Immunotherapy Enhancement by Targeting Extracellular Tumor pH in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Mouse Model

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), as one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, is characterized by a poor prognosis and a very low rate of disease-free and overall survival. In recent years, immunotherapeutic approaches targeting T cell checkpoint molecules, such as cytotoxic lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), programmed death1 (PD-1) or its ligand, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), have shown great potential and have been used to treat various cancers as single therapies or in combination with other modalities. However, despite this remarkable progress, patients with TNBC have shown a low response rate to this approach, commonly developing resistance to immune checkpoint blockade, leading to treatment failure. Extracellular acidosis within the tumor microenvironment (also known as the Warburg effect) is one of the factors preventing immune cells from mounting effective responses and contributing to immunotherapy treatment failure. Therefore, reducing tumor acidity is important for increasing cancer immunotherapy effectiveness and this has yet to be realized in the TNBC environment. In this study, the oral administration of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) enhanced the antitumor effect of anti-PD-L1 antibody treatment, as demonstrated by generated antitumor immunity, tumor growth inhibition and enhanced survival in 4T1-Luc breast cancer model. Here, we show that NaHCO3 increased extracellular pH (pHe) in tumor tissues in vivo, an effect that was accompanied by an increase in T cell infiltration, T cell activation and IFN-γ, IL2 and IL12p40 mRNA expression in tumor tissues, as well as an increase in T cell activation in tumor-draining lymph nodes. Interestingly, these changes were further enhanced in response to combined NaHCO3 + anti-PD-L1 therapy. In addition, the acidic extracellular conditions caused a significant increase in PD-L1 expression in vitro. Taken together, these results indicate that alkalizing therapy holds potential as a new tumor microenvironment immunomodulator and we hypothesize that NaHCO3 can enhance the antitumor effects of anti-PD-L1 breast cancer therapy. The combination of these treatments may have an exceptional impact on future TNBC immunotherapeutic approaches by providing a powerful personalized medicine paradigm. Therefore, our findings have a great translational potential for improving outcomes in TNBC patients.

Development of Curcumin and Piperine-Loaded Bio-Active Self-Nanoemulsifying Drugs and Investigation of Their Bioactivity in Zebrafish Embryos and Human Hematological Cancer Cell Lines

Purpose

Curcumin (CUR) and piperine (PP) are bioactive compounds with prominent pharmacological activities that have been investigated for the treatment of various diseases. The aim of the present study is to develop Bio-SNEDDS for CUR and PP as a combined delivery system for cancer therapy.

Methods

CUR and PP loaded Bio-SNEDDSs with varying compositions of bioactive lipid oils, surfactants, and cosolvents were prepared at room temperature. Bio-SNEDDSs were characterized using a Zetasizer Nano particle size analyzer and further examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for morphology. The in vivo toxicity of the preparations of Bio-SNEDDS was investigated in wild-type zebrafish embryos and cytotoxicity in THP-1 (human leukemia monocytic cells), Jurkat (human T lymphocyte cells) and HUVEC (non-cancerous normal) cells.

Results

Bio-SNEDDSs were successfully developed with black seed oil, Imwitor 988, Transcutol P and Cremophor RH40 at a ratio of 20/20/10/50 (%w/w). The droplet size, polydispersity index and zeta potential of the optimized Bio-SNEDDS were found to be 42.13 nm, 0.59, and -19.30 mV, respectively. Bio-SNEDDS showed a spherical structure evident by TEM analysis. The results showed that Bio-SNEDDS did not induce toxicity in zebrafish embryos at concentrations between 0.40 and 30.00 μg/mL. In TG (fli1: EGFP) embryos treated with Bio-SNEDDS, there was no change in the blood vessel structure. The O-dianisidine staining of Bio-SNEDDS treated embryos at 48 h post-fertilization also showed a significant reduction in the number of blood cells compared to mock (DMSO 0.1% V/V) treated embryos. Bio-SNEDDS induced significant levels of cytotoxicity in the hematological cell lines THP-1 and Jurkat, while low toxicity in normal HUVEC cell lines was observed with IC50 values of 18.63±0.23 μg/mL, 26.03 ± 1.5 μg/mL and 17.52 ± 0.22 μg/mL, respectively.

Conclusion

Bio-SNEDDS exhibited enhanced anticancer activity and could thus be an important new pharmaceutical formulation to treat leukemia.

