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Mastronikolis NS, Delides A, Kyrodimos E, Piperigkou Z, Spyropoulou D, Giotakis E, Tsiambas E, Karamanos NK. Insights into metastatic roadmap of head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma based on clinical, histopathological and molecular profiles. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:597. [PMID: 38683372 PMCID: PMC11058607 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09476-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC), constituting approximately one in ten cancer cases worldwide, affects approximately 644,000 individuals annually. Managing this complex disease involves various treatment modalities such as systemic therapy, radiation, and surgery, particularly for patients with locally advanced disease. HNC treatment necessitates a multidisciplinary approach due to alterations in patients' genomes affecting their functionality. Predominantly, squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), the majority of HNCs, arise from the upper aerodigestive tract epithelium. The epidemiology, staging, diagnosis, and management techniques of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), encompassing clinical, image-based, histopathological and molecular profiling, have been extensively reviewed. Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a well-known predictive factor for HNSCC that initiates metastasis and significantly impacts HNSCC prognosis. Distant metastasis (DM) in HNSCC has been correlated to aberrant expression of cancer cell-derived cytokines and growth factors triggering abnormal activation of several signaling pathways that boost cancer cell aggressiveness. Recent advances in genetic profiling, understanding tumor microenvironment, oligometastatic disease, and immunotherapy have revolutionized treatment strategies and disease control. Future research may leverage genomics and proteomics to identify biomarkers aiding individualized HNSCC treatment. Understanding the molecular basis, genetic landscape, atypical signaling pathways, and tumor microenvironment have enhanced the comprehension of HNSCC molecular etiology. This critical review sheds light on regional and distant metastases in HNSCC, presenting major clinical and laboratory features, predictive biomarkers, and available therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Mastronikolis
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, 26504, Greece.
| | - Alexander Delides
- 2nd Otolaryngology Department, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, 'Attikon' University Hospital, Rimini 1, Athens, 12462, Greece
| | - Efthymios Kyrodimos
- 1st Otolaryngology Department, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, 'Ippokrateion' General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Zoi Piperigkou
- Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras, 26504, Greece
| | - Despoina Spyropoulou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, 26504, Greece
| | - Evangelos Giotakis
- 1st Otolaryngology Department, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, 'Ippokrateion' General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Nikos K Karamanos
- Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras, 26504, Greece
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Dzien P, Raffo Iraolagoitia X, May S, Stevenson D, McGarry L, Soloviev D, Brown G, Nixon C, Kapeni C, De La Roche M, Blyth K, Lyons S, Bird T, Strathdee D, Fruhwirth G, Carlin L, Lewis D. Multi-scale in vivo imaging of tumour development using a germline conditional triple-reporter system. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4196140. [PMID: 38645088 PMCID: PMC11030518 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4196140/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Imaging reporter genes are indispensable for visualising biological processes in living subjects, particularly in cancer research where they have been used to observe tumour development, cancer cell dissemination, and treatment response. Engineering reporter genes into the germline frequently involves single imaging modality reporters operating over limited spatial scales. To address these limitations, we developed an inducible triple-reporter mouse model (Rosa26LSL - NRL) that integrates reporters for complementary imaging modalities, flfluorescence, bioluminescence and positron emission tomography (PET), along with inducible Cre-lox functionality for precise spatiotemporal control of reporter expression. We demonstrated robust reporter inducibility across various tissues in the Rosa26LSL - NRL mouse, facilitating effective tracking and characterisation of tumours in liver and lung cancer mouse models. We precisely pinpointed tumour location using multimodal whole-body imaging which guided in situ lung microscopy to visualise cell-cell interactions within the tumour microenvironment. The triple-reporter system establishes a robust new platform technology for multi-scale investigation of biological processes within whole animals, enabling tissue-specific and sensitive cell tracking, spanning from the whole-body to cellular scales.
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3
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Iyer RS, Needham SR, Galdadas I, Davis BM, Roberts SK, Man RCH, Zanetti-Domingues LC, Clarke DT, Fruhwirth GO, Parker PJ, Rolfe DJ, Gervasio FL, Martin-Fernandez ML. Drug-resistant EGFR mutations promote lung cancer by stabilizing interfaces in ligand-free kinase-active EGFR oligomers. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2130. [PMID: 38503739 PMCID: PMC10951324 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46284-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is frequently found to be mutated in non-small cell lung cancer. Oncogenic EGFR has been successfully targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but acquired drug resistance eventually overcomes the efficacy of these treatments. Attempts to surmount this therapeutic challenge are hindered by a poor understanding of how and why cancer mutations specifically amplify ligand-independent EGFR auto-phosphorylation signals to enhance cell survival and how this amplification is related to ligand-dependent cell proliferation. Here we show that drug-resistant EGFR mutations manipulate the assembly of ligand-free, kinase-active oligomers to promote and stabilize the assembly of oligomer-obligate active dimer sub-units and circumvent the need for ligand binding. We reveal the structure and assembly mechanisms of these ligand-free, kinase-active oligomers, uncovering oncogenic functions for hitherto orphan transmembrane and kinase interfaces, and for the ectodomain tethered conformation of EGFR. Importantly, we find that the active dimer sub-units within ligand-free oligomers are the high affinity binding sites competent to bind physiological ligand concentrations and thus drive tumor growth, revealing a link with tumor proliferation. Our findings provide a framework for future drug discovery directed at tackling oncogenic EGFR mutations by disabling oligomer-assembling interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Sumanth Iyer
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
- Immunocore Limited, 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, UK
| | - Sarah R Needham
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Ioannis Galdadas
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- ISPSO, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin M Davis
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Selene K Roberts
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Rico C H Man
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - David T Clarke
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Peter J Parker
- Protein Phosphorylation Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel J Rolfe
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK.
| | - Francesco L Gervasio
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- ISPSO, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Chemistry Department, University College London, London, UK.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Grimsdell B, Saleem A, Volpe A, Fruhwirth GO. Genetic Engineering of Therapeutic Cells with the Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) to Enable Noninvasive In Vivo Therapy Tracking. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2729:303-330. [PMID: 38006504 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3499-8_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Noninvasive long-term imaging of therapeutic cells in preclinical models can be achieved through introducing a reporter gene into the cells of interest. Despite important recent developments such as gene editing, cell engineering based on lentiviruses remains a mainstream tool for gene transfer applicable to a variety of different cell types.In this chapter, we describe how to use lentivirus-based genetic engineering to render different candidate cell therapies in vivo traceable by radionuclide imaging. We illustrate this reporter gene technology using the sodium iodide symporter (NIS), which is compatible with both positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). For preclinical experimentation, we fused NIS with a suitable fluorescent protein such as monomeric GFP or RFP to streamline cell line generation and downstream analyses of ex vivo tissue samples. We present protocols for reporter gene engineering of human cardiac progenitor cells, regulatory T cells, and effector T cells as well as for the characterization experiments required to validate NIS-fluorescent protein reporter function in these candidate therapeutic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Grimsdell
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Adeel Saleem
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alessia Volpe
- Molecular Imaging Group, Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
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Ma HY, Das J, Prendergast C, De Jong D, Braumuller B, Paily J, Huang S, Liou C, Giarratana A, Hosseini M, Yeh R, Capaccione KM. Advances in CAR T Cell Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:9019-9038. [PMID: 37998743 PMCID: PMC10670348 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45110566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its first approval by the FDA in 2017, tremendous progress has been made in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, the adoptive transfer of engineered, CAR-expressing T lymphocyte. CAR T cells are all composed of three main elements: an extracellular antigen-binding domain, an intracellular signaling domain responsible for T cell activation, and a hinge that joins these two domains. Continuous improvement has been made in CARs, now in their fifth generation, particularly in the intracellular signaling domain responsible for T cell activation. CAR T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Nonetheless, the use of CAR T cell therapy for solid tumors has not attained comparable levels of success. Here we review the challenges in achieving effective CAR T cell therapy in solid tumors, and emerging CAR T cells that have shown great promise for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A growing number of clinical trials have been conducted to study the effect of CAR T cell therapy on NSCLC, targeting different types of surface antigens. They include epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mesothelin (MSLN), prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), and mucin 1 (MUC1). Potential new targets such as erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma A2 (EphA2), tissue factor (TF), and protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) are currently under investigation in clinical trials. The challenges in developing CAR T for NSCLC therapy and other approaches for enhancing CAR T efficacy are discussed. Finally, we provide our perspective on imaging CAR T cell action by reviewing the two main radionuclide-based CAR T cell imaging techniques, the direct labeling of CAR T cells or indirect labeling via a reporter gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Yun Ma
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medica Center, 622 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.Y.M.); (J.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Jeeban Das
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Conor Prendergast
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medica Center, 622 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.Y.M.); (J.P.); (M.H.)
| | | | - Brian Braumuller
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medica Center, 622 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.Y.M.); (J.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Jacienta Paily
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medica Center, 622 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.Y.M.); (J.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Sophia Huang
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medica Center, 622 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.Y.M.); (J.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Connie Liou
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medica Center, 622 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.Y.M.); (J.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Anna Giarratana
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medica Center, 622 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.Y.M.); (J.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Mahdie Hosseini
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medica Center, 622 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.Y.M.); (J.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Randy Yeh
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kathleen M. Capaccione
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medica Center, 622 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.Y.M.); (J.P.); (M.H.)
