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Schwenck J, Maurer A, Fehrenbacher B, Mehling R, Knopf P, Mucha N, Haupt D, Fuchs K, Griessinger CM, Bukala D, Holstein J, Schaller M, Menendez IG, Ghoreschi K, Quintanilla-Martinez L, Gütschow M, Laufer S, Reinheckel T, Röcken M, Kalbacher H, Pichler BJ, Kneilling M. Cysteine-type cathepsins promote the effector phase of acute cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions. Theranostics 2019; 9:3903-3917. [PMID: 31281521 PMCID: PMC6587341 DOI: 10.7150/thno.31037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cysteine-type cathepsins such as cathepsin B are involved in various steps of inflammatory processes such as antigen processing and angiogenesis. Here, we uncovered the role of cysteine-type cathepsins in the effector phase of T cell-driven cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions (DTHR) and the implication of this role on therapeutic cathepsin B-specific inhibition. Methods: Wild-type, cathepsin B-deficient (Ctsb-/-) and cathepsin Z-deficient (Ctsz-/-) mice were sensitized with 2,4,6-trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB) on the abdomen and challenged with TNCB on the right ear to induce acute and chronic cutaneous DTHR. The severity of cutaneous DTHR was assessed by evaluating ear swelling responses and histopathology. We performed fluorescence microscopy on tissue from inflamed ears and lymph nodes of wild-type mice, as well as on biopsies from psoriasis patients, focusing on cathepsin B expression by T cells, B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells and NK cells. Cathepsin activity was determined noninvasively by optical imaging employing protease-activated substrate-like probes. Cathepsin expression and activity were validated ex vivo by covalent active site labeling of proteases and Western blotting. Results: Noninvasive in vivo optical imaging revealed strong cysteine-type cathepsin activity in inflamed ears and draining lymph nodes in acute and chronic cutaneous DTHR. In inflamed ears and draining lymph nodes, cathepsin B was expressed by neutrophils, dendritic cells, macrophages, B, T and natural killer (NK) cells. Similar expression patterns were found in psoriatic plaques of patients. The biochemical methods confirmed active cathepsin B in tissues of mice with cutaneous DTHR. Topically applied cathepsin B inhibitors significantly reduced ear swelling in acute but not chronic DTHR. Compared with wild-type mice, Ctsb-/- mice exhibited an enhanced ear swelling response during acute DTHR despite a lack of cathepsin B expression. Cathepsin Z, a protease closely related to cathepsin B, revealed compensatory expression in inflamed ears of Ctsb-/- mice, while cathepsin B expression was reciprocally elevated in Ctsz-/- mice. Conclusion: Cathepsin B is actively involved in the effector phase of acute cutaneous DTHR. Thus, topically applied cathepsin B inhibitors might effectively limit DTHR such as contact dermatitis or psoriasis. However, the cathepsin B and Z knockout mouse experiments suggested a complementary role for these two cysteine-type proteases.
