1
|
Sivanesan E, Sanchez KR, Zhang C, He SQ, Linderoth B, Stephens KE, Raja SN, Guan Y. Spinal Cord Stimulation Increases Chemoefficacy and Prevents Paclitaxel-Induced Pain via CX3CL1. Neuromodulation 2023; 26:938-949. [PMID: 37045646 PMCID: PMC10330336 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite increasing utilization of spinal cord stimulation (SCS), its effects on chemoefficacy, cancer progression, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) pain remain unclear. Up to 30% of adults who are cancer survivors may suffer from CIPN, and there are currently no effective preventative treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS Through a combination of bioluminescent imaging, behavioral, biochemical, and immunohistochemical approaches, we investigated the role of SCS and paclitaxel (PTX) on tumor growth and PTX-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) pain development in T-cell-deficient male rats (Crl:NIH-Foxn1rnu) with xenograft human non-small cell lung cancer. We hypothesized that SCS can prevent CIPN pain and enhance chemoefficacy partially by modulating macrophages, fractalkine (CX3CL1), and inflammatory cytokines. RESULTS We show that preemptive SCS enhanced the antitumor efficacy of PTX and prevented PIPN pain. Without SCS, rats with and without tumors developed robust PIPN pain-related mechanical hypersensitivity, but only those with tumors developed cold hypersensitivity, suggesting T-cell dependence for different PIPN pain modalities. SCS increased soluble CX3CL1 and macrophages and decreased neuronal and nonneuronal insoluble CX3CL1 expression and inflammation in dorsal root ganglia. CONCLUSION Collectively, our findings suggest that preemptive SCS is a promising strategy to increase chemoefficacy and prevent PIPN pain via CX3CL1-macrophage modulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eellan Sivanesan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Karla R Sanchez
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shao-Qiu He
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bengt Linderoth
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kimberly E Stephens
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA; Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Srinivasa N Raja
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yun Guan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
An optimized bioluminescent substrate for non-invasive imaging in the brain. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:731-739. [PMID: 36759751 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01265-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) allows non-invasive visualization of cells and biochemical events in vivo and thus has become an indispensable technique in biomedical research. However, BLI in the central nervous system remains challenging because luciferases show relatively poor performance in the brain with existing substrates. Here, we report the discovery of a NanoLuc substrate with improved brain performance, cephalofurimazine (CFz). CFz paired with Antares luciferase produces greater than 20-fold more signal from the brain than the standard combination of D-luciferin with firefly luciferase. At standard doses, Antares-CFz matches AkaLuc-AkaLumine/TokeOni in brightness, while occasional higher dosing of CFz can be performed to obtain threefold more signal. CFz should allow the growing number of NanoLuc-based indicators to be applied to the brain with high sensitivity. Using CFz, we achieve video-rate non-invasive imaging of Antares in brains of freely moving mice and demonstrate non-invasive calcium imaging of sensory-evoked activity in genetically defined neurons.
Collapse
|
3
|
Curia G, Estrada-Camarena E, Manjarrez E, Mizuno H. Editorial: In vivo investigations on neurological disorders: From traditional approaches to forefront technologies. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1052089. [PMID: 36330344 PMCID: PMC9623258 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1052089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Curia
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- *Correspondence: Giulia Curia
| | - Erika Estrada-Camarena
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Neuroscience, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramon de la Fuente Muñiz (INPRFM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Elias Manjarrez
- Institute of Physiology, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Hidenobu Mizuno
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rust R, Weber RZ, Generali M, Kehl D, Bodenmann C, Uhr D, Wanner D, Zürcher KJ, Saito H, Hoerstrup SP, Nitsch RM, Tackenberg C. Xeno-free induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells for in vivo applications. J Transl Med 2022; 20:421. [PMID: 36114512 PMCID: PMC9482172 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03610-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, there is no regenerative therapy for patients with neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Cell-therapies have emerged as a potential treatment for numerous brain diseases. Despite recent advances in stem cell technology, major concerns have been raised regarding the feasibility and safety of cell therapies for clinical applications. METHODS We generated good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compatible neural progenitor cells (NPCs) from transgene- and xeno-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that can be smoothly adapted for clinical applications. NPCs were characterized in vitro for their differentiation potential and in vivo after transplantation into wild type as well as genetically immunosuppressed mice. RESULTS Generated NPCs had a stable gene-expression over at least 15 passages and could be scaled for up to 1018 cells per initially seeded 106 cells. After withdrawal of growth factors in vitro, cells adapted a neural fate and mainly differentiated into active neurons. To ensure a pure NPC population for in vivo applications, we reduced the risk of iPSC contamination by applying micro RNA-switch technology as a safety checkpoint. Using lentiviral transduction with a fluorescent and bioluminescent dual-reporter construct, combined with non-invasive in vivo bioluminescent imaging, we longitudinally tracked the grafted cells in healthy wild-type and genetically immunosuppressed mice as well as in a mouse model of ischemic stroke. Long term in-depth characterization revealed that transplanted NPCs have the capability to survive and spontaneously differentiate into functional and mature neurons throughout a time course of a month, while no residual pluripotent cells were detectable. CONCLUSION We describe the generation of transgene- and xeno-free NPCs. This simple differentiation protocol combined with the ability of in vivo cell tracking presents a valuable tool to develop safe and effective cell therapies for various brain injuries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruslan Rust
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland.
| | - Rebecca Z Weber
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Generali
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Debora Kehl
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Bodenmann
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Uhr
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Debora Wanner
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin J Zürcher
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Hirohide Saito
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Simon P Hoerstrup
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
- Wyss Translational Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roger M Nitsch
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Tackenberg
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Boitet M, Eun H, Lee T, Kim J, Grailhe R. Non-invasive In Vivo Brain Astrogenesis and Astrogliosis Quantification Using a Far-red E2-Crimson Transgenic Reporter Mouse. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:6740-6753. [PMID: 36001234 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02997-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Despite the adaptation of major clinical imaging modalities for small animals, optical bioluminescence imaging technology is the main approach readily reporting gene activity. Yet, in vivo bioluminescence monitoring requires the administration and diffusion of a substrate to the tissues of interest, resulting in experimental variability, high reagent cost, long acquisition time, and stress to the animal. In our study, we avoid such issues upon generating a new transgenic mouse (GFAP-E2crimson) expressing the far-red fluorescent protein E2-crimson under the control of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter. Using microscopy, we validated the selective expression of the reporter in the astrocyte cell population and by non-invasive in vivo fluorescence imaging its detection through the scalps and skulls of live animals. In addition, we performed a longitudinal study validating by in vivo imaging that the E2-crimson fluorescence signal is up-regulated, in pups during astrogenesis and in adult mice during astrogliosis upon kainic acid administration. Furthermore, upon crossing GFAP-E2crimson transgenic with 5XFAD Alzheimer's disease mice model, we were able to quantify the chronic inflammation triggered by amyloid deposit and aging over 18 months. As many diseases and conditions can trigger neuroinflammation, we believe that the GFAP-E2crimson reporter mice model delivers tremendous value for the non-invasive quantification of astrogliosis responses in living animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maylis Boitet
- Technology Development Platform, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, 13488, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biological Chemistry, IPK Campus, Korea University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajeong-ro Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeju Eun
- Technology Development Platform, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Taekwan Lee
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiho Kim
- Screening Discovery Platform, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Regis Grailhe
- Technology Development Platform, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, 13488, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biological Chemistry, IPK Campus, Korea University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajeong-ro Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Resendiz-Sharpe A, da Silva RP, Geib E, Vanderbeke L, Seldeslachts L, Hupko C, Brock M, Lagrou K, Vande Velde G. Longitudinal multimodal imaging-compatible mouse model of triazole-sensitive and -resistant invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:274857. [PMID: 35352801 PMCID: PMC8990085 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) caused by the mold Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most important life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. The alarming increase of isolates resistant to the first-line recommended antifungal therapy urges more insights into triazole-resistant A. fumigatus infections. In this study, we systematically optimized a longitudinal multimodal imaging-compatible neutropenic mouse model of IPA. Reproducible rates of pulmonary infection were achieved through immunosuppression (sustained neutropenia) with 150 mg/kg cyclophosphamide at day −4, −1 and 2, and an orotracheal inoculation route in both sexes. Furthermore, increased sensitivity of in vivo bioluminescence imaging for fungal burden detection, as early as the day after infection, was achieved by optimizing luciferin dosing and through engineering isogenic red-shifted bioluminescent A. fumigatus strains, one wild type and two triazole-resistant mutants. We successfully tested appropriate and inappropriate antifungal treatment scenarios in vivo with our optimized multimodal imaging strategy, according to the in vitro susceptibility of our luminescent fungal strains. Therefore, we provide novel essential mouse models with sensitive imaging tools for investigating IPA development and therapy in triazole-susceptible and triazole-resistant scenarios. Summary: A novel reproducible longitudinal multimodal imaging-compatible neutropenic mouse model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis provides increased early fungal detection through novel red-shifted luciferase-expressing triazole-susceptible and -resistant Aspergillus fumigatus strains, and boosted bioluminescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Resendiz-Sharpe
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Roberta Peres da Silva
- Fungal Biology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Geib
- Fungal Biology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Lore Vanderbeke
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Seldeslachts
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI unit/MoSAIC, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Charlien Hupko
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthias Brock
- Fungal Biology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and National Reference Centre for Mycosis, Excellence Centre for Medical Mycology (ECMM), University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greetje Vande Velde