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Skourti E, Volpe A, Lang C, Johnson P, Panagaki F, Fruhwirth GO. Spatiotemporal quantitative microRNA-155 imaging reports immune-mediated changes in a triple-negative breast cancer model. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1180233. [PMID: 37359535 PMCID: PMC10285160 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1180233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs and represent key players in physiology and disease. Aberrant microRNA expression is central to the development and progression of cancer, with various microRNAs proposed as potential cancer biomarkers and drug targets. There is a need to better understand dynamic microRNA expression changes as cancers progress and their tumor microenvironments evolve. Therefore, spatiotemporal and non-invasive in vivo microRNA quantification in tumor models would be highly beneficial. Methods We developed an in vivo microRNA detector platform in which the obtained signals are positively correlated to microRNA presence, and which permitted stable expression in cancer cells as needed for long-term experimentation in tumor biology. It exploits a radionuclide-fluorescence dual-reporter for quantitative in vivo imaging of a microRNA of choice by radionuclide tomography and fluorescence-based downstream ex vivo tissue analyses. We generated and characterized breast cancer cells stably expressing various microRNA detectors and validated them in vitro. Results We found the microRNA detector platform to report on microRNA presence in cells specifically and accurately, which was independently confirmed by real-time PCR and through microRNA modulation. Moreover, we established various breast tumor models in animals with different levels of residual immune systems and observed microRNA detector read-outs by imaging. Applying the detector platform to the progression of a triple-negative breast cancer model, we found that miR-155 upregulation in corresponding tumors was dependent on macrophage presence in tumors, revealing immune-mediated phenotypic changes in these tumors as they progressed. Conclusion While applied to immunooncology in this work, this multimodal in vivo microRNA detector platform will be useful whenever non-invasive quantification of spatiotemporal microRNA changes in living animals is of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Skourti
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alessia Volpe
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cameron Lang
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Preeth Johnson
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fani Panagaki
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gilbert O. Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Jacob J, Volpe A, Peng Q, Lechler RI, Smyth LA, Lombardi G, Fruhwirth GO. Radiolabelling of Polyclonally Expanded Human Regulatory T Cells (Treg) with 89Zr-oxine for Medium-Term In Vivo Cell Tracking. Molecules 2023; 28:1482. [PMID: 36771148 PMCID: PMC9920634 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a promising candidate cell therapy to treat autoimmune diseases and aid the longevity of transplanted solid organs. Despite increasing numbers of clinical trials using human Treg therapy, important questions pertaining to their in vivo fate, distribution, and function remain unanswered. Treg accumulation in relevant tissues was found to be crucial for Treg therapy efficacy, but existing blood-borne biomarkers are unlikely to accurately reflect the tissue state. Non-invasive Treg tracking by whole-body imaging is a promising alternative and can be achieved by direct radiolabelling of Tregs and following the radiolabelled cells with positron emission tomography (PET). Our goal was to evaluate the radiolabelling of polyclonal Tregs with 89Zr to permit their in vivo tracking by PET/CT for longer than one week with current preclinical PET instrumentation. We used [89Zr]Zr(oxinate)4 as the cell-labelling agent and achieved successful radiolabelling efficiency of human Tregs spanning 0.1-11.1 Bq 89Zr/Treg cell, which would be compatible with PET tracking beyond one week. We characterized the 89Zr-Tregs, assessing their phenotypes, and found that they were not tolerating these intracellular 89Zr amounts, as they failed to survive or expand in a 89Zr-dose-dependent manner. Even at 0.1 Bq 89Zr per Treg cell, while 89Zr-Tregs remained functional as determined by a five-day-long effector T cell suppression assay, they failed to expand beyond day 3 in vitro. Moreover, PET imaging revealed signs of 89Zr-Treg death after adoptive transfer in vivo. In summary, 89Zr labelling of Tregs at intracellular radioisotope amounts compatible with cell tracking over several weeks did not achieve the desired outcomes, as 89Zr-Tregs failed to expand and survive. Consequently, we conclude that indirect Treg labelling is likely to be the most effective alternative method to satisfy the requirements of this cell tracking scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta Jacob
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, Tower Wing, 5th Floor, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Alessia Volpe
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, New Hunt’s House, 2nd Floor, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Qi Peng
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, Tower Wing, 5th Floor, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, New Hunt’s House, 2nd Floor, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Robert I. Lechler
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, Tower Wing, 5th Floor, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Lesley A. Smyth
- School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, Stratford Campus, University of East London, London E15 4LZ, UK
| | - Giovanna Lombardi
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, Tower Wing, 5th Floor, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Gilbert O. Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, New Hunt’s House, 2nd Floor, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 1UL, UK
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Shalaby N, Kelly J, Martinez F, Fox M, Qi Q, Thiessen J, Hicks J, Scholl TJ, Ronald JA. A Human-derived Dual MRI/PET Reporter Gene System with High Translational Potential for Cell Tracking. Mol Imaging Biol 2022; 24:341-351. [PMID: 35146614 PMCID: PMC9235057 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-021-01697-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Reporter gene imaging has been extensively used to longitudinally report on whole-body distribution and viability of transplanted engineered cells. Multi-modal cell tracking can provide complementary information on cell fate. Typical multi-modal reporter gene systems often combine clinical and preclinical modalities. A multi-modal reporter gene system for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), two clinical modalities, would be advantageous by combining the sensitivity of PET with the high-resolution morphology and non-ionizing nature of MRI. PROCEDURES We developed and evaluated a dual MRI/PET reporter gene system composed of two human-derived reporter genes that utilize clinical reporter probes for engineered cell detection. As a proof-of-concept, breast cancer cells were engineered to co-express the human organic anion transporter polypeptide 1B3 (OATP1B3) that uptakes the clinical MRI contrast agent gadolinium ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA), and the human sodium iodide symporter (NIS) which uptakes the PET tracer, [18F] tetrafluoroborate ([18F] TFB). RESULTS T1-weighted MRI results in mice exhibited significantly higher MRI signals in reporter-gene-engineered mammary fat pad tumors versus contralateral naïve tumors (p < 0.05). No differences in contrast enhancement were observed at 5 h after Gd-EOB-DTPA administration using either intravenous or intraperitoneal injection. We also found significantly higher standard uptake values (SUV) in engineered tumors in comparison to the naïve tumors in [18F]TFB PET images (p < 0.001). Intratumoral heterogeneity in signal enhancement was more conspicuous in relatively higher resolution MR images compared to PET images. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the ability to noninvasively track cells engineered with our human-derived dual MRI/PET reporter system, enabling a more comprehensive evaluation of transplanted cells. Future work is focused on applying this tool to track therapeutic cells, which may one day enable the broader application of cell tracking within the healthcare system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourhan Shalaby
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada.
| | - John Kelly
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Francisco Martinez
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Mathew Fox
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada
- Saint Joseph's Health Care, Toronto, Canada
| | - Qi Qi
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Jonathan Thiessen
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
- Saint Joseph's Health Care, Toronto, Canada
- Lawson Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility, London, Canada
| | - Justin Hicks
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada
- Lawson Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility, London, Canada
| | - Timothy J Scholl
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Canada
| | - John A Ronald
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada
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Ashmore-Harris C, Fruhwirth GO. Generation of In Vivo Traceable Hepatocyte-Like Cells from Human iPSCs. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2544:15-49. [PMID: 36125708 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2557-6_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this chapter, we describe a protocol for differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) and their transduction with a lentivirus for gene transfer. Here, we engineer them to express the human sodium iodide symporter, which can be exploited as a radionuclide reporter gene, thereby enabling these cells to be tracked in vivo by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Differentiation of HLCs from iPSCs involves three steps: induction of iPSCs to definitive endoderm, differentiation to a hepatic progenitor cell population, and maturation of immature HLCs. Once proliferation of hepatic progenitors has ceased and an immature HLC population is generated, lentiviral transduction can be performed. The immature hepatic gene expression profile/morphology at the stage of transduction will be compatible with further maturation following transgene expression either in vitro or in vivo, with expression of the transgene retained. We detail how transgenic cells can be imaged in vivo. While we provide a protocol for the NIS reporter gene, the cell engineering aspects of this protocol are transferable for use with other (reporter) genes if desired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Ashmore-Harris
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Cancer Centre, London, UK
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Cancer Centre, London, UK.
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Shalaby N, Dubois VP, Ronald J. Molecular imaging of cellular immunotherapies in experimental and therapeutic settings. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 71:1281-1294. [PMID: 34657195 PMCID: PMC9122865 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-03073-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cell-based cancer immunotherapies are becoming a routine part of the armamentarium against cancer. While remarkable successes have been seen, including durable remissions, not all patients will benefit from these therapies and many can suffer from life-threatening side effects. These differences in efficacy and safety across patients and across tumor types (e.g., blood vs. solid), are thought to be due to differences in how well the immune cells traffic to their target tissue (e.g., tumor, lymph nodes, etc.) whilst avoiding non-target tissues. Across patient variability can also stem from whether the cells interact with (i.e., communicate with) their intended target cells (e.g., cancer cells), as well as if they proliferate and survive long enough to yield potent and long-lasting therapeutic effects. However, many cell-based therapies are monitored by relatively simple blood tests that lack any spatial information and do not reflect how many immune cells have ended up at particular tissues. The ex vivo labeling and imaging of infused therapeutic immune cells can provide a more precise and dynamic understanding of whole-body immune cell biodistribution, expansion, viability, and activation status in individual patients. In recent years numerous cellular imaging technologies have been developed that may provide this much-needed information on immune cell fate. For this review, we summarize various ex vivo labeling and imaging approaches that allow for tracking of cellular immunotherapies for cancer. Our focus is on clinical imaging modalities and summarize the progression from experimental to therapeutic settings. The imaging information provided by these technologies can potentially be used for many purposes including improved real-time understanding of therapeutic efficacy and potential side effects in individual patients after cell infusion; the ability to more readily compare new therapeutic cell designs to current designs for various parameters such as improved trafficking to target tissues and avoidance of non-target tissues; and the long-term ability to identify patient populations that are likely to be positive responders and at low-risk of side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourhan Shalaby
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada.,Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Veronica Phyllis Dubois
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada.,Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Ronald
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada. .,Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada. .,Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
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11
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Mohseni YR, Saleem A, Tung SL, Dudreuilh C, Lang C, Peng Q, Volpe A, Adigbli G, Cross A, Hester J, Farzaneh F, Scotta C, Lechler RI, Issa F, Fruhwirth GO, Lombardi G. Chimeric antigen receptor-modified human regulatory T cells that constitutively express IL-10 maintain their phenotype and are potently suppressive. Eur J Immunol 2021; 51:2522-2530. [PMID: 34320225 PMCID: PMC8581768 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202048934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Clinical trials of Treg therapy in transplantation are currently entering phases IIa and IIb, with the majority of these employing polyclonal Treg populations that harbor a broad specificity. Enhancing Treg specificity is possible with the use of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), which can be customized to respond to a specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA). In this study, we build on our previous work in the development of HLA-A2 CAR-Tregs by further equipping cells with the constitutive expression of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and an imaging reporter as additional payloads. Cells were engineered to express combinations of these domains and assessed for phenotype and function. Cells expressing the full construct maintained a stable phenotype after transduction, were specifically activated by HLA-A2, and suppressed alloresponses potently. The addition of IL-10 provided an additional advantage to suppressive capacity. This study therefore provides an important proof-of-principle for this cell engineering approach for next-generation Treg therapy in transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin R. Mohseni
- MRC Centre for Transplantation ImmunologySchool of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Adeel Saleem
- MRC Centre for Transplantation ImmunologySchool of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer GroupComprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King's College LondonLondonUK
- Department of Haematology and Precision MedicineKings College HospitalLondonUK
| | - Sim L. Tung
- MRC Centre for Transplantation ImmunologySchool of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Caroline Dudreuilh
- MRC Centre for Transplantation ImmunologySchool of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Cameron Lang
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer GroupComprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Qi Peng
- MRC Centre for Transplantation ImmunologySchool of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Alessia Volpe
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer GroupComprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - George Adigbli
