Optical imaging of radiation-induced metabolic changes in radiation-sensitive and resistant cancer cells

Acquired Radiation Resistance Induces Thiol-dependent Cisplatin Cross-resistance

Resistance to radiation remains a significant clinical challenge in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). It is therefore important to identify the underlying molecular and cellular features that drive acquired resistance. We generated genetically matched NSCLC cell lines to investigate characteristics of acquired resistance. Murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and human A549 cells acquired an approximate 1.5-2.5-fold increase in radiation resistance as compared to their parental match, which each had unique intrinsic radio-sensitivities. The radiation resistance (RR) was reflected in higher levels of DNA damage and repair marker γH2AX and reduced apoptosis induction after radiation. Morphologically, we found that radiation resistance A549 (A549-RR) cells exhibited a greater nucleus-to-cytosol (N/C) ratio as compared to its parental counterpart. Since the N/C ratio is linked to the differentiation state, we next investigated the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype and cellular plasticity. We found that A549 cells had a greater radiation-induced plasticity, as measured by E-cadherin, vimentin and double-positive (DP) modulation, as compared to LLC. Additionally, migration was suppressed in A549-RR cells, as compared to A549 cells. Subsequently, we confirmed in vivo that the LLC-RR and A549-RR cells are also more resistance to radiation than their isogenic-matched counterpart. Moreover, we found that the acquired radiation resistance also induced resistance to cisplatin, but not carboplatin or oxaliplatin. This cross-resistance was attributed to induced elevation of thiol levels. Gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) sensitized the resistant cells to cisplatin by decreasing the amount of thiols to levels prior to obtaining acquired radiation resistance. By generating radiation-resistance genetically matched NSCLC we were able to identify and overcome cisplatin cross-resistance. This is an important finding arguing for combinatorial treatment regimens including glutathione pathway disruptors in patients with the potential of improving clinical outcomes in the future.

Targeting miR-5088-5p attenuates radioresistance by suppressing Slug

Radiotherapy is widely used for cancer treatment, but paradoxically, it has been reported that surviving cancer cells can acquire resistance, leading to recurrence or metastasis. Efforts to reduce radioresistance are required to increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy. miRNAs are advantageous as therapeutic agents because it can simultaneously inhibit the expression of several target mRNAs. Therefore, this study discovered miRNA that regulated radioresistance and elucidated its signaling mechanism. Our previous study confirmed that miR-5088-5p was associated with malignancy and metastasis in breast cancer. As a study to clarify the relationship between radiation and miR-5088-5p identified as onco-miRNA, it was confirmed that radiation induced hypomethylation of the promoter of miR-5088-5p and its expression increased. On the other hand, miR-5088-5p inhibitors were confirmed to reduce radiation-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness, and metastasis by reducing Slug. Therefore, this study showed the potential of miR-5088-5p inhibitors as therapeutic agents to suppress radioresistance.

Label-free two-photon imaging of mitochondrial activity in murine macrophages stimulated with bacterial and viral ligands

Mitochondria are the metabolic hub of the cell, playing a central role in regulating immune responses. Dysfunction of mitochondrial reprogramming can occur during bacterial and viral infections compromising hosts’ immune signaling. Comparative evaluation of these alterations in response to bacterial and viral ligands can provide insights into a cell’s ability to mount pathogen-specific responses. In this study, we used two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) imaging to quantify reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD(P)H) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) levels in the cell and to calculate the optical redox ratio (ORR), an indicator of mitochondrial dysfunction. Analyses were performed on RAW264.7 cells and murine bone marrow derived macrophages (BMM) stimulated with bacterial (LPS) and viral (Poly(I:C)) ligands. Responses were cell type dependent, with primary cells having significantly higher levels of FAD and higher oxygen consumption rates suggesting BMM may be more dependent on mitochondrial metabolism. Our findings also suggest that FAD-TPEF intensity may be a better predictor of mitochondrial activity and localization since it demonstrates unique mitochondrial clustering patterns in LPS vs. Poly(I:C) stimulated macrophages. Collectively, we demonstrate that TPEF imaging is a powerful label-free approach for quantifying changes in mitochondrial function and organization in macrophages following bacterial and viral stimuli.