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI unit/MoSAIC, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Uyar O, Plante PL, Piret J, Venable MC, Carbonneau J, Corbeil J, Boivin G. A novel bioluminescent herpes simplex virus 1 for in vivo monitoring of herpes simplex encephalitis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18688. [PMID: 34548521 PMCID: PMC8455621 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98047-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is responsible for herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSE), associated with a 70% mortality rate in the absence of treatment. Despite intravenous treatment with acyclovir, mortality remains significant, highlighting the need for new anti-herpetic agents. Herein, we describe a novel neurovirulent recombinant HSV-1 (rHSV-1), expressing the fluorescent tdTomato and Gaussia luciferase (Gluc) enzyme, generated by the Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)—CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) (CRISPR-Cas9) system. The Gluc activity measured in the cell culture supernatant was correlated (P = 0.0001) with infectious particles, allowing in vitro monitoring of viral replication kinetics. A significant correlation was also found between brain viral titers and Gluc activity in plasma (R2 = 0.8510, P < 0.0001) collected from BALB/c mice infected intranasally with rHSV-1. Furthermore, evaluation of valacyclovir (VACV) treatment of HSE could also be performed by analyzing Gluc activity in mouse plasma samples. Finally, it was also possible to study rHSV-1 dissemination and additionally to estimate brain viral titers by in vivo imaging system (IVIS). The new rHSV-1 with reporter proteins is not only as a powerful tool for in vitro and in vivo antiviral screening, but can also be used for studying different aspects of HSE pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olus Uyar
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU de Québec-Laval University Research Center and Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Pier-Luc Plante
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU de Québec-Laval University Research Center and Department of Molecular Medicine and Big Data Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Jocelyne Piret
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU de Québec-Laval University Research Center and Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Christine Venable
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU de Québec-Laval University Research Center and Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Julie Carbonneau
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU de Québec-Laval University Research Center and Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Jacques Corbeil
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU de Québec-Laval University Research Center and Department of Molecular Medicine and Big Data Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Guy Boivin
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU de Québec-Laval University Research Center and Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yang M, Jin L, Wu Z, Xie Y, Zhang P, Wang Q, Yan S, Chen B, Liang H, Naman CB, Zhang J, He S, Yan X, Zhao L, Cui W. PLGA-PEG Nanoparticles Facilitate In Vivo Anti-Alzheimer's Effects of Fucoxanthin, a Marine Carotenoid Derived from Edible Brown Algae. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:9764-9777. [PMID: 34404210 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c00569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The marine natural product fucoxanthin has been reported previously to produce anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. Fucoxanthin was also demonstrated to be safe in preclinical and small population clinical studies, but the low bioavailability of fucoxanthin in the central nervous system (CNS) has limited its clinical applications. To overcome this, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid-block-polyethylene glycol loaded fucoxanthin (PLGA-PEG-Fuc) nanoparticles with diameter at around 200 nm and negative charge were synthesized and suggested to penetrate into the CNS. Loaded fucoxanthin could be liberated from PLGA-PEG nanoparticles by sustained released in the physiological environment. PLGA-PEG-Fuc nanoparticles were shown to significantly inhibit the formation of Aβ fibrils and oligomers. Moreover, these nanoparticles were taken up by both neurons and microglia, leading to the reduction of Aβ oligomers-induced neurotoxicity in vitro. Most importantly, intravenous injection of PLGA-PEG-Fuc nanoparticles prevented cognitive impairments in Aβ oligomers-induced AD mice with greater efficacy than free fucoxanthin, possibly via acting on Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathways. These results altogether suggest that PLGA-PEG nanoparticles can enhance the bioavailability of fucoxanthin and potentiate its efficacy for the treatment of AD, thus potentially enabling its future use for AD therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengxiang Yang
- Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Lingli Jin
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Zhuoying Wu
- Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Yanfei Xie
- Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Panpan Zhang
- Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Qiyao Wang
- Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Sicheng Yan
- Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Bojun Chen
- Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Hongze Liang
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - C Benjamin Naman
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Jinrong Zhang
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Shan He
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojun Yan
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Lingling Zhao
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Wei Cui
- Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Firefly luciferase offers superior performance to AkaLuc for tracking the fate of administered cell therapies. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2021; 49:796-808. [PMID: 34313817 PMCID: PMC8803776 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-021-05439-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Introduction A novel, red-shifted bioluminescence imaging (BLI) system called AkaBLI has been recently developed for cell tracking in preclinical models and to date, limited data is available on how it performs in relation to existing systems. Purpose To systematically compare the performance of AkaBLI and the standard Firefly luciferase (FLuc) systems to monitor the biodistribution and fate of cell therapies in rodents. Methods Umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were transduced to produce two genetically engineered populations, expressing either AkaLuc or the engineered FLuc luc2. The bioluminescence of AkaLuc+ and FLuc+ cells was assessed both in vitro (emission spectra, saturation kinetics and light emission per cell) and in vivo (substrate kinetics following intraperitoneal and subcutaneous administration and biodistribution of the cells up to day 7). Results Introduction of the reporter genes has no effect on MSC phenotype. For BLI, the FLuc system is superior to AkaBLI in terms of (i) light output, producing a stronger signal after subcutaneous substrate delivery and more consistent signal kinetics when delivered intraperitoneally; (ii) absence of hepatic background; and (iii) safety, where the AkaLuc substrate was associated with a reaction in the skin of the mice in vivo. Conclusion We conclude that there is no advantage in using the AkaBLI system to track the biodistribution of systemically administered cell-based regenerative medicine therapies in vivo. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00259-021-05439-4.
Collapse
|
10
|
Yevtodiyenko A, Bazhin A, Khodakivskyi P, Godinat A, Budin G, Maric T, Pietramaggiori G, Scherer SS, Kunchulia M, Eppeldauer G, Polyakov SV, Francis KP, Bryan JN, Goun EA. Portable bioluminescent platform for in vivo monitoring of biological processes in non-transgenic animals. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2680. [PMID: 33976191 PMCID: PMC8113525 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22892-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) is one of the most powerful and widely used preclinical imaging modalities. However, the current technology relies on the use of transgenic luciferase-expressing cells and animals and therefore can only be applied to a limited number of existing animal models of human disease. Here, we report the development of a “portable bioluminescent” (PBL) technology that overcomes most of the major limitations of traditional BLI. We demonstrate that the PBL method is capable of noninvasive measuring the activity of both extracellular (e.g., dipeptidyl peptidase 4) and intracellular (e.g., cytochrome P450) enzymes in vivo in non-luciferase-expressing mice. Moreover, we successfully utilize PBL technology in dogs and human cadaver, paving the way for the translation of functional BLI to the noninvasive quantification of biological processes in large animals. The PBL methodology can be easily adapted for the noninvasive monitoring of a plethora of diseases across multiple species. Bioluminescence imaging tends to rely on transgenic luciferase-expressing cells and animals. Here the authors report a portable bioluminescent system to non-invasively measure intra- and extracellular enzymes in vivo in non-transgenic animals which do not express luciferase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksey Yevtodiyenko
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Arkadiy Bazhin
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pavlo Khodakivskyi
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Aurelien Godinat
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ghyslain Budin
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Maric
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giorgio Pietramaggiori
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Global Plastic Surgery, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Sandra S Scherer
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Global Plastic Surgery, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marina Kunchulia
- Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences, Free University of Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - George Eppeldauer
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Sergey V Polyakov
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA.,Physics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Kevin P Francis
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Bryan
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Elena A Goun
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Madsen SD, Giler MK, Bunnell BA, O'Connor KC. Illuminating the Regenerative Properties of Stem Cells In Vivo with Bioluminescence Imaging. Biotechnol J 2020; 16:e2000248. [PMID: 33089922 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical animal studies are essential to the development of safe and effective stem cell therapies. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is a powerful tool in animal studies that enables the real-time longitudinal monitoring of stem cells in vivo to elucidate their regenerative properties. This review describes the application of BLI in preclinical stem cell research to address critical challenges in producing successful stem cell therapeutics. These challenges include stem cell survival, proliferation, homing, stress response, and differentiation. The applications presented here utilize bioluminescence to investigate a variety of stem and progenitor cells in several different in vivo models of disease and implantation. An overview of luciferase reporters is provided, along with the advantages and disadvantages of BLI. Additionally, BLI is compared to other preclinical imaging modalities and potential future applications of this technology are discussed in emerging areas of stem cell research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean D Madsen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.,Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Margaret K Giler
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.,Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Bruce A Bunnell
- Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Kim C O'Connor
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.,Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
The Added Value of Longitudinal Imaging for Preclinical In Vivo Efficacy Testing of Therapeutic Compounds against Cerebral Cryptococcosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.00070-20. [PMID: 32284382 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00070-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain infections with Cryptococcus neoformans are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Cryptococcosis typically presents as meningoencephalitis or fungal mass lesions called cryptococcomas. Despite frequent in vitro discoveries of promising novel antifungals, the clinical need for drugs that can more efficiently treat these brain infections remains. A crucial step in drug development is the evaluation of in vivo drug efficacy in animal models. This mainly relies on survival studies or postmortem analyses in large groups of animals, but these techniques only provide information on specific organs of interest at predefined time points. In this proof-of-concept study, we validated the use of noninvasive preclinical imaging to obtain longitudinal information on the therapeutic efficacy of amphotericin B or fluconazole monotherapy in meningoencephalitis and cryptococcoma mouse models. Bioluminescence imaging enabled the rapid in vitro and in vivo evaluation of drug efficacy, while complementary high-resolution anatomical information obtained by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain allowed a precise assessment of the extent of infection and lesion growth rates. We demonstrated a good correlation between both imaging readouts and the fungal burden in various organs. Moreover, we identified potential pitfalls associated with the interpretation of therapeutic efficacy based solely on postmortem studies, demonstrating the added value of this noninvasive dual imaging approach compared to standard mortality curves or fungal load endpoints. This novel preclinical imaging platform provides insights in the dynamic aspects of the therapeutic response and facilitates a more efficient and accurate translation of promising antifungal compounds from bench to bedside.