- Transplantation Research & Immunology Group, Nuffield Department of Surgical SciencesUniversity of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Amy Cross
- Transplantation Research & Immunology Group, Nuffield Department of Surgical SciencesUniversity of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joanna Hester
- Transplantation Research & Immunology Group, Nuffield Department of Surgical SciencesUniversity of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Farzin Farzaneh
- Department of Haematological MedicineSchool of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Cristiano Scotta
- MRC Centre for Transplantation ImmunologySchool of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Robert I. Lechler
- MRC Centre for Transplantation ImmunologySchool of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Fadi Issa
- Transplantation Research & Immunology Group, Nuffield Department of Surgical SciencesUniversity of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gilbert O. Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer GroupComprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Giovanna Lombardi
- MRC Centre for Transplantation ImmunologySchool of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College LondonLondonUK
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12
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Helfer BM, Ponomarev V, Patrick PS, Blower PJ, Feitel A, Fruhwirth GO, Jackman S, Pereira Mouriès L, Park MVDZ, Srinivas M, Stuckey DJ, Thu MS, van den Hoorn T, Herberts CA, Shingleton WD. Options for imaging cellular therapeutics in vivo: a multi-stakeholder perspective. Cytotherapy 2021; 23:757-773. [PMID: 33832818 PMCID: PMC9344904 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2021.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cell-based therapies have been making great advances toward clinical reality. Despite the increase in trial activity, few therapies have successfully navigated late-phase clinical trials and received market authorization. One possible explanation for this is that additional tools and technologies to enable their development have only recently become available. To support the safety evaluation of cell therapies, the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute Cell Therapy-Tracking, Circulation and Safety Committee, a multisector collaborative committee, polled the attendees of the 2017 International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy conference in London, UK, to understand the gaps and needs that cell therapy developers have encountered regarding safety evaluations in vivo. The goal of the survey was to collect information to inform stakeholders of areas of interest that can help ensure the safe use of cellular therapeutics in the clinic. This review is a response to the cellular imaging interests of those respondents. The authors offer a brief overview of available technologies and then highlight the areas of interest from the survey by describing how imaging technologies can meet those needs. The areas of interest include imaging of cells over time, sensitivity of imaging modalities, ability to quantify cells, imaging cellular survival and differentiation and safety concerns around adding imaging agents to cellular therapy protocols. The Health and Environmental Sciences Institute Cell Therapy-Tracking, Circulation and Safety Committee believes that the ability to understand therapeutic cell fate is vital for determining and understanding cell therapy efficacy and safety and offers this review to aid in those needs. An aim of this article is to share the available imaging technologies with the cell therapy community to demonstrate how these technologies can accomplish unmet needs throughout the translational process and strengthen the understanding of cellular therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vladimir Ponomarev
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - P Stephen Patrick
- Department of Medicine, Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Philip J Blower
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Feitel
- Formerly, Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Shawna Jackman
- Charles River Laboratories, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Margriet V D Z Park
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Mangala Srinivas
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Cenya Imaging BV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel J Stuckey
- Department of Medicine, Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mya S Thu
- Visicell Medical Inc, La Jolla, California, USA
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13
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Maiques O, Fanshawe B, Crosas-Molist E, Rodriguez-Hernandez I, Volpe A, Cantelli G, Boehme L, Orgaz JL, Mardakheh FK, Sanz-Moreno V, Fruhwirth GO. A preclinical pipeline to evaluate migrastatics as therapeutic agents in metastatic melanoma. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:699-713. [PMID: 34172930 PMCID: PMC8405734 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01442-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastasis is a hallmark of cancer and responsible for most cancer deaths. Migrastatics were defined as drugs interfering with all modes of cancer cell invasion and thus cancers' ability to metastasise. First anti-metastatic treatments have recently been approved. METHODS We used bioinformatic analyses of publicly available melanoma databases. Experimentally, we performed in vitro target validation (including 2.5D cell morphology analysis and mass spectrometric analysis of RhoA binding partners), developed a new traceable spontaneously metastasising murine melanoma model for in vivo validation, and employed histology (haematoxylin/eosin and phospho-myosin II staining) to confirm drug action in harvested tumour tissues. RESULTS Unbiased and targeted bioinformatic analyses identified the Rho kinase (ROCK)-myosin II pathway and its various components as potentially relevant targets in melanoma. In vitro validation demonstrated redundancy of several RhoGEFs upstream of RhoA and confirmed ROCK as a druggable target downstream of RhoA. The anti-metastatic effects of two ROCK inhibitors were demonstrated through in vivo melanoma metastasis tracking and inhibitor effects also confirmed ex vivo by digital pathology. CONCLUSIONS We proposed a migrastatic drug development pipeline. As part of the pipeline, we provide a new traceable spontaneous melanoma metastasis model for in vivo quantification of metastasis and anti-metastatic effects by non-invasive imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Maiques
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square Campus, John Vane Science Centre, London, UK
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London, UK
| | - Bruce Fanshawe
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London, UK
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, UK
| | - Eva Crosas-Molist
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square Campus, John Vane Science Centre, London, UK
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London, UK
| | - Irene Rodriguez-Hernandez
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square Campus, John Vane Science Centre, London, UK
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London, UK
| | - Alessia Volpe
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, UK
- Molecular Imaging Group, Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gaia Cantelli
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London, UK
| | - Lena Boehme
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London, UK
| | - Jose L Orgaz
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square Campus, John Vane Science Centre, London, UK
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London, UK
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas 'Alberto Sols', CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Faraz K Mardakheh
- Centre for Cancer Cell & Molecular Biology at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square Campus, John Vane Science Centre, London, UK
| | - Victoria Sanz-Moreno
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square Campus, John Vane Science Centre, London, UK.
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London, UK.
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, UK.
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
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15
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Shao F, Long Y, Ji H, Jiang D, Lei P, Lan X. Radionuclide-based molecular imaging allows CAR-T cellular visualization and therapeutic monitoring. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:6800-6817. [PMID: 34093854 PMCID: PMC8171102 DOI: 10.7150/thno.56989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy is a new and effective form of adoptive cell therapy that is rapidly entering the mainstream for the treatment of CD19-positive hematological cancers because of its impressive effect and durable responses. Huge challenges remain in achieving similar success in patients with solid tumors. The current methods of monitoring CAR-T, including morphological imaging (CT and MRI), blood tests, and biopsy, have limitations to assess whether CAR-T cells are homing to tumor sites and infiltrating into tumor bed, or to assess the survival, proliferation, and persistence of CAR-T cells in solid tumors associated with an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Radionuclide-based molecular imaging affords improved CAR-T cellular visualization and therapeutic monitoring through either a direct cellular radiolabeling approach or a reporter gene imaging strategy, and endogenous cell imaging is beneficial to reflect functional information and immune status of T cells. Focusing on the dynamic monitoring and precise assessment of CAR-T therapy, this review summarizes the current applications of radionuclide-based noninvasive imaging in CAR-T cells visualization and monitoring and presents current challenges and strategic choices.
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16
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Xiao Z, Puré E. Imaging of T-cell Responses in the Context of Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 9:490-502. [PMID: 33941536 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-20-0678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy, which promotes the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and enhances their infiltration into and function within tumors, is a rapidly expanding and evolving approach to treating cancer. However, many of the critical denominators for inducing effective anticancer immune responses remain unknown. Efforts are underway to develop comprehensive ex vivo assessments of the immune landscape of patients prior to and during response to immunotherapy. An important complementary approach to these efforts involves the development of noninvasive imaging approaches to detect immune targets, assess delivery of immune-based therapeutics, and evaluate responses to immunotherapy. Herein, we review the merits and limitations of various noninvasive imaging modalities (MRI, PET, and single-photon emission tomography) and discuss candidate targets for cellular and molecular imaging for visualization of T-cell responses at various stages along the cancer-immunity cycle in the context of immunotherapy. We also discuss the potential use of these imaging strategies in monitoring treatment responses and predicting prognosis for patients treated with immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zebin Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ellen Puré
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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17
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Jacob J, Nadkarni S, Volpe A, Peng Q, Tung SL, Hannen RF, Mohseni YR, Scotta C, Marelli-Berg FM, Lechler RI, Smyth LA, Fruhwirth GO, Lombardi G. Spatiotemporal in vivo tracking of polyclonal human regulatory T cells (Tregs) reveals a role for innate immune cells in Treg transplant recruitment. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021; 20:324-336. [PMID: 33511246 PMCID: PMC7811063 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are emerging as a new cell-based therapy in solid organ transplantation. Adoptive transfer of Tregs has been shown preclinically to protect from graft rejection, and the safety of Treg therapy has been demonstrated in clinical trials. Despite these successes, the in vivo distribution and persistence of adoptively transferred Tregs remained elusive, which hampers clinical translation. Here we isolated human Tregs using a GMP-compatible protocol and lentivirally transduced them with the human sodium iodide symporter to render them traceable in vivo by radionuclide imaging. Engineered human Tregs were characterized for phenotype, survival, suppressive capacity, and reporter function. To study their trafficking behavior, they were subsequently administered to humanized mice with human skin transplants. Traceable Tregs were quantified in skin grafts by non-invasive nano-single-photon emission computed tomography (nanoSPECT)/computed tomography (CT) for up to 40 days, and the results were validated ex vivo. Using this approach, we demonstrated that Treg trafficking to skin grafts was regulated by the presence of recipient Gr-1+ innate immune cells. We demonstrated the utility of radionuclide reporter gene-afforded quantitative Treg in vivo tracking, addressing a fundamental need in Treg therapy development and offering a clinically compatible methodology for future Treg therapy imaging in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta Jacob
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Suchita Nadkarni
- Centre for Cell Biology & Cutaneous Research, The Blizard Institute, Bart’s and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Alessia Volpe
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Qi Peng
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Sim L. Tung
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Rosalind F. Hannen
- Centre for Cell Biology & Cutaneous Research, The Blizard Institute, Bart’s and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Yasmin R. Mohseni
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Cristiano Scotta
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Federica M. Marelli-Berg
- William Harvey Research Institute, Bart’s and The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Robert I. Lechler
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Lesley A. Smyth
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
- School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, Stratford Campus, University of East London, London E16 2RD, UK
| | - Gilbert O. Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Giovanna Lombardi
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Science, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
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Witney TH, Blower PJ. The chemical tool-kit for molecular imaging with radionuclides in the age of targeted and immune therapy. Cancer Imaging 2021; 21:18. [PMID: 33516256 PMCID: PMC7847158 DOI: 10.1186/s40644-021-00385-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear medicine has evolved over the last half-century from a functional imaging modality using a handful of radiopharmaceuticals, many of unknown structure and mechanism of action, into a modern speciality that can properly be described as molecular imaging, with a very large number of specific radioactive probes of known structure that image specific molecular processes. The advances of cancer treatment in recent decades towards targeted and immune therapies, combined with recognition of heterogeneity of cancer cell phenotype among patients, within patients and even within tumours, has created a growing need for personalised molecular imaging to support treatment decision. This article describes the evolution of the present vast range of radioactive probes – radiopharmaceuticals – leveraging a wide variety of chemical disciplines, over the last half century. These radiochemical innovations have been inspired by the need to support personalised medicine and also by the parallel development in development of new radionuclide imaging technologies – from gamma scintigraphy, through single photon emission tomography (SPECT), through the rise of clinical positron emission tomography (PET) and PET-CT, and perhaps in the future, by the advent of total body PET. Thus, in the interdisciplinary world of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, as quickly as radiochemistry solutions are developed to meet new needs in cancer imaging, new challenges emerge as developments in one contributing technology drive innovations in the others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy H Witney
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, England
| | - Philip J Blower
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, England.