Caffeic Acid, Quercetin and 5-Fluorocytidine-Functionalized Au-Fe3O4 Nanoheterodimers for X-ray-Triggered Drug Delivery in Breast Tumor Spheroids

Au-Fe3O4 nanoheterodimers (NHD) were functionalized with the natural and synthetic anticancer drugs caffeic acid (CA), quercetin (Q) and 5-fluorocytidine (5FC). Their X-radiation dose-enhancing potential and chemotherapeutic efficacy for bimodal cancer therapy were investigated by designing multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) to in vitro avascular tumor models. MCTS were grown from the breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MCF-10A. The MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10A MCTS were incubated with NHD-CA, NHD-Q, or NHD-5FC and then exposed to fractionated X-radiation comprising either a single 10 Gy dose, 2 daily single 5 Gy doses or 5 daily single 2 Gy doses. The NHD-CA, NHD-Q, and NHD-5FC affected the growth of X-ray irradiated and non-irradiated MCTS in a different manner. The impact of the NHDs on the glycolytic metabolism due to oxygen deprivation inside MCTS was assessed by measuring lactate secretion and glucose uptake by the MCTS. The NHD-CA and NHD-Q were found to act as X-radiation dose agents in MCF-7 MCTS and MDA-MB-231 MCTS and served as radioprotector in MCF-10A MCTS. X-ray triggered release of CA and Q inhibited lactate secretion and thereupon disturbed glycolytic reprogramming, whereas 5FC exerted their cytotoxic effects on both, healthy and tumor cells, after their release into the cytosol.

Patient-derived cancer organoid tracking with wide-field one-photon redox imaging to assess treatment response

SIGNIFICANCE

Accessible tools are needed for rapid, non-destructive imaging of patient-derived cancer organoid (PCO) treatment response to accelerate drug discovery and streamline treatment planning for individual patients.

AIM

To segment and track individual PCOs with wide-field one-photon redox imaging to extract morphological and metabolic variables of treatment response.

APPROACH

Redox imaging of the endogenous fluorophores, nicotinamide dinucleotide (NADH), nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), was used to monitor the metabolic state and morphology of PCOs. Redox imaging was performed on a wide-field one-photon epifluorescence microscope to evaluate drug response in two colorectal PCO lines. An automated image analysis framework was developed to track PCOs across multiple time points over 48 h. Variables quantified for each PCO captured metabolic and morphological response to drug treatment, including the optical redox ratio (ORR) and organoid area.

RESULTS

The ORR (NAD(P)H/(FAD + NAD(P)H)) was independent of PCO morphology pretreatment. Drugs that induced cell death decreased the ORR and growth rate compared to control. Multivariate analysis of redox and morphology variables identified distinct PCO subpopulations. Single-organoid tracking improved sensitivity to drug treatment compared to pooled organoid analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Wide-field one-photon redox imaging can monitor metabolic and morphological changes on a single organoid-level, providing an accessible, non-destructive tool to screen drugs in patient-matched samples.

Spectroscopic investigation of radiation-induced reoxygenation in radiation-resistant tumors

Fractionated radiation therapy is believed to reoxygenate and subsequently radiosensitize surviving hypoxic cancer cells. Measuring tumor reoxygenation between radiation fractions could conceivably provide an early biomarker of treatment response. However, the relationship between tumor reoxygenation and local control is not well understood. We used noninvasive optical fiber-based diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to monitor radiation-induced changes in hemoglobin oxygen saturation (sO2) in tumor xenografts grown from two head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines - UM-SCC-22B and UM-SCC-47. Tumors were treated with 4 doses of 2 Gy over 2 consecutive weeks and diffuse reflectance spectra were acquired every day during the 2-week period. There was a statistically significant increase in sO2 in the treatment-responsive UM-SCC-22B tumors immediately following radiation. This reoxygenation trend was due to an increase in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) and disappeared over the next 48 h as sO2 returned to preradiation baseline values. Conversely, sO2 in the relatively radiation-resistant UM-SCC-47 tumors increased after every dose of radiation and was driven by a significant decrease in deoxygenated hemoglobin (dHb). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed significantly elevated expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1) in the UM-SCC-47 tumors prior to radiation and up to 48 h postradiation compared with the UM-SCC-22B tumors. Our observation of a decrease in dHb, a corresponding increase in sO2, as well as greater HIF-1α expression only in UM-SCC-47 tumors strongly suggests that the reoxygenation within these tumors is due to a decrease in oxygen consumption in the cancer cells, which could potentially play a role in promoting radiation resistance.