Energy Harvesting by Mesoporous Reduced Graphene Oxide Enhanced the Mediator-Free Glucose-Powered Enzymatic Biofuel Cell for Biomedical Applications

Harnessing electrochemical energy in an engineered electrical circuit from biochemical substrates in the human body using biofuel cells is gaining increasing research attention in the current decade due to the wide range of biomedical possibilities it creates for electronic devices. In this report, we describe and characterize the construction of just such an enzymatic biofuel cell (EBFC). It is simple, mediator-free, and glucose-powered, employing only biocompatible materials. A novel feature is the two-dimensional mesoporous thermally reduced graphene oxide (rGO) host electrode. An additionally novelty is that we explored the potential of using biocompatible, low-cost filter paper (FP) instead of carbon paper, a conductive polymer, or gold as support for the host electrode. Using glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and molecular oxygen (O₂) as the power-generating fuel, the cell consists of a pair of bioelectrodes incorporating immobilized enzymes, the bioanode modified by rGO-glucose oxidase (GOx/rGO), and the biocathode modified by rGO-laccase (Lac/rGO). Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy techniques have been employed to investigate the surface morphology, defects, and chemical structure of rGO, GOx/rGO, and Lac/rGO. N₂ sorption, SEM/EDX, and powder X-ray diffraction revealed a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area (179 m² g^-1) mesoporous rGO structure with the high C/O ratio of 80:1 as well. Results from the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies indicated that GOx remained in its native biochemical functional form upon being embedded onto the rGO matrix. Cyclic voltammetry studies showed that the presence of mesoporous rGO greatly enhanced the direct electrochemistry and electrocatalytic properties of the GOx/rGO and Lac/rGO nanocomposites. The electron transfer rate constant between GOx and rGO was estimated to be 2.14 s^-1. The fabricated EBFC (GOx/rGO/FP-Lac/rGO/FP) using a single GOx/rGO/FP bioanode and a single Lac/rGO/FP biocathode provides a maximum power density (P_max) of 4.0 nW cm^-2 with an open-circuit voltage (V_OC) of 0.04 V and remains stable for more than 15 days with a power output of ∼9.0 nW cm^-2 at a pH of 7.4 under ambient conditions.

Effect of Agaricus blazei Murill on exploratory behavior of mice-model

Increased anxiety and depressive symptoms have reported to be its association with long term illness. Because of having unwanted effects of newly available drugs, patients administering anxiolytic drugs usually discontinue the treatment before they are completely recovered. Therefore, there is a serious need to develop new anxiolytic drugs. The anxiolytic effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Agaricus blazei in animal models was assessed. 24 male mice (Mus musculus genus) were included in the study. Four groups were prepared and each group contained six animals. The groups were vehicle control, positive control (diazepam 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) as well as two treatment groups receiving Agaricus blazei hydro-alcoholic extract at a dose of 136.50 mg/kg and 273.0 mg/kg orally. The Marble burying test, Nestlet shredding test and Light and Dark box test used to assess anxiolytic activity. Mice administered with diazepam 1.0 mg/kg, i.p. while hydro-alcoholic extract of AbM (136.50 and 273.0 mg/kg, respectively) was administered via oral route which exhibited marked reduction in number of marbles-burying as compared to vehicle control group. Mice administered with diazepam 1.0 mg/kg, i.p. and Oral administration of hydro-alcoholic extract of AbM (136.50 and 273.0 mg/kg, respectively) exhibited significant decrease in nestlet shredding in comparison to vehicle control group. The oral administration of hydro-alcoholic extract at a dose of 136.5mg/kg and 273mg/kg showed elevation in time spent in light box and was comparable to standard treated group while time spent by mice following oral administration of hydro-alcoholic extract of Agaricus blazei at a dose of 273.0 mg/kg also showed elevation and was found to be more near to standard treated group (diazepam 1 mg/kg, i.p.).

Sensitive Detection of Thiourea Hazardous Toxin with Sandwich-Type Nafion/CuO/ZnO Nanospikes/Glassy Carbon Composite Electrodes

In this research study, we developed a voltammetric electrochemical sensor probe with a copolymer Nafion (Sulfonated Tetrafluoroethylene-based Fluoro-polymer) decorated with hydrothermally prepared sandwich-type CuO/ZnO nanospikes (NSs) onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for reliable thiourea (TU) detection. The detailed characterizations in terms of structural morphology, binding energy, elemental compositions, grain size and crystallinity for synthesized NSs were performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively. The differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) analysis for TU showed good linearity at current-versus-TU concentration on the calibration plot in the 0.15~1.20 mM range, which is defined as a dynamic detection range (LDR) of TU in a phosphate buffer solution. Considering the slope of LDR over the GCE-coated NSs surface area (0.0316 cm2), the TU sensor sensitivity (0.4122 µA µM-1 cm-2) was obtained. Besides this, the low limit (LOD) for TU detection was calculated and found to be 23.03 ± 1.15 µM. The fabricated Nafion/CuO/ZnO NSs/GCE sensor probe was created as a reliable sensor based on reproducibility, interference effect, stability and response time. Real bio-samples were investigated and the results confirm the anticipated reliability of the TU sensor probe. Thus, this is a noble way to develop enzyme-free electrochemical sensors that could be an alternative approach for the detection of chemicals in the field of enzyme-free biosensor development technology.