Collapse
|
13
|
Schomann T, Mezzanotte L, de Groot JCMJ, Löwik CWGM, Frijns JHM, Huisman MA. Imaging Bioluminescent Exogenous Stem Cells in the Intact Guinea Pig Cochlea. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 303:427-440. [PMID: 30635981 PMCID: PMC7065152 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Stem-cell-based therapy may be used to replace damaged or lost neurons in the cochlear nerve of patients suffering from severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. In order to achieve functional recovery in future clinical trials, knowledge about survival of grafted cells and their differentiation into functional neurons is a prerequisite. This calls for non-invasive in vivo visualization of cells and long-term monitoring of their survival and fate after cochlear transplantation. We have investigated if molecular optical imaging enables visualization of exogenous cells in the intact cochlea of guinea pig cadaver heads. Transduced (stem) cells, stably co-expressing fluorescent (copGFP) and bioluminescent (Luc2) reporter molecules, were injected into the internal auditory meatus or directly into the cochlea through the round window. After injection of the cells into the internal auditory meatus, a bright bioluminescent signal was observed in the cavum conchae of the auricle, indicating that light generated by Luc2 is passing through the tympanic membrane and the external auditory meatus. Similar results were obtained after injection of the cells through the round window membrane, either directly into the scala tympani or in Rosenthal's canal within the modiolus of the basal cochlear turn. Imaging of the auditory bulla demonstrated that the bioluminescent signal passes through the tympanic membrane and crevices in the bony wall of the bulla. After opening the auditory bulla, the bioluminescent signal was emanating from the round window. This is the first study demonstrating that bioluminescence imaging enables visualization of luciferase-expressing cells injected into the intact guinea pig cochlea. Anat Rec, 303:427-440, 2020. © 2019 The Authors. The Anatomical Record published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timo Schomann
- Auditory Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck SurgeryLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Optical Molecular Imaging, Department of RadiologyErasmus Medical Center RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - John C. M. J. de Groot
- Auditory Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck SurgeryLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Clemens W. G. M. Löwik
- Optical Molecular Imaging, Department of RadiologyErasmus Medical Center RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Johan H. M. Frijns
- Auditory Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck SurgeryLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Margriet A. Huisman
- Auditory Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck SurgeryLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Vogel S, Hoehn M, Aswendt M. In vivo bioluminescence imaging to elucidate stem cell graft differentiation. Neural Regen Res 2020; 15:61-62. [PMID: 31535647 PMCID: PMC6862421 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.264449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Vogel
- Technische Universität Dresden, DFG-Research Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden, Germany
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany; Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Markus Aswendt
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cao J, Hu Y, Shazeeb MS, Pedraza CE, Pande N, Weinstock D, Polites GH, Zhang W, Chandross KJ, Ying X. In Vivo Optical Imaging of Myelination Events in a Myelin Basic Protein Promoter-Driven Luciferase Transgenic Mouse Model. ASN Neuro 2019; 10:1759091418777329. [PMID: 29806482 PMCID: PMC5987236 DOI: 10.1177/1759091418777329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The compact myelin sheath is important for axonal function, and its loss
can lead to neuronal cell death and irreversible functional deficits.
Myelin is vulnerable to a variety of metabolic, toxic, and autoimmune
insults. In diseases like multiple sclerosis, there is currently no
therapy to stop myelin loss, underscoring the need for neuroprotective
and remyelinating therapies. Noninvasive, robust techniques are also
needed to confirm the effect of such therapies in animal models. This
article describes the generation, characterization, and potential uses
for a myelin basic protein-luciferase (MBP-luci) transgenic mouse
model, in which the firefly luciferase reporter gene is selectively
controlled by the MBP promoter. In vivo
bioluminescence imaging can be used to visualize and quantify
demyelination and remyelination at the transcriptional level,
noninvasively, and in real time. Transgenic mice were assessed in the
cuprizone-induced model of demyelination, and luciferase activity
highly correlated with demyelination and remyelination events as
confirmed by both magnetic resonance imaging and postmortem
histological analysis. Furthermore, MBP-luci mice demonstrated
enhanced luciferase signal and remyelination in the cuprizone model
after treatment with a peroxisome proliferator activated
receptor-delta selective agonist and quetiapine. Imaging sensitivity
was further enhanced by using CycLuc 1, a luciferase substrate, which
has greater blood–brain barrier penetration. We demonstrated the
utility of MBP-luci model in tracking myelin changes in real time and
supporting target and therapeutic validation efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James Cao
- 1 Translational In Vivo Model, Global Research Platform, Sanofi R&D, Framingham, MA, USA
| | - Yanping Hu
- 2 Multiple Sclerosis Cluster, Neuroscience Research, Sanofi R&D, Framingham, MA, USA
| | | | - Carlos E Pedraza
- 2 Multiple Sclerosis Cluster, Neuroscience Research, Sanofi R&D, Framingham, MA, USA
| | - Nilesh Pande
- 2 Multiple Sclerosis Cluster, Neuroscience Research, Sanofi R&D, Framingham, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Wenfei Zhang
- 5 Biostatistics and Programming, Sanofi R&D, Framingham, MA, USA
| | | | - Xiaoyou Ying
- 1 Translational In Vivo Model, Global Research Platform, Sanofi R&D, Framingham, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Vanherp L, Ristani A, Poelmans J, Hillen A, Lagrou K, Janbon G, Brock M, Himmelreich U, Vande Velde G. Sensitive bioluminescence imaging of fungal dissemination to the brain in mouse models of cryptococcosis. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm.039123. [PMID: 31101657 PMCID: PMC6602310 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.039123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a leading cause of fungal brain infection, but the mechanism of dissemination and dynamics of cerebral infection following pulmonary disease are poorly understood. To address these questions, non-invasive techniques that can study the dynamic processes of disease development and progression in living animal models or patients are required. As such, bioluminescence imaging (BLI) has emerged as a powerful tool to evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of infection in living animals. We aimed to study the time profile of the dissemination of cryptococcosis from the lung to the brain in murine models by engineering the first bioluminescent C. neoformans KN99α strain, expressing a sequence-optimized red-shifted luciferase. The high pathogen specificity and sensitivity of BLI was complemented by the three-dimensional anatomical information from micro-computed tomography (μCT) of the lung and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. These non-invasive imaging techniques provided longitudinal readouts on the spatial and temporal distribution of infection following intravenous, intranasal or endotracheal routes of inoculation. Furthermore, the imaging results correlated strongly with the fungal load in the respective organs. By obtaining dynamic and quantitative information about the extent and timing of brain infections for individual animals, we found that dissemination to the brain after primary infection of the lung is likely a late-stage event with a timeframe that is variable between animals. This novel tool in Cryptococcus research can aid the identification of host and pathogen factors involved in this process, and supports development of novel preventive or therapeutic approaches. Summary: A novel combination of bioluminescence and anatomical imaging non-invasively identified the timeframe and extent of Cryptococcus neoformans dissemination to the brain in animal models of systemic and pulmonary fungal infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liesbeth Vanherp
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Molecular Small Animal Imaging Center (MoSAIC), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alexandra Ristani
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Molecular Small Animal Imaging Center (MoSAIC), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jennifer Poelmans
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Molecular Small Animal Imaging Center (MoSAIC), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Amy Hillen
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Molecular Small Animal Imaging Center (MoSAIC), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guilhem Janbon
- RNA Biology of Fungal Pathogens, Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Matthias Brock
- Fungal Biology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Uwe Himmelreich
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Molecular Small Animal Imaging Center (MoSAIC), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greetje Vande Velde
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium .,Molecular Small Animal Imaging Center (MoSAIC), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Vogel S, Schäfer C, Hess S, Folz-Donahue K, Nelles M, Minassian A, Schwarz MK, Kukat C, Ehrlich M, Zaehres H, Kloppenburg P, Hoehn M, Aswendt M. The in vivo timeline of differentiation of engrafted human neural progenitor cells. Stem Cell Res 2019; 37:101429. [DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2019.101429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
|
18
|
Green C, Minassian A, Vogel S, Diedenhofen M, Wiedermann D, Hoehn M. Persistent Quantitative Vitality of Stem Cell Graft Is Necessary for Stabilization of Functional Brain Networks After Stroke. Front Neurol 2019; 10:335. [PMID: 31024429 PMCID: PMC6460358 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cell treatment after stroke has demonstrated substantial outcome improvement. However, monitoring of stem cell fate in vivo is still challenging and not routinely performed, yet important to quantify the role of the implanted stem cells on lesion improvement; in several studies even mortality of the graft has been reported. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is a highly sensitive imaging modality to monitor the brain-wide functional network alterations of many brain diseases in vivo. We monitor for 3 months the functional connectivity changes after intracortical stem cell engraftment in large, cortico-striatal (n = 9), and in small, striatal (n = 6) ischemic lesions in the mouse brain with non-invasive rs-fMRI on a 9.4T preclinical MRi scanner with GE-EPI sequence. Graft vitality is continuously recorded by bioluminescence imaging (BLI) roughly every 2 weeks after implantation of 300 k neural stem cells. In cortico-striatal lesions, the lesion extension induces graft vitality loss, in consequence leading to a parallel decrease of functional connectivity strength after a few weeks. In small, striatal lesions, the graft vitality is preserved for the whole observation period and the functional connectivity is stabilized at values as in the pre-stroke situation. But even here, at the end of the observation period of 3 months, the functional connectivity strength is found to decrease despite preserved graft vitality. We conclude that quantitative graft viability is a necessary but not sufficient criterion for functional neuronal network stabilization after stroke. Future studies with even longer time periods after stroke induction will need to identify additional players which have negative influence on the functional brain networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Green
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anuka Minassian
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefanie Vogel
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Diedenhofen
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dirk Wiedermann