Cancer-induced Cardiac Atrophy Adversely Affects Myocardial Redox State and Mitochondrial Oxidative Characteristics

Cachexia presents in 80% of advanced cancer patients; however, cardiac atrophy in cachectic patients receives little attention. This cardiomyopathy contributes to increased occurrence of adverse cardiac events compared to age-matched population norms. Research on cardiac atrophy has focused on remodeling; however, alterations in metabolic properties may be a primary contributor.

PURPOSE

Determine how cancer-induced cardiac atrophy alters mitochondrial turnover, mitochondrial mRNA translation machinery and in-vitro oxidative characteristics.

METHODS

Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumors were implanted in C57BL6/J mice and grown for 28days to induce cardiac atrophy. Endogenous metabolic species, and markers of mitochondrial function were assessed. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were cultured in LLC-conditioned media with(out) the antioxidant MitoTempo. Cells were analyzed for ROS, oxidative capacity, and hypoxic resistance.

RESULTS

LLC heart weights were ~10% lower than controls. LLC hearts demonstrated ~15% lower optical redox ratio (FAD/FAD+NADH) compared to PBS controls. When compared to PBS, LLC hearts showed ~50% greater COX-IV and VDAC, attributed to ~50% lower mitophagy markers. mt-mRNA translation machinery was elevated similarly to markers of mitochondrial content. mitochondrial DNA-encoded Cytb was ~30% lower in LLC hearts. ROS scavengers GPx-3 and GPx-7 were ~50% lower in LLC hearts. Treatment of cardiomyocytes with LLC-conditioned media resulted in higher ROS (25%), lower oxygen consumption rates (10% at basal, 75% at maximal), and greater susceptibility to hypoxia (~25%) -- which was reversed by MitoTempo.

CONCLUSION

These results substantiate metabolic cardiotoxic effects attributable to tumor-associated factors and provide insight into interactions between mitochondrial mRNA translation, ROS mitigation, oxidative capacity and hypoxia resistance.

Construction of Radiation Surviving/Resistant Lung Cancer Cell Lines with Equidifferent Gradient Dose Irradiation

Radiotherapy plays an increasingly crucial role in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Local tumor recurrence and tumor progression caused by intratumoral heterogeneity induced radiotherapy resistance remain the primary causes of radiotherapy failure. However, the lack of a suitable cell line model has hampered the exploration of the dynamic mechanisms of radiation resistance. We established 3 groups of equidifferent gradient dose irradiation surviving/resistant human lung cancer cell lines based on A549, H520, and H460 cells with clinical conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) (2 Gy × 20 F, 2 Gy × 30 F, and 2 Gy × 40 F). The radiosensitivity of the cells was detected by clone formation assay, EDU cell proliferation assay, neutral comet assay, and γ-H2AX immunofluorescence staining. The radiosensitivity and proliferation viability were increased in a received dose-dependent manner. Compared with parental cells, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in cell lines that received higher-dose irradiation were significantly reduced. We successfully constructed equidifferent gradient dose irradiation surviving/resistant NSCLC cell lines whose radiation surviving and resistant abilities were increased in a received dose-dependent manner. This preclinical cell model could be used to dynamically observe and detect the radiation surviving/resistant biomarkers during radiotherapy stress, elucidate the mechanism of radiation resistance.

Simultaneous Metabolic and Perfusion Imaging Using Hyperpolarized 13C MRI Can Evaluate Early and Dose-Dependent Response to Radiation Therapy in a Prostate Cancer Mouse Model

PURPOSE

To investigate use of a novel imaging approach, hyperpolarized (HP) ¹³C magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for simultaneous metabolism and perfusion assessment, to evaluate early and dose-dependent response to radiation therapy (RT) in a prostate cancer mouse model.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) mice (n = 18) underwent single-fraction RT (4-14 Gy steep dose across the tumor) and were imaged serially at pre-RT baseline and 1, 4, and 7 days after RT using HP ¹³C MRI with combined [1-¹³C]pyruvate (metabolic active agent) and [¹³C]urea (perfusion agent), coupled with conventional multiparametric ¹H MRI including T2-weighted, dynamic contrast-enhanced, and diffusion-weighted imaging. Tumor tissues were collected 4 and 7 days after RT for biological correlative studies.