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19
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In vivo cell tracking with viral vector mediated genetic labeling. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 350:109021. [PMID: 33316318 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.109021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell tracking is a useful technique to monitor specific cell populations for their morphology, development, proliferation, migration, interaction, function, and other properties, both in vitro and in vivo. Using different materials and methodologies to label the target cells directly or indirectly, the dynamic biological processes in living organisms can be visualized with appropriate detection techniques. Viruses, with the unique ability to deliver exogenous genes into host cells, have been used as vectors to mediate gene transfer. Genetic labeling of target cells by viral vectors endows the cells to express reporter genes with high efficiency and specificity. In conjunction with corresponding imaging techniques, cells labeled with different genetic reporters mediated by different viral vectors can be monitored across spatial and temporal scales to fulfill various purposes and address different questions. In the present review, we introduce the basic principle of viral vectors in cell tracking and highlight the examples of cell tracking in various research areas.
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20
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Volpe A, Lang C, Lim L, Man F, Kurtys E, Ashmore-Harris C, Johnson P, Skourti E, de Rosales RTM, Fruhwirth GO. Spatiotemporal PET Imaging Reveals Differences in CAR-T Tumor Retention in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Models. Mol Ther 2020; 28:2271-2285. [PMID: 32645298 PMCID: PMC7544977 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) has been rolled out as a new treatment for hematological malignancies. For solid tumor treatment, CAR-T has been disappointing so far. Challenges include the quantification of CAR-T trafficking, expansion and retention in tumors, activity at target sites, toxicities, and long-term CAR-T survival. Non-invasive serial in vivo imaging of CAR-T using reporter genes can address several of these challenges. For clinical use, a non-immunogenic reporter that is detectable with exquisite sensitivity by positron emission tomography (PET) using a clinically available non-toxic radiotracer would be beneficial. Here, we employed the human sodium iodide symporter to non-invasively quantify tumor retention of pan-ErbB family targeted CAR-T by PET. We generated and characterized traceable CAR T cells and examined potential negative effects of radionuclide reporter use. We applied our platform to two different triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) models and unexpectedly observed pronounced differences in CAR-T tumor retention by PET/CT (computed tomography) and confirmed data ex vivo. CAR-T tumor retention inversely correlated with immune checkpoint expression in the TNBC models. Our platform enables highly sensitive non-invasive PET tracking of CAR-T thereby addressing a fundamental unmet need in CAR-T development and offering to provide missing information needed for future clinical CAR-T imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Volpe
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Cameron Lang
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lindsay Lim
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Francis Man
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ewelina Kurtys
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Candice Ashmore-Harris
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Preeth Johnson
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Elena Skourti
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rafael T M de Rosales
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
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Ashmore-Harris C, Iafrate M, Saleem A, Fruhwirth GO. Non-invasive Reporter Gene Imaging of Cell Therapies, including T Cells and Stem Cells. Mol Ther 2020; 28:1392-1416. [PMID: 32243834 PMCID: PMC7264441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell therapies represent a rapidly emerging class of new therapeutics. They are intended and developed for the treatment of some of the most prevalent human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and for regenerative medicine. Currently, they are largely developed without precise assessment of their in vivo distribution, efficacy, or survival either clinically or preclinically. However, it would be highly beneficial for both preclinical cell therapy development and subsequent clinical use to assess these parameters in situ to enable enhancements in efficacy, applicability, and safety. Molecular imaging can be exploited to track cells non-invasively on the whole-body level and can enable monitoring for prolonged periods in a manner compatible with rapidly expanding cell types. In this review, we explain how in vivo imaging can aid the development and clinical translation of cell-based therapeutics. We describe the underlying principles governing non-invasive in vivo long-term cell tracking in the preclinical and clinical settings, including available imaging technologies, reporter genes, and imaging agents as well as pitfalls related to experimental design. Our emphasis is on adoptively transferred T cell and stem cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Ashmore-Harris
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK; Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Madeleine Iafrate
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Adeel Saleem
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; Department of Haematological Medicine, King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS, UK
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK.
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22
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Iafrate M, Fruhwirth GO. How Non-invasive in vivo Cell Tracking Supports the Development and Translation of Cancer Immunotherapies. Front Physiol 2020; 11:154. [PMID: 32327996 PMCID: PMC7152671 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a relatively new treatment regimen for cancer, and it is based on the modulation of the immune system to battle cancer. Immunotherapies can be classified as either molecular or cell-based immunotherapies, and both types have demonstrated promising results in a growing number of cancers. Indeed, several immunotherapies representing both classes are already approved for clinical use in oncology. While spectacular treatment successes have been reported, particularly for so-called immune checkpoint inhibitors and certain cell-based immunotherapies, they have also been accompanied by a variety of severe, sometimes life-threatening side effects. Furthermore, not all patients respond to immunotherapy. Hence, there is the need for more research to render these promising therapeutics more efficacious, more widely applicable, and safer to use. Whole-body in vivo imaging technologies that can interrogate cancers and/or immunotherapies are highly beneficial tools for immunotherapy development and translation to the clinic. In this review, we explain how in vivo imaging can aid the development of molecular and cell-based anti-cancer immunotherapies. We describe the principles of imaging host T-cells and adoptively transferred therapeutic T-cells as well as the value of traceable cancer cell models in immunotherapy development. Our emphasis is on in vivo cell tracking methodology, including important aspects and caveats specific to immunotherapies. We discuss a variety of associated experimental design aspects including parameters such as cell type, observation times/intervals, and detection sensitivity. The focus is on non-invasive 3D cell tracking on the whole-body level including aspects relevant for both preclinical experimentation and clinical translatability of the underlying methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gilbert O. Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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23
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Ashmore-Harris C, Blackford SJ, Grimsdell B, Kurtys E, Glatz MC, Rashid TS, Fruhwirth GO. Reporter gene-engineering of human induced pluripotent stem cells during differentiation renders in vivo traceable hepatocyte-like cells accessible. Stem Cell Res 2019; 41:101599. [PMID: 31707210 PMCID: PMC6905152 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2019.101599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary hepatocyte transplantation (HTx) is a safe cell therapy for patients with liver disease, but wider application is circumvented by poor cell engraftment due to limitations in hepatocyte quality and transplantation strategies. Hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) are considered a promising alternative but also require optimisation of transplantation and are often transplanted prior to full maturation. Whole-body in vivo imaging would be highly beneficial to assess engraftment non-invasively and monitor the transplanted cells in the short and long-term. Here we report a lentiviral transduction approach designed to engineer hiPSC-derived HLCs during differentiation. This strategy resulted in the successful production of sodium iodide symporter (NIS)-expressing HLCs that were functionally characterised, transplanted into mice, and subsequently imaged using radionuclide tomography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Ashmore-Harris
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London (KCL), London, SE1 7EH, UK; Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Guy's Hospital, KCL, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Samuel Ji Blackford
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Guy's Hospital, KCL, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Benjamin Grimsdell
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London (KCL), London, SE1 7EH, UK; Centre for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Shepherd's House, King's College London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Ewelina Kurtys
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London (KCL), London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Marlies C Glatz
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London (KCL), London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Tamir S Rashid
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Guy's Hospital, KCL, London SE1 9RT, UK; Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London SE5 9RS, UK
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapy and Cancer Group, Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London (KCL), London, SE1 7EH, UK.
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24
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Abstract
Image analysis in clinical research has evolved at fast pace in the last decade. This review discusses basic concepts ranging from immunohistochemistry to advanced techniques such as multiplex imaging, digital pathology, flow cytometry and intravital microscopy. Tissue imaging
ex vivo is still one of the gold-standards in the field due to feasibility. We describe here different protocols and applications of digital analysis providing basic and clinical researchers with an overview on how to analyse tissue images.