Dendrimer-Based Nanomedicine (Paramagnetic Nanoparticle, Nanocombretastatin, Nanocurcumin) for Glioblastoma Multiforme Imaging and Therapy

In brain tumors, delivering nanoparticles across the blood-brain tumor barrier presents a major challenge. Dual mode magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescent imaging probes have been developed where relaxation based Gd-DOTA or ParaCEST agents and a Near-Infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye, DL680 were conjugated on the surface of dendrimer. The in vivo and ex vivo imaging of the dual-modality contrast agent showed excellent potential utility for identifying the location of glioma tumors. Systemic delivery of the subsequent nano-sized agent demonstrated glioma-specific accumulation, probably due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect. The biodistribution studies revealed the G5 agents have accumulated in the glioma tumor and the liver while a G3 agent only accumulated in the brain tumor but not in the liver or kidney. Hydrophobic drug molecules like Combrestatin A4 (CA4) or curcumin have also been conjugated with dendrimers that provided high aqueous solubility with improved therapeutic effect.

Amelioration potential of Moringa oleifera extracts against sodium arsenate induced embryotoxicity and genotoxicity in mouse (Mus musculus)

Previous studies have suggested that arsenic crosses the placenta and affects the fetus development. The study under consideration aims to show comparative ameliorative effect of Moringa oleifera leaf and flower extracts against sodium arsenate induced fetus toxicity of mice. Pregnant mice (N=44) were kept in lab and divided into eleven group from (A to K) and were orally administered the doses 6 mg/kg, 12 mg/kg for sodium arsenate, 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg for Moringa oleifera leaf extracts (MOLE) and 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg for Moringa oleifera flower extracts (MOFE) comparing with control. The investigation revealed evident reduction in the fetuses weight, hind limb, fore limb, tail and snout length, crown rump and head circumferences well as malformations in tail, feet, arms, legs, skin and eyes in the negative control group (only administered with sodium arsenate). Co-administration of sodium arsenate with MOLE and MOFE ameliorate the reversed effect of sodium arsenate on the shape, length, body weight and DNA damage of fetus significantly at 95% confidence interval. However, Moringa oleifera leaf extract showed more significant results in comparison to Moringa oleifera flower extract. Hence concluded that Moringa oleifera leaf extract ameliorated the embryo toxic effects of sodium arsenate and can be used against environmental teratogens.

Addition of Anti-thymocyte Globulin in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation With Peripheral Stem Cells From Matched Unrelated Donors Improves Graft-Versus-Host Disease and Relapse Free Survival

Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) is commonly used to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). To evaluate the impact of ATG as part of the GvHD prophylaxis in our institution, we report the outcome of 415 patients with matched unrelated donors (MUD) transplanted for hematological malignancies with or without ATG from 2005 to 2019 at Oslo University Hospital, Norway. The following groups were compared: (1) 154 patients transplanted with peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) without ATG 2005-2014. (2) 137 patients transplanted with bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) 2005-2019. (3) 124 patients transplanted with PBSC and ATG (PBSC + ATG) 2014-2019. Three years survival was similar in the groups, 61% following allografting with PBSC, 54% with BMSC, and 59% with PBSC + ATG. Acute GvHD grade III-IV was 14%, 14%, and 7%; chronic GvHD was 81%, 32, and 26%; and extensive cGvHD 44%, 15%, and 6% in the corresponding groups. Both acute and chronic GvHD were significantly reduced in the PBSC + ATG-versus the PBSC group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001 respectively).Transplant-related mortality (TRM) was 33%, 25%, and 17% (p = 0.18). Graft versus host disease and relapse free survival (GRFS) at 3 years was 43 %, 43%, and 64% in the groups. Adding ATG to the GvHD prophylaxis regimen of MUD allo-HSCT with PBSC resulted in a substantial reduction of both acute and chronic GvHD without compromising the disease control, reflected in a superior 3 years GRFS.

MiR-17-92 enriched exosomes derived from multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells enhance axon-myelin remodeling and motor electrophysiological recovery after stroke

MiR-17-92 cluster enriched exosomes derived from multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) increase functional recovery after stroke. Here, we investigate the mechanisms underlying this recovery. At 24 h (h) post transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, rats received control liposomes or exosomes derived from MSCs infected with pre-miR-17-92 expression lentivirus (Exo-miR-17-92⁺) or control lentivirus (Exo-Con) intravenously. Compared to the liposomes, exosomes significantly reduced the intracortical microstimulation threshold current of the contralateral cortex for evoking impaired forelimb movements (day 21), increased the neurite and myelin density in the ischemic boundary area, and contralesional axonal sprouting into the caudal forelimb area of ipsilateral side and in the denervated spinal cord (day 28), respectively. The Exo-miR-17-92⁺ further enhanced axon-myelin remodeling and electrophysiological recovery compared with the EXO-Con. Ex vivo cultured rat brain slice data showed that myelin and neuronal fiber density were significantly increased by Exo-miR-17-92⁺, while significantly inhibited by application of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors. Our studies suggest that the miR-17-92 cluster enriched MSC exosomes enhanced neuro-functional recovery of stroke may be attributed to an increase of axonal extension and myelination, and this enhanced axon-myelin remodeling may be mediated in part via the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway induced by the downregulation of PTEN.