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany.,Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Percuros B.V., Enschede, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Aswendt M, Vogel S, Schäfer C, Jathoul A, Pule M, Hoehn M. Quantitative in vivo dual-color bioluminescence imaging in the mouse brain. NEUROPHOTONICS 2019; 6:025006. [PMID: 31093514 PMCID: PMC6504011 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.6.2.025006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is an optical imaging method that can be translated from the cell culture dish in vitro to cell tracking in small animal models in vivo. In contrast to the more widely used fluorescence imaging, which requires light excitation, in BLI the light is exclusively generated by the enzyme luciferase. The luciferase gene can be engineered to target and monitor almost every cell and biological process quantitatively in vitro and even from deep tissue in vivo. While initially used for tumor imaging, bioluminescence was recently optimized for mouse brain imaging of neural cells and monitoring of viability or differentiation of grafted stem cells. Here, we describe the use of bright color-shifted firefly luciferases (Flucs) based on the thermostable x5 Fluc that emit red and green for effective and quantitative unmixing of two human cell populations in vitro and after transplantation into the mouse brain in vivo. Spectral unmixing predicts the ratio of luciferases in vitro and a mixture of cells precisely for cortical grafts, however, with less accuracy for striatal grafts. This dual-color approach enables the simultaneous visualization and quantification of two cell populations on the whole brain scale, with particular relevance for translational studies of neurological disorders providing information on stem cell survival and differentiation in one imaging session in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Aswendt
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Cologne, Germany
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne, Germany
- Address all correspondence to Markus Aswendt, E-mail:
| | - Stefanie Vogel
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Cologne, Germany
| | - Cordula Schäfer
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Cologne, Germany
| | - Amit Jathoul
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Molecular Biosciences, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Pule
- University College London, Cancer Institute, Department of Haematology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Cologne, Germany
- Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Mannheim JG, Kara F, Doorduin J, Fuchs K, Reischl G, Liang S, Verhoye M, Gremse F, Mezzanotte L, Huisman MC. Standardization of Small Animal Imaging-Current Status and Future Prospects. Mol Imaging Biol 2019; 20:716-731. [PMID: 28971332 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-017-1126-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The benefit of small animal imaging is directly linked to the validity and reliability of the collected data. If the data (regardless of the modality used) are not reproducible and/or reliable, then the outcome of the data is rather questionable. Therefore, standardization of the use of small animal imaging equipment, as well as of animal handling in general, is of paramount importance. In a recent paper, guidance for efficient small animal imaging quality control was offered and discussed, among others, the use of phantoms in setting up a quality control program (Osborne et al. 2016). The same phantoms can be used to standardize image quality parameters for multi-center studies or multi-scanners within center studies. In animal experiments, the additional complexity due to animal handling needs to be addressed to ensure standardized imaging procedures. In this review, we will address the current status of standardization in preclinical imaging, as well as potential benefits from increased levels of standardization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia G Mannheim
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Roentgenweg 13, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Firat Kara
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Janine Doorduin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kerstin Fuchs
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Roentgenweg 13, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Gerald Reischl
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Roentgenweg 13, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sayuan Liang
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Felix Gremse
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen University Clinic, Aachen, Germany
| | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Optical Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marc C Huisman
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Mezzanotte L, Iljas JD, Que I, Chan A, Kaijzel E, Hoeben R, Löwik C. Optimized Longitudinal Monitoring of Stem Cell Grafts in Mouse Brain Using a Novel Bioluminescent/Near Infrared Fluorescent Fusion Reporter. Cell Transplant 2018; 26:1878-1889. [PMID: 29390874 PMCID: PMC5802635 DOI: 10.1177/0963689717739718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodistribution and fate of transplanted stem cells via longitudinal monitoring has been successfully achieved in the last decade using optical imaging. However, sensitive longitudinal imaging of transplanted stem cells in deep tissue like the brain remains challenging not only due to low light penetration but because of other factors such as low or inferior expression levels of optical reporters in stem cells and stem cell death after transplantation. Here we describe an optimized imaging protocol for sensitive long-term monitoring of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) expressing a novel bioluminescent/near infrared fluorescent (NIRF) fusion reporter transplanted in mouse brain cortex. Lentivirus expressing the luc2-iRFP720 reporter, a fusion between luc2 codon-optimized firefly luciferase (luc2) and the gene encoding NIRF protein iRFP720, was generated to transduce hMSCs. These cells were analyzed for their fluorescent and bioluminescent emission and checked for their differentiation potential. In vivo experiments were performed by transplanting decreasing amounts of luc2-iRFP720 expressing hMSCs in mouse brain, followed by fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging (BLI) starting 1 wk after cell injection when the blood–brain barrier was restored. Bioluminescent images were acquired when signals peaked and used to compare different luc2 substrate performances, that is, D-luciferin (D-Luc; 25 μM/kg or 943 μM/kg) or CycLuc1 (25 μM/kg). Results showed that luc2-iRFP720 expressing hMSCs maintained a good in vitro differentiation potential toward adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes, suggesting that lentiviral transduction did not affect cell behavior. Moreover, in vivo experiments allowed us to image as low as 1 × 105 cells using both fluorescence and BLI. The highest bioluminescent signals (∼1 × 107 photons per second) were achieved 15 min after the injection of D-Luc (943 μM/kg). This allowed us to monitor as low as 1 × 105 hMSCs for the subsequent 7 wk without a significant drop in bioluminescent signals, suggesting the sustained viability of hMSCs transplanted into the cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mezzanotte
- 1 Department of Radiology, Optical Molecular Imaging, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Juvita Delancy Iljas
- 2 Percuros BV, Enschede, the Netherlands.,3 Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ivo Que
- 4 Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Alan Chan
- 2 Percuros BV, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Eric Kaijzel
- 4 Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Rob Hoeben
- 5 Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Clemens Löwik
- 1 Department of Radiology, Optical Molecular Imaging, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Pharmacodynamic modelling of resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition in brain metastasis mouse models. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2018; 82:669-675. [PMID: 30054711 PMCID: PMC6132866 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-018-3630-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is thought to play a role in the regulation of cell proliferation; with its activation stimulating tumour growth. EGFR inhibitors have shown promise in the treatment of cancer, particularly in non-small cell lung cancer, however, resistance is observed in the majority of patients. A tumour growth model was developed aiming to explain this resistance. Methods The model incorporating populations of both sensitive and resistant cells were fitted to data from a study of EGFR inhibitor AZD3759 in brain metastasis mouse models. The observed regrowth of tumours in higher dose groups suggested the development of resistance to treatment. The bioluminescence observations were highly variable, covering many orders of magnitude, so to assess how reliable the model was, the parameter estimates were compared to those found in less noisy subcutaneous mouse models. Results The fitted model suggested that resistance was mainly due to a proportion of cells being resistant at baseline, and the contribution of mutations occurring during the study leading to resistance was negligible. Estimated growth rate and dose–response was found to be comparable between brain metastasis and subcutaneous mouse models. Conclusions The developed model to describe resistance suggests that the resistance to EGFR-inhibition seen in these xenografts is best described by assuming a small percentage of cells are resistant to treatment at baseline. This model suggests changes to dosing and dosing schedule may not prevent resistance to treatment developing, and that additional treatments would need to be used in combination to overcome resistance.
Collapse
|
23
|
Optical Bioluminescence Protocol for Imaging Mice. Methods Mol Biol 2018. [PMID: 29858781 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7860-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
The presence, growth, or decline of transfected cell populations expressing the enzyme Luciferase can be followed in live mice using bioluminescence optical imaging techniques. This protocol describes how to verify the imaging equipment, options for injecting the substrate Luciferin into mice, image acquisition considerations, and commonly used data analysis techniques.
Collapse
|
24
|
Sensorimotor Functional and Structural Networks after Intracerebral Stem Cell Grafts in the Ischemic Mouse Brain. J Neurosci 2018; 38:1648-1661. [PMID: 29321138 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2715-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Past investigations on stem cell-mediated recovery after stroke have limited their focus on the extent and morphological development of the ischemic lesion itself over time or on the integration capacity of the stem cell graft ex vivo However, an assessment of the long-term functional and structural improvement in vivo is essential to reliably quantify the regenerative capacity of cell implantation after stroke. We induced ischemic stroke in nude mice and implanted human neural stem cells (H9 derived) into the ipsilateral cortex in the acute phase. Functional and structural connectivity changes of the sensorimotor network were noninvasively monitored using magnetic resonance imaging for 3 months after stem cell implantation. A sharp decrease of the functional sensorimotor network extended even to the contralateral hemisphere, persisting for the whole 12 weeks of observation. In mice with stem cell implantation, functional networks were stabilized early on, pointing to a paracrine effect as an early supportive mechanism of the graft. This stabilization required the persistent vitality of the stem cells, monitored by bioluminescence imaging. Thus, we also observed deterioration of the early network stabilization upon vitality loss of the graft after a few weeks. Structural connectivity analysis showed fiber-density increases between the cortex and white matter regions occurring predominantly on the ischemic hemisphere. These fiber-density changes were nearly the same for both study groups. This motivated us to hypothesize that the stem cells can influence, via early paracrine effect, the functional networks, while observed structural changes are mainly stimulated by the ischemic event.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In recent years, research on strokes has made a shift away from a focus on immediate ischemic effects and towards an emphasis on the long-range effects of the lesion on the whole brain. Outcome improvements in stem cell therapies also require the understanding of their influence on the whole-brain networks. Here, we have longitudinally and noninvasively monitored the structural and functional network alterations in the mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia. Structural changes of fiber-density increases are stimulated in the endogenous tissue without further modulation by the stem cells, while functional networks are stabilized by the stem cells via a paracrine effect. These results will help decipher the underlying networks of brain plasticity in response to cerebral lesions and offer clues to unravelling the mystery of how stem cells mediate regeneration.