In vivo imaging is not easily accessible to researchers; however, it provides invaluable dynamic information. Overall, we discuss a plethora of techniques that - when combined - constitute a powerful platform for basic and translational cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Maiques
- Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Building, Charterhouse Square, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Mirella Georgouli
- Oncology Cell Therapy RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, London, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Victoria Sanz-Moreno
- Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Building, Charterhouse Square, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
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25
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Krekorian M, Fruhwirth GO, Srinivas M, Figdor CG, Heskamp S, Witney TH, Aarntzen EH. Imaging of T-cells and their responses during anti-cancer immunotherapy. Theranostics 2019; 9:7924-7947. [PMID: 31656546 PMCID: PMC6814447 DOI: 10.7150/thno.37924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has proven to be an effective approach in a growing number of cancers. Despite durable clinical responses achieved with antibodies targeting immune checkpoint molecules, many patients do not respond. The common denominator for immunotherapies that have successfully been introduced in the clinic is their potential to induce or enhance infiltration of cytotoxic T-cells into the tumour. However, in clinical research the molecules, cells and processes involved in effective responses during immunotherapy remain largely obscure. Therefore, in vivo imaging technologies that interrogate T-cell responses in patients represent a powerful tool to boost further development of immunotherapy. This review comprises a comprehensive analysis of the in vivo imaging technologies that allow the characterisation of T-cell responses induced by anti-cancer immunotherapy, with emphasis on technologies that are clinically available or have high translational potential. Throughout we discuss their respective strengths and weaknesses, providing arguments for selecting the optimal imaging options for future research and patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massis Krekorian
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gilbert O. Fruhwirth
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings' College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mangala Srinivas
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Carl G. Figdor
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Heskamp
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Timothy H. Witney
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings' College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Erik H.J.G. Aarntzen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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26
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Savolainen H, Volpe A, Phinikaridou A, Douek M, Fruhwirth G, de Rosales RTM. 68Ga-Sienna+ for PET-MRI Guided Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: Synthesis and Preclinical Evaluation in a Metastatic Breast Cancer Model. Nanotheranostics 2019; 3:255-265. [PMID: 31263657 PMCID: PMC6584137 DOI: 10.7150/ntno.34727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is commonly performed in cancers that metastasise via the lymphatic system. It involves excision and histology of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) and presents two main challenges: (i) sensitive whole-body localisation of SLNs, and (ii) lack of pre-operative knowledge of their metastatic status, resulting in a high number (>70%) of healthy SLN excisions. To improve SLNB, whole-body imaging could improve detection and potentially prevent unnecessary surgery by identifying healthy and metastatic SLNs. In this context, radiolabelled SPIOs and PET-MRI could find applications to locate SLNs with high sensitivity at the whole-body level (using PET) and guide high-resolution MRI to evaluate their metastatic status. Here we evaluate this approach by synthesising a GMP-compatible 68Ga-SPIO (68Ga-Sienna+) followed by PET-MR imaging and histology studies in a metastatic breast cancer mouse model. Methods. A clinically approved SPIO for SLN localisation (Sienna+) was radiolabelled with 68Ga without a chelator. Radiochemical stability was tested in human serum. In vitro cell uptake was compared between 3E.Δ.NT breast cancer cells, expressing the hNIS reporter gene, and macrophage cell lines (J774A.1; RAW264.7.GFP). NSG-mice were inoculated with 3E.Δ.NT cells. Left axillary SLN metastasis was monitored by hNIS/SPECT-CT and compared to the healthy right axillary SLN. 68Ga-Sienna+ was injected into front paws and followed by PET-MRI. Imaging results were confirmed by histology. Results.68Ga-Sienna+ was produced in high radiochemical purity (>93%) without the need for purification and was stable in vitro. In vitro uptake of 68Ga-Sienna+ in macrophage cells (J774A.1) was significantly higher (12 ± 1%) than in cancer cells (2.0 ± 0.1%; P < 0.001). SPECT-CT confirmed metastasis in the left axillary SLNs of tumour mice. In PET, significantly higher 68Ga-Sienna+ uptake was measured in healthy axillary SLNs (2.2 ± 0.9 %ID/mL), than in metastatic SLNs (1.1 ± 0.2 %ID/mL; P = 0.006). In MRI, 68Ga-Sienna+ uptake in healthy SLNs was observed by decreased MR signal in T2/T2*-weighted sequences, whereas fully metastatic SLNs appeared unchanged. Conclusion.68Ga-Sienna+ in combination with PET-MRI can locate and distinguish healthy from metastatic SLNs and could be a useful preoperative imaging tool to guide SLN biopsy and prevent unnecessary excisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heli Savolainen
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alessia Volpe
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alkystis Phinikaridou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Douek
- Department of Research Oncology, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gilbert Fruhwirth
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael T. M. de Rosales
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, King's College London, Strand Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom (UK)
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27
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Enhanced noninvasive imaging of oncology models using the NIS reporter gene and bioluminescence imaging. Cancer Gene Ther 2019; 27:179-188. [PMID: 30674994 PMCID: PMC7170803 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-019-0081-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Noninvasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI) of luciferase-expressing tumor cells has advanced pre-clinical evaluation of cancer therapies. Yet despite its successes, BLI is limited by poor spatial resolution and signal penetration, making it unusable for deep tissue or large animal imaging and preventing precise anatomical localization or signal quantification. To refine pre-clinical BLI methods and circumvent these limitations, we compared and ultimately combined BLI with tomographic, quantitative imaging of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS). To this end, we generated tumor cell lines expressing luciferase, NIS, or both reporters, and established tumor models in mice. BLI provided sensitive early detection of tumors and relatively easy monitoring of disease progression. However, spatial resolution was poor, and as the tumors grew, deep thoracic tumor signals were massked by overwhelming surface signals from superficial tumors. In contrast, NIS-expressing tumors were readily distinguished and precisely localized at all tissue depths by positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. Furthermore, radiotracer uptake for each tumor could be quantitated noninvasively. Ultimately, combining BLI and NIS imaging represented a significant enhancement over traditional BLI, providing more information about tumor size and location. This combined imaging approach should facilitate comprehensive evaluation of tumor responses to given therapies.
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28
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Man F, Lim L, Volpe A, Gabizon A, Shmeeda H, Draper B, Parente-Pereira AC, Maher J, Blower PJ, Fruhwirth GO, T M de Rosales R. In Vivo PET Tracking of 89Zr-Labeled Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells to Mouse Xenograft Breast Tumors Activated with Liposomal Alendronate. Mol Ther 2019; 27:219-229. [PMID: 30429045 PMCID: PMC6318719 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gammadelta T (γδ-T) cells are strong candidates for adoptive immunotherapy in oncology due to their cytotoxicity, ease of expansion, and favorable safety profile. The development of γδ-T cell therapies would benefit from non-invasive cell-tracking methods and increased targeting to tumor sites. Here we report the use of [89Zr]Zr(oxinate)4 to track Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in vivo by positron emission tomography (PET). In vitro, we showed that 89Zr-labeled Vγ9Vδ2 T cells retained their viability, proliferative capacity, and anti-cancer cytotoxicity with minimal DNA damage for amounts of 89Zr ≤20 mBq/cell. Using a mouse xenograft model of human breast cancer, 89Zr-labeled γδ-T cells were tracked by PET imaging over 1 week. To increase tumor antigen expression, the mice were pre-treated with PEGylated liposomal alendronate. Liposomal alendronate, but not placebo liposomes or non-liposomal alendronate, significantly increased the 89Zr signal in the tumors, suggesting increased homing of γδ-T cells to the tumors. γδ-T cell trafficking to tumors occurred within 48 hr of administration. The presence of γδ-T cells in tumors, liver, and spleen was confirmed by histology. Our results demonstrate the suitability of [89Zr]Zr(oxinate)4 as a cell-labeling agent for therapeutic T cells and the potential benefits of liposomal bisphosphonate treatment before γδ-T cell administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Man
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Lindsay Lim
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Alessia Volpe
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Alberto Gabizon
- Oncology Institute, Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Hebrew University-School of Medicine, Jerusalem 9103102, Israel
| | - Hilary Shmeeda
- Oncology Institute, Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Hebrew University-School of Medicine, Jerusalem 9103102, Israel
| | - Benjamin Draper
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Ana C Parente-Pereira
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - John Maher
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Philip J Blower
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Rafael T M de Rosales
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK.
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29
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Burke BP, Grantham W, Burke MJ, Nichol GS, Roberts D, Renard I, Hargreaves R, Cawthorne C, Archibald SJ, Lusby PJ. Visualizing Kinetically Robust Co III4L 6 Assemblies in Vivo: SPECT Imaging of the Encapsulated [ 99mTc]TcO 4- Anion. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:16877-16881. [PMID: 30485075 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b09582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Noncovalent encapsulation is an attractive approach for modifying the efficacy and physiochemical properties of both therapeutic and diagnostic species. Abiotic self-assembled constructs have shown promise, yet many hurdles between in vitro and (pre)clinical studies remain, not least the challenges associated with maintaining the macromolecular, hollow structure under nonequilibrium conditions. Using a kinetically robust CoIII4L6 tetrahedron we now show the feasibility of encapsulating the most widely used precursor in clinical nuclear diagnostic imaging, the γ-emitting [99mTc]TcO4- anion, under conditions compatible with in vivo administration. Subsequent single-photon emission computed tomography imaging of the caged-anion reveals a marked change in the biodistribution compared to the thyroid-accumulating free oxo-anion, thus moving clinical applications of (metallo)supramolecular species a step closer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Burke
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom.,Positron Emission Tomography Research Centre , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom
| | - William Grantham
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry , University of Edinburgh , Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road , Edinburgh EH9 3FJ , Scotland
| | - Michael J Burke
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry , University of Edinburgh , Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road , Edinburgh EH9 3FJ , Scotland
| | - Gary S Nichol
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry , University of Edinburgh , Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road , Edinburgh EH9 3FJ , Scotland
| | - David Roberts
- School of Life Sciences , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom.,Positron Emission Tomography Research Centre , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom
| | - Isaline Renard
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom.,Positron Emission Tomography Research Centre , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Hargreaves
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom.,Positron Emission Tomography Research Centre , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Cawthorne
- School of Life Sciences , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom.,Positron Emission Tomography Research Centre , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom
| | - Stephen J Archibald
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom.,Positron Emission Tomography Research Centre , University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull HU6 7RX , United Kingdom
| | - Paul J Lusby
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry , University of Edinburgh , Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road , Edinburgh EH9 3FJ , Scotland
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30
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Volpe A, Kurtys E, Fruhwirth GO. Cousins at work: How combining medical with optical imaging enhances in vivo cell tracking. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2018; 102:40-50. [PMID: 29960079 PMCID: PMC6593261 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Microscopy and medical imaging are related in their exploitation of electromagnetic waves, but were developed to satisfy differing needs, namely to observe small objects or to look inside subjects/objects, respectively. Together, these techniques can help elucidate complex biological processes and better understand health and disease. A current major challenge is to delineate mechanisms governing cell migration and tissue invasion in organismal development, the immune system and in human diseases such as cancer where the spatiotemporal tracking of small cell numbers in live animal models is extremely challenging. Multi-modal multi-scale in vivo cell tracking integrates medical and optical imaging. Fuelled by basic research in cancer biology and cell-based therapeutics, it has been enabled by technological advances providing enhanced resolution, sensitivity and multiplexing capabilities. Here, we review which imaging modalities have been successfully used for in vivo cell tracking and how this challenging task has benefitted from combining macroscopic with microscopic techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Volpe
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, SE1 7EH, London, UK
| | - Ewelina Kurtys
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, SE1 7EH, London, UK
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, SE1 7EH, London, UK.