Enhancing the Performance of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Using Silver Nanoparticles Modified Photoanode

In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized, and applied to a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) to enhance the efficiency of solar cells. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized with UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The silver nanoparticles infused titanium dioxide film was also characterized by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The performance of DSSC fabricated with silver nanoparticle-modified photoanode was compared with that of a control group. The current and voltage characteristics of the devices as well as the electrochemical impedance measurements were also carried out to assess the performance of the fabricated solar cells. The solar-to-electric efficiency of silver nanoparticles based DSSC was 1.76%, which is quite remarkable compared to the 0.98% realized for DSSC fabricated without silver nanoparticles.

Elliptical metallic rings-shaped fractal metamaterial absorber in the visible regime

Achieving the broadband response of metamaterial absorbers has been quite challenging due to the inherent bandwidth limitations. Herein, the investigation was made of a unique kind of visible light metamaterial absorber comprising elliptical rings-shaped fractal metasurface using tungsten metal. It was found that the proposed absorber exhibits average absorption of over 90% in the visible wavelength span of 400-750 nm. The features of perfect absorption could be observed because of the localized surface plasmon resonance that causes impedance matching. Moreover, in the context of optoelectronic applications, the absorber yields absorbance up to ~ 70% even with the incidence obliquity in the range of 0°-60° for transverse electric polarization. The theory of multiple reflections was employed to further verify the performance of the absorber. The obtained theoretical results were found to be in close agreement with the simulation results. In order to optimize the results, the performance was analyzed in terms of the figure of merit and operating bandwidth. Significant amount of absorption in the entire visible span, wide-angle stability, and utilization of low-cost metal make the proposed absorber suitable in varieties of photonics applications, in particular photovoltaics, thermal emitters and sensors.

Glioblastoma: Targeting Angiogenesis and Tyrosine Kinase Pathways

Angiogenesis is a hallmark of glioblastoma (GBM) and remains an important therapeutic target in its treatment, especially for recurrent GBM. GBMs are characterized by the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an important regulator and promoter of angiogenesis. Therefore, antiangiogenic therapies (AATs) targeting VEGF or VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) were designed and thought to be an effective tool for controlling the growth of GBM. However, recent results of different clinical trials using humanized monoclonal antibodies against VEGF (bevacizumab), as well as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that target different VEGFRs alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents demonstrated mixed results, with the majority of reports indicating that GBM developed resistance against antiangiogenic treatments.

Lipoic Acid Decorated Gold Nanoparticles and Their Application in the Detection of Lead Ions

A simple colorimetric method has been developed for the detection of lead (Pb²⁺) in water samples using lipoic acid-functionalized gold nanoparticles. The lipoic acid-functionalized gold nanoparticles are induced to aggregate in the presence of the Pb²⁺ which results in a change in the color of the functionalized gold nanoparticles. The change in color and the amount of Pb²⁺ producing the change could be monitored via UV-visible spectrophotometry. A good correlation coefficient of 0.9927 was obtained for the calibration curve of the colorimetric method. The method was applied in the determination of Pb²⁺ in water samples and the results compared to that of measurement carried out with Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy.

Photophysical Studies of Ruthenium-Based Complexes and the Performance of Nanostructured TiO2 Based Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted enormous attention in the last couple of decades due to their relatively small size, low cost and minimal environmental impact. DSSCs convert solar energy to electrical energy with the aid of a sensitizing dye. In this work, two ruthenium-based dyes, tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride (Rubpy) and ruthenium(II)2,2'-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)-4,4'-bipyridine (RubbbpyH2), were synthesized, characterized, and investigated for use as dye sensitizers in the fabrication of DSSCs. The photovoltaic performance of the ruthenium-based DSSCs was assessed. The solar-to-electric power efficiency of the RubbbpyH2 DSSC was 0.2% and that of the Rubpy was 0.03%. The RubbbpyH2 was also deprotonated and analyzed to study the effect of deprotonation on the efficiency of the solar cell. The deprotonated species, Rubbbpy, recorded an average efficiency of 0.12%. Thus, a change in pH did not enhance the efficiency of the solar cell. The cells were further characterized by impedance measurements. The photocurrent-photovoltage results were not consistent with the absorption spectra since Rubbbpy showed a more prominent band than RubbbpyH2 but had a lower efficiency.