Collapse
|
25
|
Hall MP, Woodroofe CC, Wood MG, Que I, Van't Root M, Ridwan Y, Shi C, Kirkland TA, Encell LP, Wood KV, Löwik C, Mezzanotte L. Click beetle luciferase mutant and near infrared naphthyl-luciferins for improved bioluminescence imaging. Nat Commun 2018; 9:132. [PMID: 29317625 PMCID: PMC5760652 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02542-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The sensitivity of bioluminescence imaging in animals is primarily dependent on the amount of photons emitted by the luciferase enzyme at wavelengths greater than 620 nm where tissue penetration is high. This area of work has been dominated by firefly luciferase and its substrate, D-luciferin, due to the system's peak emission (~ 600 nm), high signal to noise ratio, and generally favorable biodistribution of D-luciferin in mice. Here we report on the development of a codon optimized mutant of click beetle red luciferase that produces substantially more light output than firefly luciferase when the two enzymes are compared in transplanted cells within the skin of black fur mice or in deep brain. The mutant enzyme utilizes two new naphthyl-luciferin substrates to produce near infrared emission (730 nm and 743 nm). The stable luminescence signal and near infrared emission enable unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy for performing deep tissue multispectral tomography in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary P Hall
- Promega Corporation, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Carolyn C Woodroofe
- Promega Corporation, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
- Imaging Probe Development Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | | | - Ivo Que
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Moniek Van't Root
- Optical molecular imaging, Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yanto Ridwan
- Optical molecular imaging, Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ce Shi
- Promega Biosciences Incorporated, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401, USA
| | | | | | | | - Clemens Löwik
- Optical molecular imaging, Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Optical molecular imaging, Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Brain- and brain tumor-penetrating disulfiram nanoparticles: Sequence of cytotoxic events and efficacy in human glioma cell lines and intracranial xenografts. Oncotarget 2017; 9:3459-3482. [PMID: 29423059 PMCID: PMC5790476 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
There is great interest in repurposing disulfiram (DSF), a rapidly metabolizing nontoxic drug, for brain cancers and other cancers. To overcome the instability and low therapeutic efficacy, we engineered passively-targeted DSF-nanoparticles (DSFNPs) using biodegradable monomethoxy (polyethylene glycol) d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid (mPEG-PLGA) matrix. The physicochemical properties, cellular uptake and the blood brain-barrier permeability of DSFNPs were investigated. The DSFNPs were highly stable with a size of ∼70 nm with a >90% entrapment. Injection of the nanoparticles labeled with HITC, a near-infrared dye into normal mice and tumor-bearing nude mice followed by in vivo imaging showed a selective accumulation of the formulation within the brain and subcutaneous tumors for >24 h, indicating an increased plasma half-life and entry of DSF into desired sites. The DSFNPs induced a potent and preferential killing of many brain tumor cell lines in cytotoxicity assays. Confocal microscopy showed a quick internalization of the nanoparticles in tumor cells followed by initial accumulation in lysosomes and subsequently in mitochondria. DSFNPs induced high levels of ROS and led to a marked loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Activation of the MAP-kinase pathway leading to a nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor and altered expression of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins were also observed. DSFNPs induced a powerful and significant regression of intracranial medulloblastoma xenografts compared to the marginal efficacy of unencapsulated DSF. Together, we show that passively targeted DSFNPs can affect multiple targets, trigger potent anticancer effects, and can offer a sustained drug supply for brain cancer treatment through an enhanced permeability retention (EPR).
Collapse
|
27
|
Vogel S, Aswendt M, Nelles M, Henn N, Schneider G, Hoehn M. Initial graft size and not the innate immune response limit survival of engrafted neural stem cells. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2017; 12:784-793. [DOI: 10.1002/term.2497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Vogel
- In‐vivo‐NMR LaboratoryMax Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne Germany
| | - Markus Aswendt
- In‐vivo‐NMR LaboratoryMax Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne Germany
| | - Melanie Nelles
- In‐vivo‐NMR LaboratoryMax Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne Germany
| | - Nadine Henn
- In‐vivo‐NMR LaboratoryMax Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne Germany
| | - Gabriele Schneider
- In‐vivo‐NMR LaboratoryMax Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne Germany
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- In‐vivo‐NMR LaboratoryMax Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne Germany
- Department of RadiologyLeiden University Medical Center Leiden The Netherlands
- Percuros B.V., Enschede The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Aswendt M, Collmann FM, Hoehn M. Neurobiological insights from bioluminescence imaging. Oncotarget 2017; 8:69198-69199. [PMID: 29050195 PMCID: PMC5642470 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Aswendt
- Mathias Hoehn: In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany and Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Franziska Melanie Collmann
- Mathias Hoehn: In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany and Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- Mathias Hoehn: In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany and Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Branchini BR, Southworth TL, Fontaine DM, Kohrt D, Welcome FS, Florentine CM, Henricks ER, DeBartolo DB, Michelini E, Cevenini L, Roda A, Grossel MJ. Red-emitting chimeric firefly luciferase for in vivo imaging in low ATP cellular environments. Anal Biochem 2017; 534:36-39. [PMID: 28687486 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Beetle luciferases have been adapted for live cell imaging where bioluminescence is dependent on the cellular availability of ATP, O2, and added luciferin. Previous Photinus pyralis red-emitting variants with high Km values for ATP have performed disappointingly in live cells despite having much higher relative specific activities than enzymes like Click Beetle Red (CBR). We engineered a luciferase variant PLR3 having a Km value for ATP similar to CBR and ∼2.6-fold higher specific activity. The red-emitting PLR3 was ∼2.5-fold brighter than CBR in living HEK293T and HeLa cells, an improvement consistent with the importance of the Km value in low ATP environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce R Branchini
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA.
| | - Tara L Southworth
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | - Dawn Kohrt
- Department of Biology, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | | | - Emma R Henricks
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | - Elisa Michelini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Cevenini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Aldo Roda
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Martha J Grossel
- Department of Biology, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Wu W, Su J, Tang C, Bai H, Ma Z, Zhang T, Yuan Z, Li Z, Zhou W, Zhang H, Liu Z, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Du L, Gu L, Li M. cybLuc: An Effective Aminoluciferin Derivative for Deep Bioluminescence Imaging. Anal Chem 2017; 89:4808-4816. [PMID: 28378575 PMCID: PMC5417088 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b03510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
![]()
To enhance the efficiency
of firefly luciferase/luciferin bioluminescence
imaging, a series of N-cycloalkylaminoluciferins
(cyaLucs) were developed by introducing lipophilic N-cycloalkylated
substitutions. The experimental results demonstrate that these cyaLucs
are effective substrates for native firefly luciferase (Fluc) and
can produce elevated bioluminescent signals in vitro, in cellulo,
and in vivo. It should be noted that, in animal studies, N-cyclobutylaminoluciferin (cybLuc) at 10 μM (0.1 mL), which
is 0.01% of the standard dose of d-luciferin (dLuc) used
in mouse imaging, can radiate 20-fold more bioluminescent light than d-luciferin (dLuc) or aminoluciferin (aLuc) at the same concentration.