RESULTS

We found a significant decrease in HP pyruvate-to-lactate conversion in tumors responding to RT, with concomitant significant increases in HP pyruvate-to-alanine conversion and HP urea signal; the opposite changes were observed in tumors resistant to RT. Moreover, HP lactate change was dependent on radiation dose; tumor regions treated with higher radiation doses (10-14 Gy) exhibited a greater decrease in HP lactate signal than low-dose regions (4-7 Gy) as early as 1 day post-RT, consistent with lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activity and expression data. We also found that HP [¹³C]urea MRI provided assessments of tumor perfusion similar to those provided by ¹H dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in this animal model. However, apparent diffusion coefficien , a conventional ¹H MRI functional biomarker, did not exhibit statistically significant changes within 7 days after RT.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate the ability of HP ¹³C MRI to monitor radiation-induced physiologic changes in a timely and dose-dependent manner, providing the basic science premise for further clinical investigation and translation.

Optical radiation induced chaotic dynamics of electrons in a uniform magnetic field

We investigate the effects of linearly polarized optical radiation on the cyclotron motion of an electron wave packet, considering the full quantum dynamics of the system. Analysis of the Landau-level (LL) spectrum reveals that only intra band cyclotron oscillation frequencies contribute to the effective oscillation frequency of the motion, whereas scattering between electron and hole Landau levels are forbidden. We find that the wave packet dynamics is significantly affected by varying the polarization direction of the electromagnetic radiation. The optical radiation is also affected by its interaction with electrons. Interestingly, we find that chaotic effects are induced by radiation in the dynamics of electron wave packet in an applied uniform magnetic field. Chaotic signatures in the dynamics are diagnosed by computing the relevant out-of-time-order correlation function and analyzed by using Poincaré maps. We attribute the appearance of such chaotic transport of electron wave packet to the nonlinear interaction between the optical radiation and internal cooperative oscillating mode produced by the interplay of relativistic (zitterbewegung) and cyclotron oscillations.

Optical Imaging Approaches to Investigating Radiation Resistance

Radiation therapy is frequently the first line of treatment for over 50% of cancer patients. While great advances have been made in improving treatment response rates and reducing damage to normal tissue, radiation resistance remains a persistent clinical problem. While hypoxia or a lack of tumor oxygenation has long been considered a key factor in causing treatment failure, recent evidence points to metabolic reprogramming under well-oxygenated conditions as a potential route to promoting radiation resistance. In this review, we present recent studies from our lab and others that use high-resolution optical imaging as well as clinical translational optical spectroscopy to shine light on the biological basis of radiation resistance. Two-photon microscopy of endogenous cellular metabolism has identified key changes in both mitochondrial structure and function that are specific to radiation-resistant cells and help promote cell survival in response to radiation. Optical spectroscopic approaches, such as diffuse reflectance and Raman spectroscopy have demonstrated functional and molecular differences between radiation-resistant and sensitive tumors in response to radiation. These studies have uncovered key changes in metabolic pathways and present a viable route to clinical translation of optical technologies to determine radiation resistance at a very early stage in the clinic.

Label-Free Raman Spectroscopy Reveals Signatures of Radiation Resistance in the Tumor Microenvironment

Delay in the assessment of tumor response to radiotherapy continues to pose a major challenge to quality of life for patients with nonresponsive tumors. Here, we exploited label-free Raman spectroscopic mapping to elucidate radiation-induced biomolecular changes in tumors and uncovered latent microenvironmental differences between treatment-resistant and -sensitive tumors. We used isogenic radiation-resistant and -sensitive A549 human lung cancer cells and human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines (UM-SCC-47 and UM-SCC-22B, respectively) to grow tumor xenografts in athymic nude mice and demonstrated the molecular specificity and quantitative nature of Raman spectroscopic tissue assessments. Raman spectra obtained from untreated and treated tumors were subjected to chemometric analysis using multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) and support vector machine (SVM) to quantify biomolecular differences in the tumor microenvironment. The Raman measurements revealed significant and reliable differences in lipid and collagen content postradiation in the tumor microenvironment, with consistently greater changes observed in the radiation-sensitive tumors. In addition to accurately evaluating tumor response to therapy, the combination of Raman spectral markers potentially offers a route to predicting response in untreated tumors prior to commencing treatment. Combined with its noninvasive nature, our findings provide a rationale for in vivo studies using Raman spectroscopy, with the ultimate goal of clinical translation for patient stratification and guiding adaptation of radiotherapy during the course of treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings highlight the sensitivity of label-free Raman spectroscopy to changes induced by radiotherapy and indicate the potential to predict radiation resistance prior to commencing therapy.