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Beziere N, Fuchs K, Maurer A, Reischl G, Brück J, Ghoreschi K, Fehrenbacher B, Berrio DC, Schenke-Layland K, Kohlhofer U, Quintanilla-Martinez L, Gawaz M, Kneilling M, Pichler B. Imaging fibrosis in inflammatory diseases: targeting the exposed extracellular matrix. Theranostics 2019; 9:2868-2881. [PMID: 31244929 PMCID: PMC6568181 DOI: 10.7150/thno.28892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In a variety of diseases, from benign to life-threatening ones, inflammation plays a major role. Monitoring the intensity and extent of a multifaceted inflammatory process has become a cornerstone in diagnostics and therapy monitoring. However, the current tools lack the ability to provide insight into one of its most crucial aspects, namely, the alteration of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Using a radiolabeled platelet glycoprotein VI-based ECM-targeting fusion protein (GPVI-Fc), we investigated how binding of GPVI-Fc on fibrous tissue could uncover the progression of several inflammatory disease models at different stages (rheumatoid arthritis, cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity, lung inflammation and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis). Methods: The fusion protein GPVI-Fc was covalently linked to 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA) and subsequently labeled with 64Cu. We analyzed noninvasively in vivo64Cu-GPVI-Fc accumulation in murine cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity, anti-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase serum-induced rheumatoid arthritis, lipopolysaccharide-induced lung inflammation and an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model. Static and dynamic Positron Emission Tomography (PET) of the radiotracer distribution was performed in vivo, with ex vivo autoradiography confirmation, yielding quantitative accumulation and a distribution map of 64Cu-GPVI-Fc. Ex vivo tissue histological staining was performed on harvested samples to highlight the fusion protein binding to collagen I, II and III, fibronectin and fibrinogen as well as the morphology of excised tissue. Results:64Cu-GPVI-Fc showed a several-fold increased uptake in inflamed tissue compared to control tissue, particularly in the RA model, with a peak 24 h after radiotracer injection of up to half the injected dose. Blocking and isotype control experiments indicated a target-driven accumulation of the radiotracer in the case of chronic inflammation. Histological analysis confirmed a prolonged accumulation at the inflammation site, with a pronounced colocalization with the different components of the ECM (collagen III and fibronectin notably). Binding of the fusion protein appeared to be specific to the ECM but unspecific to particular components. Conclusion: Imaging of 64Cu-GPVI-Fc accumulation in the ECM matrix appears to be a promising candidate for monitoring chronic inflammation. By binding to exposed fibrous tissue (collagen, fibronectin, etc.) after extravasation, a new insight is provided into the fibrotic events resulting from a prolonged inflammatory state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Beziere
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kerstin Fuchs
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Maurer
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gerald Reischl
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Brück
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kamran Ghoreschi
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Fehrenbacher
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Carvajal Berrio
- Department of Women's Health, Research Institute for Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katja Schenke-Layland
- Department of Women's Health, Research Institute for Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
- The Natural and Medical Sciences Institute (NMI) at the University of Tübingen, Markwiesenstr. 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
- Department of Medicine/ Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Laboratories, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 675 Charles E. Young Drive South, MRL 3645, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ursula Kohlhofer
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Leticia Quintanilla-Martinez
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Meinrad Gawaz
- Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Manfred Kneilling
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bernd Pichler
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Schwenck J, Maier FC, Kneilling M, Wiehr S, Fuchs K. Non-invasive In Vivo Fluorescence Optical Imaging of Inflammatory MMP Activity Using an Activatable Fluorescent Imaging Agent. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28518078 DOI: 10.3791/55180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper describes a non-invasive method for imaging matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-activity by an activatable fluorescent probe, via in vivo fluorescence optical imaging (OI), in two different mouse models of inflammation: a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a contact hypersensitivity reaction (CHR) model. Light with a wavelength in the near infrared (NIR) window (650 - 950 nm) allows a deeper tissue penetration and minimal signal absorption compared to wavelengths below 650 nm. The major advantages using fluorescence OI is that it is cheap, fast and easy to implement in different animal models. Activatable fluorescent probes are optically silent in their inactivated states, but become highly fluorescent when activated by a protease. Activated MMPs lead to tissue destruction and play an important role for disease progression in delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions (DTHRs) such as RA and CHR. Furthermore, MMPs are the key proteases for cartilage and bone degradation and are induced by macrophages, fibroblasts and chondrocytes in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines. Here we use a probe that is activated by the key MMPs like MMP-2, -3, -9 and -13 and describe an imaging protocol for near infrared fluorescence OI of MMP activity in RA and control mice 6 days after disease induction as well as in mice with acute (1x challenge) and chronic (5x challenge) CHR on the right ear compared to healthy ears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Schwenck
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
| | - Florian C Maier
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
| | - Manfred Kneilling
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen; Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
| | - Stefan Wiehr
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
| | - Kerstin Fuchs
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen;
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