Longer in vivo emission imaging using cybLuc suggests that it can
be used for long-time observation. Regarding the mechanism of cybLuc,
our cocrystal structure data from firefly luciferase with oxidized
cybLuc suggested that oxidized cybLuc fits into the same pocket as
oxyluciferin. Most interestingly, our results demonstrate that the
sensitivity of cybLuc in brain tumor imaging contributes to its extended
application in deep tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiao Wu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Jing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250100, China.,Faculty of Light Industry, Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology , Jinan, Shandong 250353, China
| | - Chunchao Tang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Haixiu Bai
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Zhao Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Tianchao Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Zenglin Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250100, China
| | - Zhenzhen Li
- Faculty of Light Industry, Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology , Jinan, Shandong 250353, China
| | - Wenjuan Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Huateng Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Zhenzhen Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Yubin Zhou
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center , Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Lupei Du
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Lichuan Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250100, China
| | - Minyong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Fricke IB, Schelhaas S, Zinnhardt B, Viel T, Hermann S, Couillard-Després S, Jacobs AH. In vivo bioluminescence imaging of neurogenesis - the role of the blood brain barrier in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:975-986. [PMID: 28194885 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging in transgenic mice expressing firefly luciferase in Doublecortin+ (Dcx) neuroblasts might serve as a powerful tool to study the role of neurogenesis in models of brain injury and neurodegeneration using non-invasive, longitudinal in vivo imaging. Therefore, we aimed to use BLI in B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J Dcx-Luc (Doublecortin-Luciferase, Dcx-Luc) mice to investigate its suitability to assess neurogenesis in a unilateral injection model of Parkinson's disease. We further aimed to assess the blood brain barrier leakage associated with the intranigral 6-OHDA injection to evaluate its impact on substrate delivery and bioluminescence signal intensity. Two weeks after lesion, we observed an increase in bioluminescence signal in the ipsilateral hippocampal region in both, 6-OHDA and vehicle injected Dcx-Luc mice. At the same time, no corresponding increase in Dcx+ neuroblast numbers could be observed in the dentate gyrus of C57Bl6 mice. Blood brain barrier leakage was observed in the hippocampal region and in the degenerating substantia nigra of C57Bl6 mice in vivo using T1 weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Gadovist® and ex vivo using Evans Blue Fluorescence Reflectance Imaging and mouse Immunoglobulin G staining. Our data suggests a BLI signal dependency on blood brain barrier permeability, underlining a major pitfall of substrate/tracer dependent imaging in invasive disease models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inga B Fricke
- European Institute for Molecular Imaging (EIMI), University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, D-48149, Münster, Germany.,Imaging Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Diseases (INMiND) EU FP7 Consortium, Münster, Germany
| | - Sonja Schelhaas
- European Institute for Molecular Imaging (EIMI), University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, D-48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Bastian Zinnhardt
- European Institute for Molecular Imaging (EIMI), University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, D-48149, Münster, Germany.,Imaging Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Diseases (INMiND) EU FP7 Consortium, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Viel
- European Institute for Molecular Imaging (EIMI), University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, D-48149, Münster, Germany.,Imaging Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Diseases (INMiND) EU FP7 Consortium, Münster, Germany
| | - Sven Hermann
- European Institute for Molecular Imaging (EIMI), University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, D-48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Sébastien Couillard-Després
- Imaging Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Diseases (INMiND) EU FP7 Consortium, Münster, Germany.,Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Institute of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Andreas H Jacobs
- European Institute for Molecular Imaging (EIMI), University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, D-48149, Münster, Germany.,Imaging Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Diseases (INMiND) EU FP7 Consortium, Münster, Germany.,Department of Geriatrics and Neurology, Johanniter Hospital, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Adamczak J, Aswendt M, Kreutzer C, Rotheneichner P, Riou A, Selt M, Beyrau A, Uhlenküken U, Diedenhofen M, Nelles M, Aigner L, Couillard-Despres S, Hoehn M. Neurogenesis upregulation on the healthy hemisphere after stroke enhances compensation for age-dependent decrease of basal neurogenesis. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 99:47-57. [PMID: 28007584 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide with no treatment for the chronic phase available. Interestingly, an endogenous repair program comprising inflammation and neurogenesis is known to modulate stroke outcome. Several studies have shown that neurogenesis decreases with age but the therapeutic importance of endogenous neurogenesis for recovery from cerebral diseases has been indicated as its ablation leads to stroke aggravation and worsened outcome. A detailed characterization of the neurogenic response after stroke related to ageing would help to develop novel and targeted therapies. In an innovative approach, we used the DCX-Luc mouse, a transgenic model expressing luciferase in doublecortin-positive neuroblasts, to monitor the neurogenic response following middle cerebral artery occlusion over three weeks in three age groups (2, 6, 12months) by optical imaging while the stroke lesion was monitored by quantitative MRI. The individual longitudinal and noninvasive time profiles provided exclusive insight into age-dependent decrease in basal neurogenesis and neurogenic upregulation in response to stroke which are not accessible by conventional BrdU-based measures of cell proliferation. For cortico-striatal strokes the maximal upregulation occurred at 4days post stroke followed by a continuous decrease to basal levels by three weeks post stroke. Older animals effectively compensated for reduced basal neurogenesis by an enhanced sensitivity to the cerebral lesion, resulting in upregulated neurogenesis levels approaching those measured in young mice. In middle aged and older mice, but not in the youngest ones, additional upregulation of neurogenesis was observed in the contralateral healthy hemisphere. This further substantiates the increased propensity of older brains to respond to lesion situation. Our results clearly support the therapeutic relevance of endogenous neurogenesis for stroke recovery and particularly in older brains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Adamczak
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Percuros B.V., Drienerlolaan 5-Zuidhorst, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Markus Aswendt
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Christina Kreutzer
- Institute of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Austria
| | - Peter Rotheneichner
- Institute of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Austria
| | - Adrien Riou
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Marion Selt
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas Beyrau
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ulla Uhlenküken
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Diedenhofen
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Melanie Nelles
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ludwig Aigner
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Austria
| | - Sebastien Couillard-Despres
- Institute of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Austria
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; Percuros B.V., Drienerlolaan 5-Zuidhorst, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Zare-Shahabadi A, Ataei A, Rezaei N. Proteins brighten the brain. Life Sci 2016; 167:1-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2016.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 10/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
|
34
|
Maysinger D, Zhang I. Nutritional and Nanotechnological Modulators of Microglia. Front Immunol 2016; 7:270. [PMID: 27471505 PMCID: PMC4945637 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the essential responders to alimentary, pharmacological, and nanotechnological immunomodulators. These neural cells play multiple roles as surveyors, sculptors, and guardians of essential parts of complex neural circuitries. Microglia can play dual roles in the central nervous system; they can be deleterious and/or protective. The immunomodulatory effects of alimentary components, gut microbiota, and nanotechnological products have been investigated in microglia at the single-cell level and in vivo using intravital imaging approaches, and different biochemical assays. This review highlights some of the emerging questions and topics from studies involving alimentation, microbiota, nanotechnological products, and associated problems in this area of research. Some of the advantages and limitations of in vitro and in vivo models used to study the neuromodulatory effects of these factors, as well as the merits and pitfalls of intravital imaging modalities employed are presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dusica Maysinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University , Montreal, QC , Canada
| | - Issan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University , Montreal, QC , Canada
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Selt M, Tennstaedt A, Beyrau A, Nelles M, Schneider G, Löwik C, Hoehn M. In Vivo Non-Invasive Tracking of Macrophage Recruitment to Experimental Stroke. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156626. [PMID: 27341631 PMCID: PMC4920382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages are one of the key players in the local immune response after stroke. It is now widely accepted that the inflammatory response is not an exclusively destructive process. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms needed for proper regulation still remain to be elucidated. Here, we propose an in vitro labelling strategy for multimodal in vivo observation of macrophage dynamics distinguished from brain-residing microglia response. Prior to intracerebral transplantation into the striatum of recipient mice or systemic administration, monocytes and macrophages, isolated from luciferase-expressing mice, were labelled with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles. Temporo-spatial localization was monitored by magnetic resonance imaging, whereas survival of grafted cells was investigated using bioluminescence imaging. The labelling procedure of the isolated cells did not significantly influence cell characteristics and resulted in detection of as few as 500 labelled cells in vivo. Two weeks after stereotactic transplantation, the luciferase signal was sustained traceable, with approximately 18% of the original luciferase signal detectable for monocytes and about 30% for macrophages. Hypointensity in MRI of the graft appeared unaltered in spatial location. In a therapeutically relevant approach, systemic cell administration after stroke resulted in accumulation mostly in thoracic regions, as could be visualized with BLI. For detection of homing to ischemic brain tissue more cells need to be administered. Nevertheless, during parallel MRI sessions recruitment of i.v. injected cells to the lesion site could be detected by day 2 post stroke as scattered hypointense signal voids. With further increase in sensitivity, our multi-facetted labelling strategy will provide the basis for in vivo tracking and fate specification of tissue-infiltrating macrophages and their distinct role in stroke-related neuro-inflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Selt
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Annette Tennstaedt
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas Beyrau
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Melanie Nelles
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gabriele Schneider
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Clemens Löwik
- Dept. of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
- Dept. of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Percuros B.V., Enschede, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Chehade M, Srivastava AK, Bulte JWM. Co-Registration of Bioluminescence Tomography, Computed Tomography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Multimodal In Vivo Stem Cell Tracking. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 2:159-165. [PMID: 27478872 PMCID: PMC4966683 DOI: 10.18383/j.tom.2016.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We present a practical approach for coregistration of bioluminescence tomography (BLT), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) images. For this, we developed a customized animal shuttle composed of nonfluorescent, MR-compatible Delrin plastic that fits a commercially available MR surface coil. Mouse embryonic stem cells were transfected with the luciferase gene and labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Cells were stereotaxically implanted in the mouse brain and imaged weekly for 4 weeks with bioluminescent imaging (IVIS Spectrum CT scanner) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; 11.7 T horizontal bore scanner). Without the use of software coregistration, in vitro phantom studies yielded root-mean-square errors of 7.6 × 10−3, 0.93 mm, and 0.78 mm along the medial–lateral (ML), dorsal–ventral (DV), and anterior–posterior (AP) axes, respectively. Rotation errors were negligible. Software coregistration by translation along the DV and AP axes resulted in consistent agreement between the CT and MR images, without the need for rotation or warping. In vivo coregistered BLT/MRI mouse brain data sets showed a single diffuse region of bioluminescent imaging photon signal and MRI hypointensity. Over time, the transplanted cells formed tumors as histopathologically validated. Disagreement between BLT and MRI tumor location was greatest along the DV axis (1.4 ± 0.2 mm) than along the ML (0.5 ± 0.3 mm) and the AP axes (0.6 mm) because of the uncertainty of the depth of origin of the BLT signal. Combining the high spatial anatomical information of MRI with the cell viability/proliferation data from BLT should facilitate preclinical evaluation of novel therapeutic candidate stem cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moussa Chehade
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Amit K Srivastava
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jeff W M Bulte
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Tung JK, Berglund K, Gutekunst CA, Hochgeschwender U, Gross RE. Bioluminescence imaging in live cells and animals. NEUROPHOTONICS 2016; 3:025001. [PMID: 27226972 PMCID: PMC4874058 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.3.2.025001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The use of bioluminescent reporters in neuroscience research continues to grow at a rapid pace as their applications and unique advantages over conventional fluorescent reporters become more appreciated. Here, we describe practical methods and principles for detecting and imaging bioluminescence from live cells and animals. We systematically tested various components of our conventional fluorescence microscope to optimize it for long-term bioluminescence imaging. High-resolution bioluminescence images from live neurons were obtained with our microscope setup, which could be continuously captured for several hours with no signs of phototoxicity. Bioluminescence from the mouse brain was also imaged noninvasively through the intact skull with a conventional luminescence imager. These methods demonstrate how bioluminescence can be routinely detected and measured from live cells and animals in a cost-effective way with common reagents and equipment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jack K. Tung
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, 313 Ferst Drive, Room 2127, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- Emory University, Department of Neurosurgery, 101 Woodruff Circle, WMRB Rm 6337, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Ken Berglund
- Emory University, Department of Neurosurgery, 101 Woodruff Circle, WMRB Rm 6337, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Claire-Anne Gutekunst
- Emory University, Department of Neurosurgery, 101 Woodruff Circle, WMRB Rm 6337, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Ute Hochgeschwender
- Central Michigan University, College of Medicine and Neuroscience Program, Department of Neuroscience, 1280 S. East Campus Street, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48859, United States
| | - Robert E. Gross
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, 313 Ferst Drive, Room 2127, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- Emory University, Department of Neurosurgery, 101 Woodruff Circle, WMRB Rm 6337, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Address all correspondence to: Robert E. Gross, E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Mastropietro A, Tennstaedt A, Beyrau A, Henn N, Hoehn M, Baselli G. Proof of concept of an automatic tool for bioluminescence imaging data analysis. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2016; 2015:6269-72. [PMID: 26737725 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2015.7319825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Bioluminescence Imaging (BLI) is an important molecular imaging tool to assess complex biological processes in vivo. BLI is a sensitive technique, which is frequently used in small-animal preclinical research, mainly in oncology and neurology. Tracking of labeled cells is one of the major applications. However, BLI data analysis for the segmentation of up-taking regions and their quantification is not trivial and it is usually an operator-dependent activity. In this work, a proof of concept of an automatic method to analyze BL images is presented which is based on a multi-step approach. Different segmentation algorithms (K-means, Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), and GMM initialized by K-means) were evaluated and an adequate image normalization step was suggested to include the background bioluminescence in the data analysis process. K-means segmentation is the most stable and accurate approach for different levels of signal intensity.