Rapid quantification of mitochondrial fractal dimension in individual cells

An improved technique for fractal characterization called the modified blanket method is introduced that can quantify surrounding fractal structures on a pixel by pixel basis without artifacts associated with scale-dependent image features such as object size. The method interprets images as topographical maps, obtaining information regarding the local surface area as a function of image resolution. Local fractal dimension (FD) can be quantified from the power law exponent derived from the surface area and image resolution relationship. We apply this technique on simulated cell images of known FD and compared the obtained values to power spectral density (PSD) analysis. Our method is sensitive to a wider FD range (2.0-4.5), having a mean error of 1.4% compared to 6% for PSD analysis. This increased sensitivity and an ability to compute regional FD properties enabled the discrimination of the differences in radiation resistant cancer cell responses that could not be detected using PSD analysis.

Quantitative diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of short-term changes in tumor oxygenation after radiation in a matched model of radiation resistance

There is a critical need to identify patients with radiation-resistant tumors early after treatment commencement. In this study, we use diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) to investigate changes in vascular oxygenation and total hemoglobin concentration in A549 radiation-sensitive and resistant tumors treated with a clinically relevant dose fraction of 2 Gy. DRS spectra were acquired before, immediately after, 24, and 48 hours after radiation. Our data reveals a significantly higher reoxygenation (sO₂) in the radiation-resistant tumors 24 and 48h after treatment, and provides promising evidence that DRS can discern between the reoxygenation trends of radiation-sensitive and resistant tumors.

A Radiosensitizing Inhibitor of HIF-1 alters the Optical Redox State of Human Lung Cancer Cells In Vitro

Treatment failure caused by a radiation-resistant cell phenotype remains an impediment to the success of radiation therapy in cancer. We recently showed that a radiation-resistant isogenic line of human A549 lung cancer cells had significantly elevated expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), and increased glucose catabolism compared with the parental, radiation-sensitive cell line. The objective of this study was to investigate the longitudinal metabolic changes in radiation-resistant and sensitive A549 lung cancer cells after treatment with a combination of radiation therapy and YC-1, a potent HIF-1 inhibitor. Using label-free two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy, we determined changes in the optical redox ratio of FAD/(NADH and FAD) over a period of 24 hours following treatment with YC-1, radiation, and both radiation and YC-1. To complement the optical redox ratio, we also evaluated changes in mitochondrial organization, glucose uptake, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reduced glutathione. We observed significant differences in the optical redox ratio of radiation-resistant and sensitive A549 cells in response to radiation or YC-1 treatment alone; however, combined treatment eliminated these differences. Our results demonstrate that the optical redox ratio can elucidate radiosensitization of previously radiation-resistant A549 cancer cells, and provide a method for evaluating treatment response in patient-derived tumor biopsies.

Protein-bound NAD(P)H Lifetime is Sensitive to Multiple Fates of Glucose Carbon

While NAD(P)H fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) can detect changes in flux through the TCA cycle and electron transport chain (ETC), it remains unclear whether NAD(P)H FLIM is sensitive to other potential fates of glucose. Glucose carbon can be diverted from mitochondria by the pentose phosphate pathway (via glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, G6PDH), lactate production (via lactate dehydrogenase, LDH), and rejection of carbon from the TCA cycle (via pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, PDK), all of which can be upregulated in cancer cells. Here, we demonstrate that multiphoton NAD(P)H FLIM can be used to quantify the relative concentrations of recombinant LDH and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) in solution. In multiple epithelial cell lines, NAD(P)H FLIM was also sensitive to inhibition of LDH and PDK, as well as the directionality of LDH in cells forced to use pyruvate versus lactate as fuel sources. Among the parameters measurable by FLIM, only the lifetime of protein-bound NAD(P)H (τ₂) was sensitive to these changes, in contrast to the optical redox ratio, mean NAD(P)H lifetime, free NAD(P)H lifetime, or the relative amount of free and protein-bound NAD(P)H. NAD(P)H τ₂ offers the ability to non-invasively quantify diversions of carbon away from the TCA cycle/ETC, which may support mechanisms of drug resistance.