Prevalence and Common Risk Factors of Hypertension among School Children Aged 12-16 Years in Sylhet Metropolitan City, Bangladesh

Hypertension is a common disease associated with high mortality and morbidity. Hypertension could have its origin in childhood and go undetected unless specially looked for during this period. With globalization bringing more lifestyle modifications, adolescents are exposed to multiple risk factors including obesity, diet, academic stress, lack of physical work apart from hereditary risk factors. Early diagnosis of hypertension is an important strategy in its control, effective treatment and prevention of complications. This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Sylhet during the period from January 2014 to June 2014. One thousand (1000) school children aged 12-16 years in Sylhet Metropolitan City were included according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria were all school children aged 12-16 years in Sylhet Metropolitan City. School children aged under 12 or above 16 years and with any systemic disorder were excluded. This study showed that prevalence of hypertension in school going children of Sylhet city was 0.70% and there was a significant relationship of hypertension with the obesity, family history of hypertension, dietary habit and physical activity. Among 7 (seven) hypertensive children, 3(42.8%) were over weight and 3(42.8%) obese (p=0.001). All of 7(100%) children had family history of hypertension (p=0.001). Dietary habit were found healthy in 1(14.3%) and unhealthy in 6(85.7%) (p=0.001). Among 7 positive respondent, 6(85.7%) was sedentary working and 1(14.3%) was inactive (p=0.001). While waist hip ratio among those, 2(28.6%) were excellent and 5(71.4%) were average; was not significant (p=0.745). Prevalence of hypertension in apparently healthy school going children of Sylhet city was 0.70% and this had a strong relationship with obesity, family history of hypertension, dietary habit and physical activity.

Terahertz Reflectometry Imaging of Carbon Nanomaterials for Biological Application

The multiwalled carbon nanotubes has a myriad of applications due to its unique electrical and mechanical properties. The biomedical application of multiwalled carbon nanotubes that have been reported include drug delivery, medical imaging, gene delivery, tissue regeneration, and diagnostics. Proper characterization is required to enhance the potential application of the multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Terahertz technology is a relatively unfamiliar spectrometric technique that show promise in efficiently characterizing multiwalled carbon nanotubes. In this paper, terahertz imaging was used to characterize multiwalled carbon nanotube in comparison with other characterization techniques, including transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The average diameter of the carbon nanotubes from the reconstructed terahertz images was 48.54 nm, while the average length of a fiber was found to be approximately 1.2 μm. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes were additionally characterized by FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

MRI Monitoring of Cerebral Blood Flow after the Delivery of Nanocombretastatin across the Blood Brain Tumor Barrier

Introduction of polymeric nanoparticles in cancer therapeutics is widely investigated since nanomedicine often enables the intratumoral delivery of drugs with increased efficacy with minimal side effects. In this study MRI monitoring was employed to study the therapeutic effect of nanocombretastatin (G3-CA4) in an orthotopic glioma model. Water insoluble combretastatin (CA4) was conjugated to a small-sized water soluble G3-succinamic acid PAMAM dendrimer. Nanoconstruct sizes were determined by TEM to be 3 to 5 nm. Intravenous (i.v.) delivery of G3-CA4 in an orthotopic glioma model produced a long-lived ischemia accompanied by necrosis at the core of the tumor but leaving a rim of viable tissue. In contrast, delivery of CA4 alone has no therapeutic effect in an experimental rat model of glioma.

Brassinosteroid biosynthesis, stress resistance in plants, and application of brassinosteroids in plant biotechnology

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are newly discovered plant hormones that protect the plants from biotic and abiotic stress. Plants produce these hormones at all times, however, the quantity and location of their production vary. It has been demonstrated that BRs help the plants to regulate their response to stress conditions and make them more resistant to pest attack, extreme hot or cold environment, water scarcity, and salinity, among other types of stress. Manipulation of genes involved in the synthesis of BRs in different plants is a feasible strategy for genetic improvement of crop production and stress tolerance.

Statistical Evidence for the Role of Southwestern Indian Ocean Heat Content in the Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall

This study examines the benefit of using Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT) to aid in the prediction of the sign of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) anomalies. This is a statistical examination, rather than a process study. The thermal energy needed for maintaining and intensifying hurricanes and monsoons comes from the upper ocean, not just from the thin layer represented by sea surface temperature (SST) alone. Here, we show that the southwestern Indian OMT down to the depth of the 26 °C isotherm during January–March is a better qualitative predictor of the ISMR than SST. The success rate in predicting above- or below-average ISMR is 80% for OMT compared to 60% for SST. Other January–March mean climate indices (e.g., NINO3.4, Indian Ocean Dipole Mode Index, El Niño Southern Oscillation Modoki Index) have less predictability (52%, 48%, and 56%, respectively) than OMT percentage deviation (PD) (80%). Thus, OMT PD in the southwestern Indian Ocean provides a better qualitative prediction of ISMR by the end of March and indicates whether the ISMR will be above or below the climatological mean value.