Collapse
|
39
|
Bakhsheshian J, Wei BR, Hall MD, Simpson RM, Gottesman MM. In Vivo Bioluminescent Imaging of ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter-Mediated Efflux at the Blood-Brain Barrier. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1461:227-39. [PMID: 27424909 PMCID: PMC10758286 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3813-1_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
We provide a detailed protocol for imaging ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) function at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of transgenic mice. D-Luciferin is specifically transported by ABCG2 found on the apical side of endothelial cells at the BBB. The luciferase-luciferin enzymatic reaction produces bioluminescence, which allows a direct measurement of ABCG2 function at the BBB. Therefore bioluminescence imaging (BLI) correlates with ABCG2 function at the BBB and this can be measured by administering luciferin in a mouse model that expresses luciferase in the brain parenchyma. BLI allows for a relatively low-cost alternative for studying transporter function in vivo compared to other strategies such as positron emission tomography. This method for imaging ABCG2 function at the BBB can be used to investigate pharmacokinetic inhibition of the transporter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Bakhsheshian
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Bih-Rong Wei
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Matthew D Hall
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - R Mark Simpson
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Michael M Gottesman
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Tennstaedt A, Mastropietro A, Nelles M, Beyrau A, Hoehn M. In Vivo Fate Imaging of Intracerebral Stem Cell Grafts in Mouse Brain. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144262. [PMID: 26641453 PMCID: PMC4671578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We generated transgenic human neural stem cells (hNSCs) stably expressing the reporter genes Luciferase for bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and GFP for fluorescence imaging, for multimodal imaging investigations. These transgenic hNSCs were further labeled with a clinically approved perfluoropolyether to perform parallel 19F MRI studies. In vitro validation demonstrated normal cell proliferation and differentiation of the transgenic and additionally labeled hNSCs, closely the same as the wild type cell line, making them suitable for in vivo application. Labeled and unlabeled transgenic hNSCs were implanted into the striatum of mouse brain. The time profile of their cell fate after intracerebral grafting was monitored during nine days following implantation with our multimodal imaging approach, assessing both functional and anatomical condition. The 19F MRI demarcated the graft location and permitted to estimate the cell number in the graft. BLI showed a pronounce cell loss during this monitoring period, indicated by the decrease of the viability signal. The in vivo obtained cell fate results were further validated and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. We could show that the surviving cells of the graft continued to differentiate into early neurons, while the severe cell loss could be explained by an inflammatory reaction to the graft, showing the graft being surrounded by activated microglia and macrophages. These results are different from earlier cell survival studies of our group where we had implanted the identical cells into the same mouse strain but in the cortex and not in the striatum. The cortical transplanted cells did not show any loss in viability but only pronounced and continuous neuronal differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annette Tennstaedt
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alfonso Mastropietro
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
- Scientific Direction Unit, IRCCS Foundation Neurological Institute “C. Besta”, Milan, Italy
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Electronic Information and Bioengineering, Milan, Italy
| | - Melanie Nelles
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas Beyrau
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
- Department Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Aswendt M, Henn N, Michalk S, Schneider G, Steiner MS, Bissa U, Dose C, Hoehn M. Novel bimodal iron oxide particles for efficient tracking of human neural stem cells in vivo. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2015; 10:2499-512. [PMID: 26296195 DOI: 10.2217/nnm.15.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS We validated novel bimodal iron oxide particles as substitute of ferumoxides for efficient labeling of human neural stem cells (NSCs). The dextrane-coated FeraTrack Direct (FTD)-Vio particles have additional far-red fluorophores for microscopic cell analysis. METHODS MR relaxometry, spectrophotometric iron determination and microscopy are used for characterization in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Efficient uptake is not transfection agent-dependent. FTD-Vio594 labeling had no influence on viability, proliferation, migration and differentiation capacity. It allows MRI-based tracking of engrafted NSCs in mouse brain up to 11 days, complemented by bioluminescence imaging of firefly luciferase expressed by the engrafted cells. CONCLUSION Our results highlight the FTD-Vio594 particles as safe and sensitive substitute of ferumoxides for longitudinal tracking of NSCs in preclinical studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Aswendt
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, D-50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Nadine Henn
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, D-50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefanie Michalk
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, D-50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Gabriele Schneider
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, D-50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Mark-Steven Steiner
- Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Ursula Bissa
- Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Christian Dose
- Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, D-50931 Cologne, Germany.,Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands.,Percuros BV, Enschede, Drienerlolaan 5-Zuidhorst, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Abstract
The light emission chemistry of firefly luciferase can be harnessed to reveal otherwise invisible biological processes occurring in the brains of live animals. Though powerful, the need for the luciferase substrate D-luciferin to traverse the blood-brain barrier poses limitations on the sensitivity and interpretation of these experiments. In this Viewpoint, we discuss bioluminescent imaging probes for the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and the broader implications for optical imaging and drug delivery in the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David M. Mofford
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, United States
| | - Stephen C. Miller
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, United States
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Biodistribution and function of extracellular miRNA-155 in mice. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10721. [PMID: 26024046 PMCID: PMC4448655 DOI: 10.1038/srep10721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating miRNAs can be found in extracellular vesicles (EV) and could be involved in intercellular communication. Here, we report the biodistribution of EV associated miR-155 using miR-155 KO mouse model. Administration of exosomes loaded with synthetic miR-155 mimic into miR-155 KO mice resulted in a rapid accumulation and clearance of miR-155 in the plasma with subsequent distribution in the liver, adipose tissue, lung, muscle and kidney (highest to lowest, respectively). miR-155 expression was detected in isolated hepatocytes and liver mononuclear cells of recipient KO mice suggesting its cellular uptake. In vitro, exosome-mediated restoration of miR-155 in Kupffer cells from miR-155 deficient mice augmented their LPS-induced MCP1 mRNA increase. The systemic delivery of wild type plasma to miR-155 KO mice also resulted in a rapid accumulation of miR-155 in the circulation and distribution to the liver and adipose tissue. In summary, our results demonstrate tissue biodistribution and biologic function of EV-associated miR-155.
