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Gao X, Wang Q, Yang X, Fang J, Li H, Xi H, Lin J, Qiu L. Legumain-Triggered Macrocyclization of Radiofluorinated Tracer for Enhanced PET Imaging. Bioconjug Chem 2024; 35:665-673. [PMID: 38598424 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Enhancing the accumulation and retention of small-molecule probes in tumors is an important way to achieve accurate cancer diagnosis and therapy. Enzyme-stimulated macrocyclization of small molecules possesses great potential for enhanced positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of tumors. Herein, we reported an 18F-labeled radiotracer [18F]AlF-RSM for legumain detection in vivo. The tracer was prepared by a one-step aluminum-fluoride-restrained complexing agent ([18F]AlF-RESCA) method with high radiochemical yield (RCY) (88.35 ± 3.93%) and radiochemical purity (RCP) (>95%). More notably, the tracer can be transformed into a hydrophobic macrocyclic molecule under the joint action of legumain and reductant. Simultaneously, the tracer could target legumain-positive tumors and enhance accumulation and retention in tumors, resulting in the amplification of PET imaging signals. The enhancement of radioactivity enables PET imaging of legumain activity with high specificity. We envision that, by combining this highly efficient 18F-labeled strategy with our intramolecular macrocyclization reaction, a range of radiofluorinated tracers can be designed for tumor PET imaging and early cancer diagnosis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Gao
- School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, PR China
| | - Qianhui Wang
- School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, PR China
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, PR China
| | - Jing Fang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, PR China
| | - Huirong Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, PR China
| | - Hongjie Xi
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, PR China
| | - Jianguo Lin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, PR China
| | - Ling Qiu
- School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, PR China
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Hua D, Xi H, Xie Q, Cai S, Zhou Y, Hu X, Qiu L, Lin J. Lysosome-targeting and legumain-triggered 68Ga-labeled probe for enhanced tumor PET imaging. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 703:149646. [PMID: 38350212 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Legumain is overexpressed in diverse tumors, serving as a significant tumor biomarker. Our study aimed to develop a new positron emission tomography (PET) probe [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-SF-AANM for imaging the expression level of legumain in vivo. The radio-labeling of [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-SF-AANM was accomplished within 15 min. The probe has good stability in vitro. NOTA-SF-AANM exhibited rapid response to recombinant human legumain enzyme, enabling intramolecular condensation cyclization. Cellular uptake and lysosomal co-localization experiments demonstrated that the probe was able to differentiate specifically between MDA-MB-468 and PC-3 cancer cells with varying degrees of legumain expression. PET imaging displayed a significant and persistent signal (3.59 ± 0.30 %ID/mL at 60 min) in MDA-MB-468 tumors, while PC-3 tumors exhibited lower radioactivity (1.08 ± 0.35 %ID/mL at 60 min), further validating the specific targeting of [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-SF-AANM towards legumain. [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-SF-AANM is a promising tool for precise diagnosis of legumain-related diseases due to its advantages in radio-labeling and accurate monitoring of legumain expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Hua
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, 214063, China
| | - Hongjie Xi
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, 214063, China
| | - Quan Xie
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, 214063, China
| | - Shuyue Cai
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, 214063, China
| | - Yuxuan Zhou
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, 214063, China
| | - Xin Hu
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, 214063, China
| | - Ling Qiu
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, 214063, China
| | - Jianguo Lin
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, 214063, China.