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31
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Marconato L, Polton G, Stefanello D, Morello E, Ferrari R, Henriques J, Tortorella G, Benali SL, Bergottini R, Vasconi ME, Annoni M, Sabattini S. Therapeutic impact of regional lymphadenectomy in canine stage II cutaneous mast cell tumours. Vet Comp Oncol 2018; 16:580-589. [DOI: 10.1111/vco.12425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Damiano Stefanello
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria; Università degli Studi di Milano; Milan Italy
| | - Emanuela Morello
- Department of Veterinary Sciences; University of Torino; Turin Italy
| | - Roberta Ferrari
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria; Università degli Studi di Milano; Milan Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Silvia Sabattini
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences; University of Bologna; Bologna Italy
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32
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Volpe A, Man F, Lim L, Khoshnevisan A, Blower J, Blower PJ, Fruhwirth GO. Radionuclide-fluorescence Reporter Gene Imaging to Track Tumor Progression in Rodent Tumor Models. J Vis Exp 2018:57088. [PMID: 29608157 PMCID: PMC5931757 DOI: 10.3791/57088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is responsible for most cancer deaths. Despite extensive research, the mechanistic understanding of the complex processes governing metastasis remains incomplete. In vivo models are paramount for metastasis research, but require refinement. Tracking spontaneous metastasis by non-invasive in vivo imaging is now possible, but remains challenging as it requires long-time observation and high sensitivity. We describe a longitudinal combined radionuclide and fluorescence whole-body in vivo imaging approach for tracking tumor progression and spontaneous metastasis. This reporter gene methodology employs the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) fused to a fluorescent protein (FP). Cancer cells are engineered to stably express NIS-FP followed by selection based on fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Corresponding tumor models are established in mice. NIS-FP expressing cancer cells are tracked non-invasively in vivo at the whole-body level by positron emission tomography (PET) using the NIS radiotracer [18F]BF4-. PET is currently the most sensitive in vivo imaging technology available at this scale and enables reliable and absolute quantification. Current methods either rely on large cohorts of animals that are euthanized for metastasis assessment at varying time points, or rely on barely quantifiable 2D imaging. The advantages of the described method are: (i) highly sensitive non-invasive in vivo 3D PET imaging and quantification, (ii) automated PET tracer production, (iii) a significant reduction in required animal numbers due to repeat imaging options, (iv) the acquisition of paired data from subsequent imaging sessions providing better statistical data, and (v) the intrinsic option for ex vivo confirmation of cancer cells in tissues by fluorescence microscopy or cytometry. In this protocol, we describe all steps required for routine NIS-FP-afforded non-invasive in vivo cancer cell tracking using PET/CT and ex vivo confirmation of in vivo results. This protocol has applications beyond cancer research whenever in vivo localization, expansion and long-time monitoring of a cell population is of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Volpe
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London
| | - Francis Man
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London
| | - Lindsay Lim
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London
| | - Alex Khoshnevisan
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London
| | - Julia Blower
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London
| | - Philip J Blower
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London;
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Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET)/computerised tomography is now established in clinical practice for oncologic and non-oncological applications. Improvement and development of scanner hardware has allowed faster acquisitions and wider application. PET/magnetic resonance imaging offers potential improvements in diagnostic accuracy and patient acceptability but clinical applications are still being developed. A range of new radiotracers and non-radioactive contrast agents is likely to lead to a growth in hybrid molecular imaging applications that will allow better characterisation of disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Barrington
- King's College London and Guy's & St Thomas' PET Centre, London, UK
| | | | - Gary Cook
- Department of Cancer Imaging and Guy's & St Thomas' PET Centre, King's College London, London, UK
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34
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Weitsman G, Mitchell NJ, Evans R, Cheung A, Kalber TL, Bofinger R, Fruhwirth GO, Keppler M, Wright ZVF, Barber PR, Gordon P, de Koning T, Wulaningsih W, Sander K, Vojnovic B, Ameer-Beg S, Lythgoe M, Arnold JN, Årstad E, Festy F, Hailes HC, Tabor AB, Ng T. Detecting intratumoral heterogeneity of EGFR activity by liposome-based in vivo transfection of a fluorescent biosensor. Oncogene 2017; 36:3618-3628. [PMID: 28166195 PMCID: PMC5421598 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 11/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite decades of research in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling field, and many targeted anti-cancer drugs that have been tested clinically, the success rate for these agents in the clinic is low, particularly in terms of the improvement of overall survival. Intratumoral heterogeneity is proposed as a major mechanism underlying treatment failure of these molecule-targeted agents. Here we highlight the application of fluorescence lifetime microscopy (FLIM)-based biosensing to demonstrate intratumoral heterogeneity of EGFR activity. For sensing EGFR activity in cells, we used a genetically encoded CrkII-based biosensor which undergoes conformational changes upon tyrosine-221 phosphorylation by EGFR. We transfected this biosensor into EGFR-positive tumour cells using targeted lipopolyplexes bearing EGFR-binding peptides at their surfaces. In a murine model of basal-like breast cancer, we demonstrated a significant degree of intratumoral heterogeneity in EGFR activity, as well as the pharmacodynamic effect of a radionuclide-labeled EGFR inhibitor in situ. Furthermore, a significant correlation between high EGFR activity in tumour cells and macrophage-tumour cell proximity was found to in part account for the intratumoral heterogeneity in EGFR activity observed. The same effect of macrophage infiltrate on EGFR activation was also seen in a colorectal cancer xenograft. In contrast, a non-small cell lung cancer xenograft expressing a constitutively active EGFR conformational mutant exhibited macrophage proximity-independent EGFR activity. Our study validates the use of this methodology to monitor therapeutic response in terms of EGFR activity. In addition, we found iNOS gene induction in macrophages that are cultured in tumour cell-conditioned media as well as an iNOS activity-dependent increase in EGFR activity in tumour cells. These findings point towards an immune microenvironment-mediated regulation that gives rise to the observed intratumoral heterogeneity of EGFR signalling activity in tumour cells in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Weitsman
- Richard Dimbleby Department of Cancer Research, Randall Division & Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy’s Medical School Campus, London, UK
| | - N J Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK
| | - R Evans
- Richard Dimbleby Department of Cancer Research, Randall Division & Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy’s Medical School Campus, London, UK
| | - A Cheung
- Richard Dimbleby Department of Cancer Research, Randall Division & Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy’s Medical School Campus, London, UK
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - T L Kalber
- UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - R Bofinger
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK
| | - G O Fruhwirth
- Richard Dimbleby Department of Cancer Research, Randall Division & Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy’s Medical School Campus, London, UK
| | - M Keppler
- Richard Dimbleby Department of Cancer Research, Randall Division & Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy’s Medical School Campus, London, UK
| | - Z V F Wright
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK
| | - P R Barber
- Gray Laboratories, Department of Oncology, Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Oxford, UK
| | - P Gordon
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - T de Koning
- Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy’s Medical School Campus, London, UK
| | - W Wulaningsih
- Cancer Epidemiology Group, Division of Cancer Studies, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - K Sander
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - B Vojnovic
- Gray Laboratories, Department of Oncology, Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Oxford, UK
| | - S Ameer-Beg
- Richard Dimbleby Department of Cancer Research, Randall Division & Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy’s Medical School Campus, London, UK
| | - M Lythgoe
- UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - J N Arnold
- Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy’s Medical School Campus, London, UK
| | - E Årstad
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - F Festy
- King’s College London Dental Institute, Tissue Engineering and Biophotonics, Guy’s Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - H C Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK
| | - A B Tabor
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK
| | - T Ng
- Richard Dimbleby Department of Cancer Research, Randall Division & Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy’s Medical School Campus, London, UK
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King’s College London, London, UK
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O’Gorman Building, University College London, London, UK
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35
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Diocou S, Volpe A, Jauregui-Osoro M, Boudjemeline M, Chuamsaamarkkee K, Man F, Blower PJ, Ng T, Mullen GED, Fruhwirth GO. [ 18F]tetrafluoroborate-PET/CT enables sensitive tumor and metastasis in vivo imaging in a sodium iodide symporter-expressing tumor model. Sci Rep 2017; 7:946. [PMID: 28424464 PMCID: PMC5430436 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01044-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell metastasis is responsible for most cancer deaths. Non-invasive in vivo cancer cell tracking in spontaneously metastasizing tumor models still poses a challenge requiring highest sensitivity and excellent contrast. The goal of this study was to evaluate if the recently introduced PET radiotracer [18F]tetrafluoroborate ([18F]BF4-) is useful for sensitive and specific metastasis detection in an orthotopic xenograft breast cancer model expressing the human sodium iodide symporter (NIS) as a reporter. In vivo imaging was complemented by ex vivo fluorescence microscopy and γ-counting of harvested tissues. Radionuclide imaging with [18F]BF4- (PET/CT) was compared to the conventional tracer [123I]iodide (sequential SPECT/CT). We found that [18F]BF4- was superior due to better pharmacokinetics, i.e. faster tumor uptake and faster and more complete clearance from circulation. [18F]BF4--PET was also highly specific as in all detected tissues cancer cell presence was confirmed microscopically. Undetected comparable tissues were similarly found to be free of metastasis. Metastasis detection by routine metabolic imaging with [18F]FDG-PET failed due to low standard uptake values and low contrast caused by adjacent metabolically active organs in this model. [18F]BF4--PET combined with NIS expressing disease models is particularly useful whenever preclinical in vivo cell tracking is of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Diocou
- King's College London, Imaging Chemistry and Biology, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - A Volpe
- King's College London, Imaging Chemistry and Biology, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - M Jauregui-Osoro
- King's College London, Imaging Chemistry and Biology, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - M Boudjemeline
- King's College London, Imaging Chemistry and Biology, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - K Chuamsaamarkkee
- King's College London, Imaging Chemistry and Biology, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - F Man
- King's College London, Imaging Chemistry and Biology, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - P J Blower
- King's College London, Imaging Chemistry and Biology, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - T Ng
- King's College London, The Richard Dimbleby Department of Cancer Research, Randall Division of Molecular Biophysics and Cancer Division, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 1UL, UK
- UCL, Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - G E D Mullen
- King's College London, Imaging Chemistry and Biology, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
| | - G O Fruhwirth
- King's College London, Imaging Chemistry and Biology, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
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36