Collapse
|
44
|
De Niz M, Helm S, Horstmann S, Annoura T, del Portillo HA, Khan SM, Heussler VT. In vivo and in vitro characterization of a Plasmodium liver stage-specific promoter. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123473. [PMID: 25874388 PMCID: PMC4398466 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about stage-specific gene regulation in Plasmodium parasites, in particular the liver stage of development. We have previously described in the Plasmodium berghei rodent model, a liver stage-specific (lisp2) gene promoter region, in vitro. Using a dual luminescence system, we now confirm the stage specificity of this promoter region also in vivo. Furthermore, by substitution and deletion analyses we have extended our in vitro characterization of important elements within the promoter region. Importantly, the dual luminescence system allows analyzing promoter constructs avoiding mouse-consuming cloning procedures of transgenic parasites. This makes extensive mutation and deletion studies a reasonable approach also in the malaria mouse model. Stage-specific expression constructs and parasite lines are extremely valuable tools for research on Plasmodium liver stage biology. Such reporter lines offer a promising opportunity for assessment of liver stage drugs, characterization of genetically attenuated parasites and liver stage-specific vaccines both in vivo and in vitro, and may be key for the generation of inducible systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana De Niz
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Susanne Helm
- Molecular Parasitology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Horstmann
- Molecular Parasitology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Takeshi Annoura
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hernando A. del Portillo
- Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shahid M. Khan
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Ayzenberg I, Schlevogt S, Metzdorf J, Stahlke S, Pedreitturia X, Hunfeld A, Couillard-Despres S, Kleiter I. Analysis of neurogenesis during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis reveals pitfalls of bioluminescence imaging. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118550. [PMID: 25780928 PMCID: PMC4363373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging is a sensitive approach for longitudinal neuroimaging. Transgenic mice expressing luciferase under the promoter of doublecortin (DCX-luc), a specific marker of neuronal progenitor cells (NPC), allow monitoring of neurogenesis in living mice. Since the extent and time course of neurogenesis during autoimmune brain inflammation are controversial, we investigated neurogenesis in MOG-peptide induced experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) using DCX-luc reporter mice. We observed a marked, 2- to 4-fold increase of the bioluminescence signal intensity 10 days after EAE induction and a gradual decline 1–2 weeks thereafter. In contrast, immunostaining for DCX revealed no differences between EAE and control mice 2 and 4 weeks after immunization in zones of adult murine neurogenesis such as the dentate gyrus. Ex vivo bioluminescence imaging showed similar luciferase expression in brain homogenates of EAE and control animals. Apart from complete immunization including MOG-peptide also incomplete immunization with complete Freund´s adjuvant and pertussis toxin resulted in a rapid increase of the in vivo bioluminescence signal. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage was demonstrated 10 days after both complete and incomplete immunization and might explain the increased bioluminescence signal in vivo. We conclude, that acute autoimmune inflammation in EAE does not alter neurogenesis, at least at the stage of DCX-expressing NPC. Effects of immunization on the BBB integrity must be considered when luciferase is used as a reporter within the CNS during the active stage of EAE. Models with stable CNS-restricted luciferase expression could serve as technically convenient way to evaluate BBB integrity in a longitudinal manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilya Ayzenberg
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sibylle Schlevogt
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Judith Metzdorf
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sarah Stahlke
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Anika Hunfeld
- Department of Animal Physiology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastien Couillard-Despres
- Institute of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ingo Kleiter
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Tennstaedt A, Aswendt M, Adamczak J, Collienne U, Selt M, Schneider G, Henn N, Schaefer C, Lagouge M, Wiedermann D, Kloppenburg P, Hoehn M. Human neural stem cell intracerebral grafts show spontaneous early neuronal differentiation after several weeks. Biomaterials 2015; 44:143-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/20/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
47
|
Keuters MH, Aswendt M, Tennstaedt A, Wiedermann D, Pikhovych A, Rotthues S, Fink GR, Schroeter M, Hoehn M, Rueger MA. Transcranial direct current stimulation promotes the mobility of engrafted NSCs in the rat brain. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2015; 28:231-239. [PMID: 25521600 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Revised: 11/09/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is used in numerous clinical studies and considered an effective and versatile add-on therapy in neurorehabilitation. To date, however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain elusive. In a rat model of tDCS, we recently observed a polarity-dependent accumulation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) in the stimulated cortex. Based upon these findings, we hypothesized that tDCS may exert a direct migratory effect on endogenous NSCs towards the stimulated cortex. Using noninvasive imaging, we here investigated whether tDCS may also cause a directed migration of engrafted NSCs. Murine NSCs were labeled with superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide (SPIOs) and implanted into rat striatum and corpus callosum. MRI was performed (i) immediately after implantation and (ii) after 10 tDCS sessions of anodal or cathodal polarity. Sham-stimulated rats served as control. Imaging results were validated ex vivo using immunohistochemistry. Overall migratory activity of NSCs almost doubled after anodal tDCS. However, no directed migration within the electric field (i.e. towards or away from the electrode) could be observed. Rather, an undirected outward migration from the center of the graft was detected. Xenograft transplantation induced a neuroinflammatory response that was significantly enhanced following cathodal tDCS. This inflammatory response did not impact negatively on the survival of implanted NSCs. Data suggest that anodal tDCS increases the undirected migratory activity of implanted NSCs. Since the electric field did not guide implanted NSCs over large distances, previously observed polarity-dependent accumulation of endogenous NSCs in the cortex might have originated from local proliferation. Results enhance our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying tDCS, and may thereby help to develop a targeted and sustainable application of tDCS in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meike Hedwig Keuters
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research, Cologne, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Coleman SM, McGregor A. A bright future for bioluminescent imaging in viral research. Future Virol 2015; 10:169-183. [PMID: 26413138 DOI: 10.2217/fvl.14.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) has emerged as a powerful tool in the study of animal models of viral disease. BLI enables real-time in vivo study of viral infection, host immune response and the efficacy of intervention strategies. Substrate dependent light emitting luciferase enzyme when incorporated into a virus as a reporter gene enables detection of bioluminescence from infected cells using sensitive charge-coupled device (CCD) camera systems. Advantages of BLI include low background, real-time tracking of infection in the same animal and reduction in the requirement for larger animal numbers. Transgenic luciferase-tagged mice enable the use of pre-existing nontagged viruses in BLI studies. Continued development in luciferase reporter genes, substrates, transgenic animals and imaging systems will greatly enhance future BLI strategies in viral research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stewart M Coleman
- Health Science Center, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis & Immunology, Texas A&M University, 407 Reynolds Medical Building, College Station, TX 77843-1114, USA
| | - Alistair McGregor
- Health Science Center, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis & Immunology, Texas A&M University, 407 Reynolds Medical Building, College Station, TX 77843-1114, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Van Reet N, Van de Vyver H, Pyana PP, Van der Linden AM, Büscher P. A panel of Trypanosoma brucei strains tagged with blue and red-shifted luciferases for bioluminescent imaging in murine infection models. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e3054. [PMID: 25144573 PMCID: PMC4140678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genetic engineering with luciferase reporter genes allows monitoring Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.) infections in mice by in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Until recently, luminescent T.b. models were based on Renilla luciferase (RLuc) activity. Our study aimed at evaluating red-shifted luciferases for in vivo BLI in a set of diverse T.b. strains of all three subspecies, including some recently isolated from human patients. Methodology/Principal findings We transfected T.b. brucei, T.b. rhodesiense and T.b. gambiense strains with either RLuc, click beetle red (CBR) or Photinus pyralis RE9 (PpyRE9) luciferase and characterised their in vitro luciferase activity, growth profile and drug sensitivity, and their potential for in vivo BLI. Compared to RLuc, the red-shifted luciferases, CBR and PpyRE9, allow tracking of T.b. brucei AnTaR 1 trypanosomes with higher details on tissue distribution, and PpyRE9 allows detection of the parasites with a sensitivity of at least one order of magnitude higher than CBR luciferase. With CBR-tagged T.b. gambiense LiTaR1, T.b. rhodesiense RUMPHI and T.b. gambiense 348 BT in an acute, subacute and chronic infection model respectively, we observed differences in parasite tropism for murine tissues during in vivo BLI. Ex vivo BLI on the brain confirmed central nervous system infection by all luminescent strains of T.b. brucei AnTaR 1, T.b. rhodesiense RUMPHI and T.b. gambiense 348 BT. Conclusions/Significance We established a genetically and phenotypically diverse collection of bioluminescent T.b. brucei, T.b. gambiense and T.b. rhodesiense strains, including drug resistant strains. For in vivo BLI monitoring of murine infections, we recommend trypanosome strains transfected with red-shifted luciferase reporter genes, such as CBR and PpyRE9. Red-shifted luciferases can be detected with a higher sensitivity in vivo and at the same time they improve the spatial resolution of the parasites in the entire body due to the better kinetics of their substrate D-luciferin. Research on African trypanosomes heavily relies on rodent infection models. One way to reduce the number of laboratory rodents used in each experiment and effectively follow the progression of the infection in the same animals is to use genetically modified trypanosomes that allow monitoring of the infection over time with bioluminescence technology, without having to sacrifice the animals at multiple time points. In this study, we were able to establish a collection of bioluminescent strains of all three subspecies of Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.), including T.b. gambiense and T.b. rhodesiense that cause human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness. Making use of bioluminescence assays, we demonstrate the diversity of our collection in terms of in vitro and in vivo growth, drug sensitivity and in vivo parasite distribution, including central nervous system tropism. Growth characteristics and drug sensitivity are not affected by the genetic modification with luciferase reporter genes. Trypanosome strains transfected with red-shifted luciferase reporter genes have several advantages compared to the corresponding blue luciferase modified strains. Red light is less absorbed in the blood than blue light, which should lead to higher sensitivity of detection. Furthermore, the substrates that drive the light reaction are better distributed through the body for the red luciferase than for the blue luciferase, which greatly improves spatial resolution of the infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nick Van Reet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Hélène Van de Vyver
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Patient Pati Pyana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Département de Parasitologie, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa Gombe, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Anne Marie Van der Linden
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Philippe Büscher
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Aswendt M, Adamczak J, Tennstaedt A. A review of novel optical imaging strategies of the stroke pathology and stem cell therapy in stroke. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:226. [PMID: 25177269 PMCID: PMC4132298 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transplanted stem cells can induce and enhance functional recovery in experimental stroke. Invasive analysis has been extensively used to provide detailed cellular and molecular characterization of the stroke pathology and engrafted stem cells. But post mortem analysis is not appropriate to reveal the time scale of the dynamic interplay between the cell graft, the ischemic lesion and the endogenous repair mechanisms. This review describes non-invasive imaging techniques which have been developed to provide complementary in vivo information. Recent advances were made in analyzing simultaneously different aspects of the cell graft (e.g., number of cells, viability state, and cell fate), the ischemic lesion (e.g., blood-brain-barrier consistency, hypoxic, and necrotic areas) and the neuronal and vascular network. We focus on optical methods, which permit simple animal preparation, repetitive experimental conditions, relatively medium-cost instrumentation and are performed under mild anesthesia, thus nearly under physiological conditions. A selection of recent examples of optical intrinsic imaging, fluorescence imaging and bioluminescence imaging to characterize the stroke pathology and engrafted stem cells are discussed. Special attention is paid to novel optimal reporter genes/probes for genetic labeling and tracking of stem cells and appropriate transgenic animal models. Requirements, advantages and limitations of these imaging platforms are critically discussed and placed into the context of other non-invasive techniques, e.g., magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, which can be joined with optical imaging in multimodal approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Annette Tennstaedt
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research, KölnGermany
| |
Collapse
|