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Li H, Liang B, Gao X, Peng Y, Liu Q, Qiu L, Lin J. Cathepsin B-Activated PET Tracer for In Vivo Tumor Imaging. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:1382-1389. [PMID: 38372213 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c01034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Cathepsin B, a lysosomal protease, is considered as a crucial biomarker for tumor diagnosis and treatment as it is overexpressed in numerous cancers. A stimulus-responsive SF scaffold has been reported to detect the activity of a variety of tumor-associated enzymes. In this work, a small-molecule PET tracer ([68Ga]NOTA-SF-CV) was developed by combining an SF scaffold with a cathepsin B-specific recognition substrate Cit-Val. Upon activation by cathepsin B, [68Ga]NOTA-SF-CV could form the cyclization product in a reduction environment, resulting in reduced hydrophilicity. This unique property could effectively prevent exocytosis of the tracer in cathepsin B-overexpressing tumor cells, leading to prolonged retention and amplified PET imaging signal. Moreover, [68Ga]NOTA-SF-CV had great targeting specificity to cathepsin B. In vivo microPET imaging results showed that [68Ga]NOTA-SF-CV was able to effectively visualize the expression level of cathepsin B in various tumors. Hence, [68Ga]NOTA-SF-CV may be served as a potential tracer for diagnosing cathepsin B-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huirong Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Beibei Liang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Xiaoqing Gao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Ying Peng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Qingzhu Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Ling Qiu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Jianguo Lin
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
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Lu C, Li K, Xi H, Hua D, Li H, Gao F, Qiu L, Lin J. Dual-Targeting PET Tracers Enable Enzyme-Mediated Self-Assembly for the PET Imaging of Legumain Activity. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:44654-44664. [PMID: 37704192 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c07479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Legumain, a lysosomal cysteine protease overexpressed in a variety of tumors, has been considered a promising biomarker for various cancers. Precise detection of legumain activity in the lysosome represents an important strategy for early diagnosis and prognosis of tumors. Small-molecule probes with the property of target-enabled self-assembly hold great potential for molecular imaging. In this study, we reported two dual-targeting radiotracers ([18F]SF-AAN-M and [18F]SF-AAN-HEM) with a property of legumain-mediated self-assembly for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Both the radiotracers were synthesized with high labeling yield (>50%) and the radiochemical purity was over 99% via one-step straightforward 18F-labeling. Both tracers were efficiently activated by the reducing agent and legumain to self-assemble into aggregates and showed enhanced retention in legumain-overexpressed MDA-MB-468 cells and tumors, indicating that the introduction of lysosome-targeting morpholine increased the tumor uptake and extended the retention of radiotracers in legumain-overexpressed tumors. In addition, [18F]SF-AAN-HEM with a hydrophilic (histidine-glutamate)3 tag displayed significantly reduced liver uptake with no conspicuous reduction in tumor uptake, affording high signal-to-noise ratios (tumor/liver and tumor/muscle). All of these results suggest that dual-targeting tracer [18F]SF-AAN-HEM could provide a promising tool for in vivo monitoring legumain activity in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Lu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Ke Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Hongjie Xi
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Di Hua
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Huirong Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education and Biomedical Isotope Research Center School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Ling Qiu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Jianguo Lin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
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Khan SU, Khan IM, Khan MU, Ud Din MA, Khan MZ, Khan NM, Liu Y. Role of LGMN in tumor development and its progression and connection with the tumor microenvironment. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1121964. [PMID: 36825203 PMCID: PMC9942682 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1121964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Legumain (LGMN) has been demonstrated to be overexpressed not just in breast, prostatic, and liver tumor cells, but also in the macrophages that compose the tumor microenvironment. This supports the idea that LGMN is a pivotal protein in regulating tumor development, invasion, and dissemination. Targeting LGMN with siRNA or chemotherapeutic medicines and peptides can suppress cancer cell proliferation in culture and reduce tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, legumain can be used as a marker for cancer detection and targeting due to its expression being significantly lower in normal cells compared to tumors or tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Tumor formation is influenced by aberrant expression of proteins and alterations in cellular architecture, but the tumor microenvironment is a crucial deciding factor. Legumain (LGMN) is an in vivo-active cysteine protease that catalyzes the degradation of numerous proteins. Its precise biological mechanism encompasses a number of routes, including effects on tumor-associated macrophage and neovascular endothelium in the tumor microenvironment. The purpose of this work is to establish a rationale for thoroughly investigating the function of LGMN in the tumor microenvironment and discovering novel tumor early diagnosis markers and therapeutic targets by reviewing the function of LGMN in tumor genesis and progression and its relationship with tumor milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safir Ullah Khan
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Embryo Development and Reproduction Regulation, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Hormone and Reproduction, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China,Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ibrar Muhammad Khan
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Embryo Development and Reproduction Regulation, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Hormone and Reproduction, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China,*Correspondence: Ibrar Muhammad Khan, ; Yong Liu,
| | - Munir Ullah Khan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, International Research Center for X Polymers, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Muhammad Azhar Ud Din
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan KPK, Dera IsmailKhan, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zahoor Khan
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture, Dera IsmailKhan, Pakistan
| | - Nazir Muhammad Khan
- Department of Zoology, University of Science and Technology, Bannu, Pakistan
| | - Yong Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Embryo Development and Reproduction Regulation, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Hormone and Reproduction, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China,*Correspondence: Ibrar Muhammad Khan, ; Yong Liu,
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