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Lee SB, Lee HW, Lee H, Jeon YH, Lee SW, Ahn BC, Lee J, Jeong SY. Tracking dendritic cell migration into lymph nodes by using a novel PET probe 18F-tetrafluoroborate for sodium/iodide symporter. EJNMMI Res 2017; 7:32. [PMID: 28378292 PMCID: PMC5380646 DOI: 10.1186/s13550-017-0280-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, 18F-tetrafluoroborate (TFB) was used as a substrate for the human sodium/iodide symporter (hNIS) reporter gene. This study evaluated the feasibility of performing molecular-genetic imaging by using the new radiotracer (18F-TFB) for the hNIS gene, to track dendritic cell (DC) migration in live mice. A murine dendritic cell line (DC2.4) co-expressing the hNIS and effluc genes (DC/NF) was established. To confirm the functional cellular expression of both effluc and NIS in the inoculated DC/NF cells by bio-medical imaging, combined bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and 18F-TFB positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging was performed after intramuscular injection with parental DCs and DC/NF cells. For DC-tracking, parental DCs or DC/NF cells were injected in the left or right mouse footpad, respectively, and 18F-TFB PET/CT and BLI were performed to monitor these cells in live mice. RESULTS In vivo PET/CT and BLI showed a clear signal in DC/NF injection sites but not in parental DC injection sites. The signal intensity in DC/NF cells was correlated with time. In vivo 18F-TFB PET/CT imaging showed higher radiotracer activity in the draining popliteal lymph nodes (DPLNs) in DC/NF injection sites than those in DC injection sites on day 2. BLI also showed DC/NF cell migration to the DPLNs on day 2 after the injection. CONCLUSIONS Migration of DCs to the lymph nodes was successfully monitored using 18F-TFB PET/CT imaging of the NIS gene and optical imaging of the effluc gene in live mice. These data support the feasibility of using 18F-TFB as a substrate for hNIS reporter gene imaging to track the migration of DCs to the lymph nodes in live animals. The use of 18F-TFB may facilitate enhanced PET imaging of the hNIS reporter gene in small animals and humans in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Bong Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and Hospital, 130 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea.,Leading-edge Research Center for Drug Discovery and Development for Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, Kyungpook National University Medical Center, 807 Hogukro, Buk-gu, Daegu, 41404, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Won Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and Hospital, 130 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongje Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dongnam Institution of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 40, Jwadong-gil, Jangan-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, 46033, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Hyun Jeon
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and Hospital, 130 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea.,Laboratory Animal Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), 80 Cheombok-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu, 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Woo Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and Hospital, 130 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dongnam Institution of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 40, Jwadong-gil, Jangan-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, 46033, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong-Cheol Ahn
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and Hospital, 130 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaetae Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and Hospital, 130 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea.,Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), 80 Cheombok-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu, 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin Young Jeong
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and Hospital, 130 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea.
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37
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Khoshnevisan A, Chuamsaamarkkee K, Boudjemeline M, Jackson A, Smith GE, Gee AD, Fruhwirth GO, Blower PJ. 18F-Fluorosulfate for PET Imaging of the Sodium-Iodide Symporter: Synthesis and Biologic Evaluation In Vitro and In Vivo. J Nucl Med 2017; 58:156-161. [PMID: 27539841 PMCID: PMC6233868 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.116.177519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Anion transport by the human sodium-iodide symporter (hNIS) is an established target for molecular imaging and radionuclide therapy. Current radiotracers for PET of hNIS expression are limited to 124I- and 18F-BF4- We sought new 18F-labeled hNIS substrates offering higher specific activity, higher affinity, and simpler radiochemical synthesis than 18F-BF4- METHODS: The ability of a range of anions, some containing fluorine, to block 99mTcO4- uptake in hNIS-expressing cells was measured. SO3F- emerged as a promising candidate. 18F-SO3F- was synthesized by reaction of 18F- with SO3-pyridine complex in MeCN and purified using alumina and quaternary methyl ammonium solid-phase extraction cartridges. Chemical and radiochemical purity and serum stability were determined by radiochromatography. Radiotracer uptake and efflux in hNIS-transduced HCT116-C19 cells and the hNIS-negative parent cell line were evaluated in vitro in the presence and absence of a known competitive inhibitor (NaClO4). PET/CT imaging and ex vivo biodistribution measurement were conducted on BALB/c mice, with and without NaClO4 inhibition. RESULTS Fluorosulfate was identified as a potent inhibitor of 99mTcO4- uptake via hNIS in vitro (half-maximal inhibitory concentration, 0.55-0.56 μM (in comparison with 0.29-4.5 μM for BF4-, 0.07 μM for TcO4-, and 2.7-4.7 μM for I-). Radiolabeling to produce 18F-SO3F- was simple and afforded high radiochemical purity suitable for biologic evaluation (radiochemical purity > 95%, decay-corrected radiochemical yield = 31.6%, specific activity ≥ 48.5 GBq/μmol). Specific, blockable hNIS-mediated uptake in HCT116-C19 cells was observed in vitro, and PET/CT imaging of normal mice showed uptake in thyroid, salivary glands (percentage injected dose/g at 30 min, 563 ± 140 and 32 ± 9, respectively), and stomach (percentage injected dose/g at 90 min, 68 ± 21). CONCLUSION Fluorosulfate is a high-affinity hNIS substrate. 18F-SO3F- is easily synthesized in high yield and very high specific activity and is a promising candidate for preclinical and clinical PET imaging of hNIS expression and thyroid-related disease; it is the first example of in vivo PET imaging with a tracer containing an S-18F bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Khoshnevisan
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St. Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Krisanat Chuamsaamarkkee
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St. Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Mehdi Boudjemeline
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St. Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | | | | | - Antony D Gee
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St. Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St. Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Philip J Blower
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St. Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; and
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38
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Khoshnevisan A, Jauregui-Osoro M, Shaw K, Torres JB, Young JD, Ramakrishnan NK, Jackson A, Smith GE, Gee AD, Blower PJ. [(18)F]tetrafluoroborate as a PET tracer for the sodium/iodide symporter: the importance of specific activity. EJNMMI Res 2016; 6:34. [PMID: 27103614 PMCID: PMC4840125 DOI: 10.1186/s13550-016-0188-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND [(18)F]BF4 (-), the first (18)F-labelled PET imaging agent for the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS), was produced by isotopic exchange yielding a product with limited specific activity (SA, ca. 1 GBq/μmol) posing a risk of sub-optimal target-to-background ratios (TBR) in PET images due to saturation of NIS in vivo. We sought to quantify this risk and to develop a method of production of [(18)F]BF4 (-) with higher SA. METHODS A new radiosynthesis of [(18)F]BF4 (-) was developed, involving reaction of [(18)F]F(-) with boron trifluoride diethyl etherate under anhydrous conditions, guided by (11)B and (19)F NMR studies of equilibria involving BF4 (-) and BF3. The SA of the product was determined by ion chromatography. The IC50 of [(19)F]BF4 (-) as an inhibitor of [(18)F]BF4 (-) uptake was determined in vitro using HCT116-C19 human colon cancer cells expressing the human form of NIS (hNIS). The influence of [(19)F]BF4 (-) dose on biodistribution in vivo was evaluated in normal mice by nanoPET imaging and ex vivo tissue counting. RESULTS An IC50 of 4.8 μΜ was found in vitro indicating a significant risk of in vivo NIS saturation at SA achieved by the isotopic exchange labelling method. In vivo thyroid and salivary gland uptake decreased significantly with [(19)F]BF4 (-) doses above ca. 10 μg/kg. The new radiosynthesis gave high radiochemical purity (>99 %) and moderate yield (15 %) and improved SA (>5 GBq/μmol) from a starting activity of only 1.5 GBq. CONCLUSIONS [(18)F]BF4 (-) produced at previously reported levels of SA (1 GBq/μmol) can lead to reduced uptake in NIS-expressing tissues in mice. This is much less likely in humans. The synthetic approach described provides an alternative for production of [(18)F]BF4 (-) at higher SA with sufficient yield and without need for unusually high starting activity of [(18)F]fluoride, removing the risk of NIS saturation in vivo even in mice. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN75827286 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Khoshnevisan
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Maite Jauregui-Osoro
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Karen Shaw
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Julia Baguña Torres
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Jennifer D Young
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Nisha K Ramakrishnan
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Alex Jackson
- The Grove Centre, GE Healthcare, White Lion Road, Amersham, UK
| | - Gareth E Smith
- The Grove Centre, GE Healthcare, White Lion Road, Amersham, UK
| | - Antony D Gee
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Philip J Blower
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
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39
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Edmonds S, Volpe A, Shmeeda H, Parente-Pereira AC, Radia R, Baguña-Torres J, Szanda I, Severin GW, Livieratos L, Blower PJ, Maher J, Fruhwirth GO, Gabizon A, T. M. de Rosales R. Exploiting the Metal-Chelating Properties of the Drug Cargo for In Vivo Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Liposomal Nanomedicines. ACS NANO 2016; 10:10294-10307. [PMID: 27781436 PMCID: PMC5121927 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b05935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The clinical value of current and future nanomedicines can be improved by introducing patient selection strategies based on noninvasive sensitive whole-body imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET). Thus, a broad method to radiolabel and track preformed nanomedicines such as liposomal drugs with PET radionuclides will have a wide impact in nanomedicine. Here, we introduce a simple and efficient PET radiolabeling method that exploits the metal-chelating properties of certain drugs (e.g., bisphosphonates such as alendronate and anthracyclines such as doxorubicin) and widely used ionophores to achieve excellent radiolabeling yields, purities, and stabilities with 89Zr, 52Mn, and 64Cu, and without the requirement of modification of the nanomedicine components. In a model of metastatic breast cancer, we demonstrate that this technique allows quantification of the biodistribution of a radiolabeled stealth liposomal nanomedicine containing alendronate that shows high uptake in primary tumors and metastatic organs. The versatility, efficiency, simplicity, and GMP compatibility of this method may enable submicrodosing imaging studies of liposomal nanomedicines containing chelating drugs in humans and may have clinical impact by facilitating the introduction of image-guided therapeutic strategies in current and future nanomedicine clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Edmonds
- Division
of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, United
Kingdom
| | - Alessia Volpe
- Division
of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, United
Kingdom
| | - Hilary Shmeeda
- Oncology
Institute, Shaare Zedek Medical Center and
Hebrew University−School of Medicine, Jerusalem 9103102, Israel
| | | | - Riya Radia
- Division
of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, United
Kingdom
- Department
of Chemistry, King’s College London, London SE1 1DB, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Baguña-Torres
- Division
of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, United
Kingdom
| | - Istvan Szanda
- Division
of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, United
Kingdom
| | | | - Lefteris Livieratos
- Division
of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, United
Kingdom
| | - Philip J. Blower
- Division
of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, United
Kingdom
| | - John Maher
- Division
of Cancer Studies, King’s College
London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Gilbert O. Fruhwirth
- Division
of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, United
Kingdom
| | - Alberto Gabizon
- Oncology
Institute, Shaare Zedek Medical Center and
Hebrew University−School of Medicine, Jerusalem 9103102, Israel
| | - Rafael T. M. de Rosales
- Division
of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, United
Kingdom
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40
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Lu Z, Ma L, Tan J, Wang H, Ding X. Transparent multi-layer graphene/polyethylene terephthalate structures with excellent microwave absorption and electromagnetic interference shielding performance. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:16684-16693. [PMID: 27714109 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02619b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
A high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding structure based on pure graphene (without doping) consists of several graphene sheets separated by transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films. We report the theoretical and experimental design, and characterization of the multi-layer graphene/PET structures. With a total graphene thickness of only 4 nm, the graphene/PET sample demonstrated an average shielding effectiveness of 19.14 dB at 18-26.5 GHz, with a maximum microwave absorbance of 95.82% at 25.7 GHz, while maintaining a normalized visible transmittance of 80.5%. For the multi-layer graphene/PET samples, the contribution of absorption to the total shielding exceeds 96%, indicating that absorption is the dominant shielding mechanism, instead of reflection. The microwave absorbance of the multi-layer graphene/PET structure increases rapidly from the mono- to the four-layer structures, and then more gradually as the number of layers continues to increase when the thickness of PET is 1 mm. In addition, the microwave absorbance can be improved two-fold by increasing the separation between graphene layers. We believe that this multi-layer graphene/PET structure, which exhibits high-performance microwave absorption and shielding, has great potential for applications in transparent EMI shielding devices, especially if EMI absorption is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengang Lu
- Ultra-Precision Optical & Electronic Instrument Engineering Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China.