Molecular epidemiology, associated risk factors, and phylogenetic analysis of anaplasmosis in camel

Camel Anaplasmosis is caused by members of family Anaplasmatacae, a tick transmitted, obligate intracellular bacteria. The etiological bacteria are transmitted by ixodid tick species. The species have multi host range distribution that is why it is crucial to diagnose it timely. The aim of present study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology i.e. prevalence and risk factors analysis of camel anaplasmosis. Furthermore, variations in hematological standards were also evaluated. The study found an overall 13.33% prevalence in camels. The confirmation of PCR positive samples for Anaplasma spp. was made through sequencing, the study isolatesshowed high homology with Iranian, Chinese, Philippines and South African isolates of Anaplasmatacae (Accession numbers'; KX765882, KP062964, KY242456, LC007100 and U54806) on BLAST queries. The phylogenetic analysis revealedthree study isolates of present study clustered with each other and the cluster was found closer to Chinese isolate of A. phagocytophilum (KY242456), A. marginale (KU586048), and Mongolian isolates of A. ovis (LC194134). Two of the isolates resembled Iranian isolate of Candidatus Anaplasmacamelii (KX765882), while one isolate resembled with Chinese isolates of A. Platys (KX987336) and Croatian isolates of A. Platys (KY114935). The key risk factors odds ratio (OR>1) identified for occurrence of camel anaplasmosis using regression model found sex and age of animal, previous tick history, tick infestation and tick control status, housing type, cracks in walls, rearing system and other species in surrounding as the key risk factors. The hematological parameters like lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes and platelets count were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in diseased camels than healthy. This is the first ever molecular data on camel anaplasmosis in Pakistan. The disease should be monitored unceasingly as the etiologies have multi host distribution. Prompt attention should be offered to animals because neutropenia, lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia can exacerbate the disease by making the animal predisposed to otherdiseases.

Dendrimer-based Nanoparticle for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells with Improved Efficiency

Dye sensitized solar cells were fabricated with DyLight680 (DL680) dye and its corresponding europium conjugated dendrimer, DL680-Eu-G5PAMAM, to study the effect of europium on the current and voltage characteristics of the DL680 dye sensitized solar cell. The dye samples were characterized by using Absorption Spectroscopy, Emission Spectroscopy, Fluorescence lifetime and Fourier Transform Infrared measurements. Transmission electron microscopy imaging was carried out on the DL680-Eu-G5PAMAM dye and DL680-Eu-G5PAMAM dye sensitized titanium dioxide nanoparticles to analyze the size of the dye molecules and examine the interaction of the dye with titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The DL680-Eu-G5PAMAM dye sensitized solar cells demonstrated an enhanced solar-to-electric energy conversion of 0.32% under full light illumination (100 mWcm⁻², AM 1.5 Global) in comparison with that of DL680 dye sensitized cells which recorded an average solar-to-electric energy conversion of only 0.19%. The improvement of the efficiency could be due to the presence of the europium that enhances the propensity of dye to absorb sunlight.

Tetramethylpyrazine inhibited hypoxia-induced expression of calcium-sensing receptors in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells in chickens

Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is a biologically active ingredient, which is isolated from a popularChinese medicinal plant. It has been used effectively to treat ischemic heart problems, cerebrovascular and thrombotic vascular diseases. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of TMP on calciumsensing receptors in pulmonary artery smooth muscle in chickens. For this purpose forty day-old chicks were distributed into five groups: the control group, the hypoxia group (kept under low Oxygen treatment), and TMP groups (kept under low Oxygen treatment along with treatment of different concentrations of TMP). The pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells were also cultured on 6-well plates in high glucose culture medium and divided into the same five groups. We used in vivo and in vitro study models by applying immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR assay and Western blotting analysis. Our results showed that pre-incubation with hypoxia markedly stimulated the activation of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). The TMP decreased the mRNA and protein levels of CaSR. Treatment with TMP clearly inhibited the activation of all CaSR in a dose-dependent manner. Our data demonstrated that TMP can down-regulate the expression of CaSR. Therefore, these findings provide a new target to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) under hypoxic conditions.

