oncologic and nononcologic applications. This report provides an overview of photosensitizers, photochemistry, photobiology, and the lasers involved in photodynamic therapy. Clinical and preclinical PDT studies involving Photofrin and various second generation photosensitizers are reviewed.