| | - Limin Ma
- Ultra-Precision Optical & Electronic Instrument Engineering Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China.
| | - Jiubin Tan
- Ultra-Precision Optical & Electronic Instrument Engineering Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China.
| | - Heyan Wang
- Ultra-Precision Optical & Electronic Instrument Engineering Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China.
| | - Xuemei Ding
- Ultra-Precision Optical & Electronic Instrument Engineering Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China.
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41
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Southworth R, Torres Martin de Rosales R, Meszaros LK, Ma MT, Mullen GED, Fruhwirth G, Young JD, Imberti C, Bagunya-Torres J, Andreozzi E, Blower PJ. Opportunities and challenges for metal chemistry in molecular imaging: from gamma camera imaging to PET and multimodality imaging. ADVANCES IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2015; 68:1-41. [PMID: 30381783 PMCID: PMC6205628 DOI: 10.1016/bs.adioch.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The development of medical imaging is a highly multidisciplinary endeavor requiring the close cooperation of clinicians, physicists, engineers, biologists and chemists to identify capabilities, conceive challenges and solutions and apply them in the clinic. The chemistry described in this article illustrates how synergistic advances in these areas drive the technology and its applications forward, with each discipline producing innovations that in turn drive innovations in the others. The main thread running through the article is the shift from single photon radionuclide imaging towards PET, and in turn the emerging shift from PET/CT towards PET/MRI and further, combination of these with optical imaging. Chemistry to support these transitions is exemplified by building on a summary of the status quo, and recent developments, in technetium-99m chemistry for SPECT imaging, followed by a report of recent developments to support clinical application of short lived (Ga-68) and long-lived (Zr-89) positron emitting isotopes, copper isotopes for PET imaging, and combined modality imaging agents based on radiolabelled iron oxide based nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Southworth
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | | | - Levente K Meszaros
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Michelle T Ma
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Gregory E D Mullen
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Gilbert Fruhwirth
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Jennifer D Young
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Cinzia Imberti
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Julia Bagunya-Torres
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Erica Andreozzi
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Philip J Blower
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
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42
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De Souza R, Spence T, Huang H, Allen C. Preclinical imaging and translational animal models of cancer for accelerated clinical implementation of nanotechnologies and macromolecular agents. J Control Release 2015; 219:313-330. [PMID: 26409122 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The majority of animal models of cancer have performed poorly in terms of predicting clinical performance of new therapeutics, which are most often first evaluated in patients with advanced, metastatic disease. The development and use of metastatic models of cancer may enhance clinical translatability of preclinical studies focused on the development of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems and macromolecular therapeutics, potentially accelerating their clinical implementation. It is recognized that the development and use of such models are not without challenge. Preclinical imaging tools offer a solution by allowing temporal and spatial characterization of metastatic lesions. This paper provides a review of imaging methods applicable for evaluation of novel therapeutics in clinically relevant models of advanced cancer. An overview of currently utilized models of oncology in small animals is followed by image-based development and characterization of visceral metastatic cancer models. Examples of imaging tools employed for metastatic lesion detection, evaluation of anti-tumor and anti-metastatic potential and biodistribution of novel therapies, as well as the co-development and/or use of imageable surrogates of response, are also discussed. While the focus is on development of macromolecular and nanotechnology-based therapeutics, examples with small molecules are included in some cases to illustrate concepts and approaches that can be applied in the assessment of nanotechnologies or macromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel De Souza
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada.
| | - Tara Spence
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - Huang Huang
- DLVR Therapeutics, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Christine Allen
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada.
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43
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Cho JK, Hyun SH, Choi N, Kim MJ, Padera TP, Choi JY, Jeong HS. Significance of lymph node metastasis in cancer dissemination of head and neck cancer. Transl Oncol 2015; 8:119-25. [PMID: 25926078 PMCID: PMC4415144 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2015.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Lymph node metastasis (LNM) in many solid cancers is a well-known prognostic factor; however, it has been debated whether regional LNM simply reflects tumor aggressiveness or is a source for further tumor dissemination. Similarly, the metastatic process in head and neck cancer (HNC) has not been fully evaluated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relative significance of LNM in metastatic cascade of HNC using functional imaging of HNC patients and molecular imaging in in vivo models. First, we analyzed 18Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) parameters of 117 patients with oral cancer. The primary tumor and nodal PET parameters were measured separately, and survival analyses were conducted on the basis of clinical and PET variables to identify significant prognostic factors. In multivariate analyses, we found that only the metastatic node PET values were significant. Next, we compared the relative frequency of lung metastasis in primary ear tumors versus lymph node (LN) tumors, and we tested the rate of lung metastasis in another animal model, in which each animal had both primary and LN tumors that were expressing different colors. As a result, LN tumors showed higher frequencies of lung metastasis compared to orthotopic primary tumors. In color-matched comparisons, the relative contribution to lung metastasis was higher in LN tumors than in primary tumors, although both primary and LN tumors caused lung metastases. In summary, tumors growing in the LN microenvironment spread to systemic sites more commonly than primary tumors in HNC, suggesting that the adequate management of LNM can reduce further systemic metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Keun Cho
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea
| | - Seung Hyup Hyun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nayeon Choi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Min-Ji Kim
- Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Center, Research Institute for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Timothy P Padera
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratory, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joon Young Choi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Han-Sin Jeong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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44
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Jang JY, Kim MJ, Ryu G, Choi N, Ko YH, Jeong HS. Prediction of Lymph Node Metastasis by Tumor Dimension Versus Tumor Biological Properties in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas. Cancer Res Treat 2015; 48:54-62. [PMID: 25761475 PMCID: PMC4720059 DOI: 10.4143/crt.2014.332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 12/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a strong prognostic factor in many solid cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), and LNM can be dependent upon primary tumor biology, as well as tumor dimension. Here, we investigate the relative risk of LNM in accordance to tumor dimension and biology in HNSCC subsites. Materials and Methods Medical data of 295 HNSCC patients who had undergone the initial curative surgery (oral tongue 174, oropharynx 75, hypopharynx 46) were analyzed to identify the significant predictive factor for LNM. Tumor volume and thickness were set as tumor dimensional variables, and biological variables included lymphovascular, perineural invasion, and tumor differentiation. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess the predictability of LNM from variables, and subgroup analyses according to the tumor subsites. In addition, we evaluated the impacts of tumor dimension and biological variables on the treatment outcomes and survival in HNSCC subsites. Results The overall tumor dimension and biological variables had a similar impact on the prediction of LNM in HNSCC (area under the curve, 0.7682 and 0.7717). The prediction sensitivity of LNM in oral tongue cancer was mainly dependent on tumor dimension, while LNM in oroand hypo-pharynx cancers was more influenced by biological factors. Survival analyses also confirmed that biological factor was more powerful in estimating disease-free survival of hypopharyngeal cancer patients, while tumor dimension was more significant in that of oral cancer patients. Conclusion Tumor dimension and biology have a significant, tumor subsite-dependent impact on the occurrence of LNM and disease-free survival in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeon Yeob Jang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Min Ji Kim
- Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Center, Research Institute for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Gwanghui Ryu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nayeon Choi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young-Hyeh Ko
- Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Han-Sin Jeong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Beck
- Medical Genomics, Cancer Biology Department, UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Tony Ng
- Richard Dimbleby Department of Cancer Research, Randall Division and Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, Guy's Medical School Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK ; Department of Molecular Oncology, UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK ; Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit, Department of Research Oncology, Guy's Hospital King's College London School of Medicine, London SE1 9RT, UK
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