Fluorinated EuII-based multimodal contrast agent for temperature- and redox-responsive magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using redox-active, EuII-containing complexes is one of the most promising techniques for noninvasively imaging hypoxia in vivo. In this technique, positive (T1-weighted) contrast enhancement persists in areas of relatively low oxidizing ability, such as hypoxic tissue. Herein, we describe a fluorinated, EuII-containing complex in which the redox-active metal is caged by intramolecular interactions. The position of the fluorine atoms enables temperature-responsive contrast enhancement in the reduced form of the contrast agent and detection of the oxidized contrast agent via MRI in vivo. Positive contrast is observed in 1H-MRI with Eu in the +2 oxidation state, and chemical exchange saturation transfer and 19F-MRI signal are observed with Eu in the +3 oxidation state. Contrast enhancement is controlled by the redox state of Eu, and modulated by the fluorous interactions that cage a bound water molecule reduce relaxivity in a temperature-dependent fashion. Together, these advancements constitute the first report of in vivo, redox-responsive imaging using 19F-MRI.

Effect of locally tailored labour management guidelines on intrahospital stillbirths and birth asphyxia at the referral hospital of Zanzibar: a quasi-experimental pre-post study (The PartoMa study)

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate effect of locally tailored labour management guidelines (PartoMa guidelines) on intrahospital stillbirths and birth asphyxia.

DESIGN

Quasi-experimental pre-post study investigating the causal pathway through changes in clinical practice.

SETTING

Tanzanian low-resource referral hospital, Mnazi Mmoja Hospital.

POPULATION

Facility deliveries during baseline (1 October 2014 until 31 January 2015) and the 9th to 12th intervention month (1 October 2015 until 31 January 2016) [corrected].

METHODS

Birth outcome was extracted from all cases of labouring women during baseline (n = 3690) and intervention months (n = 3087). Background characteristics and quality of care were assessed in quasi-randomly selected subgroups (n = 283 and n = 264, respectively).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Stillbirths and neonates with 5-minute Apgar score ≤5.

RESULTS

Stillbirth rate fell from 59 to 39 per 1000 total births (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.53-0.82), and subanalyses suggest that this was primarily due to reduction in intrahospital stillbirths. Apgar scores between 1 and 5 fell from 52 to 28 per 1000 live births (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.41-0.69). Median time from last fetal heart assessment till delivery (or fetal death diagnosis) fell from 120 minutes (IQR 60-240) to 74 minutes (IQR 30-130) (Mann-Whitney test for difference, P < 0.01). Oxytocin augmentation declined from 22% to 12% (RR 0.54, 95% CI 0.37-0.81) and timely use improved.

CONCLUSION

Although low human resources and substandard care remain major challenges, PartoMa guidelines were associated with improvements in care, leading to reductions in stillbirths and birth asphyxia. Findings furthermore emphasise the central role of improved fetal surveillance and restricted intrapartum oxytocin use in safety at birth. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: #PartoMa guidelines aided in reducing stillbirths and birth asphyxia at a Tanzanian low-resource hospital PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: PartoMa guidelines help birth attendants in Tanzania to save lives Every year, 3 million babies die on the day of birth. The vast majority of these deaths occur in the poorest countries. If their mothers had received better care during birth, most babies would have survived. At Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, an East African referral hospital, the PartoMa study shows that use of locally developed guidelines helps birth attendants to deliver better quality of care, which has led to improved survival at birth. At the hospital studied, resources are scarce. Each birth attendant assists four to six birthing women simultaneously, and many have less than 1 year of professional experience. International guidelines are available, but they are often unachievable and seldom applied. The PartoMa guidelines were developed in close collaboration with the birth attendants and approved by seven international experts. The result is an 8-page pocket booklet providing locally achievable and simple decision support for care during birth. Use of the PartoMa guidelines began in February 2015. As the staff group frequently changes, quarterly seminars are conducted where birth attendants are welcomed after working hours to learn about the guidelines. The guidelines have been positively received, and seminar attendance remains high. Use of the PartoMa guidelines is associated with: A decrease by one-third in stillbirths (59 to 39 per 1000 total births) A nearly halving in the number of babies born in immediate poor medical condition (52 to 28 per 1000 live births) The results presented here derive from a comparison of births before using the PartoMa guidelines and during the 9th-12th month of use. Such a 'before-after' study cannot exclude the possibility of other causes of better survival at birth. However, the improved survival is consistent with improved care during birth, which is in line with the PartoMa guidelines.

Abstract 2184: Development and testing of nanoformulation of a vascular disrupting agent in rat glioma with MRI monitoring

Anti-angiogenesis therapy VEGF-VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) axis alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents have demonstrated mixed results, with the majority of reports indicating that glioblastoma multiform (GBM) developed resistance against anti-angiogenesis therapy as well as small molecular receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors. This result is perhaps not unexpected, because angiogenesis is obviously complex, involving dozen of different growth factors that trigger a cascade of subsequent events. Even if a drug effectively blocks one angiogenic growth factor, such as VEGF, blood vessels may still develop via activating alternative pathways. Yet without a sufficient blood supply, cancerous tumors can't grow larger than the head of a pin and are unlikely to become lethal. Therefore, tumor vascularization is a critical process that determines tumor growth, progression and metastasis. Thus, tumor vasculature has become an emerging target for new chemotherapeutic drugs Vascular disrupting agents (VDAs) for example, combretastatin (CA4), represent a new class of chemotherapeutic agent that targets the newly formed vasculature in solid tumors. Preclinical and early phase trials have demonstrated the promising therapeutic benefits of CA4. Nevertheless, the clinical translation of CA4 has been significantly hampered due to its poor systemic bioavailability and the non-specific distribution of CA4 throughout the body when administered intravenously. Thus, it is reasonable to explore novel formulations of CA4 that overcome the limitations mentioned above. To improve bioavailability combretastatin phosphate (CA4-P) has been synthesized. But, CA4-P showed short blood half life. We have engineered dendrimer-based nano-sized CA4 conjugate which demonstrates high water solubility. Preliminary intravenous (i.v.) delivery of nano-combretastatin in an orthotropic glioma model demonstrated a necrosis at the core of the tumor leaving a rim of viable tissue. The MRI-determined tissue parameters Ktrans, blood flow (CBF), DWI, ADC map, distribution volume and tumor size indicated the effectiveness of nano-combretastatin treatment.

Citation Format: Meser M. Ali, Sunalee Jayasundara, James R. Ewing. Development and testing of nanoformulation of a vascular disrupting agent in rat glioma with MRI monitoring [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2184. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2184

Application of Dendrimer-based Nanoparticles in Glioma Imaging

Dendritic polymers or dendrimers present an alternate template for the development of nanoparticulate-based drug delivery and imaging systems. The smaller size (~7-12 nm) of dendrimers have the advantage over the other particles, because its smaller size can possibly improve tumor penetration and the inclusion of tumor specific drug release mechanisms. A Paramagnetic Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (PARACEST) MRI contrast agent, Eu-DOTA-Gly4 or a clinical relevant Gd-DOTA was conjugated on the surface of a G5 PAMAM dendrimer. To create a dual mode MRI-optical imaging nanoparticle, Dylight680 was also incorporated on the amines surface of a G5 dendrimer. The particle was detected with in vivo MRI in preclinical glioma animal model. Furthermore, noninvasive imaging results were validated with in vivo and ex-vivo optical imaging.

MicroRNA cluster miR-17-92 Cluster in Exosomes Enhance Neuroplasticity and Functional Recovery After Stroke in Rats

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) harvested exosomes are hypothesized as the major paracrine effectors of MSCs. In vitro, the miR-17-92 cluster promotes oligodendrogenesis, neurogenesis, and axonal outgrowth. We, therefore, investigated whether the miR-17-92 cluster-enriched exosomes harvested from MSCs transfected with an miR-17-92 cluster plasmid enhance neurological recovery compared with control MSC-derived exosomes.

METHODS

Rats subjected to 2 hours of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion were intravenously administered miR-17-92 cluster-enriched exosomes, control MSC exosomes, or liposomes and were euthanized 28 days post-middle cerebral artery occlusion. Histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and Golgi-Cox staining were used to assess dendritic, axonal, synaptic, and myelin remodeling. Expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog and activation of its downstream proteins, protein kinase B, mechanistic target of rapamycin, and glycogen synthase kinase 3β in the peri-infarct region were measured by means of Western blots.

RESULTS

Compared with the liposome treatment, both exosome treatment groups exhibited significant improvement of functional recovery, but miR-17-92 cluster-enriched exosome treatment had significantly more robust effects on improvement of neurological function and enhancements of oligodendrogenesis, neurogenesis, and neurite remodeling/neuronal dendrite plasticity in the ischemic boundary zone (IBZ) than the control MSC exosome treatment. Moreover, miR-17-92 cluster-enriched exosome treatment substantially inhibited phosphatase and tensin homolog, a validated miR-17-92 cluster target gene, and subsequently increased the phosphorylation of phosphatase and tensin homolog downstream proteins, protein kinase B, mechanistic target of rapamycin, and glycogen synthase kinase 3β compared with control MSC exosome treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that treatment of stroke with tailored exosomes enriched with the miR-17-92 cluster increases neural plasticity and functional recovery after stroke, possibly via targeting phosphatase and tensin homolog to activate the PI3K/protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin/glycogen synthase kinase 3β signaling pathway.

Abstract 156: Tailored Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Harvested Exosomes Carrying Elevated miR-17-92 Cluster Enhance Neurovascular Remodeling & Improve Functional Recovery After Stroke in Rats

Introduction: MSC generated exosomes mediate therapeutic benefits of MSCs for stroke, which are at least in-part attributed to their miRNA contents. In vitro, the miR-17-92 cluster promotes oligodendrogenesis, neurogenesis and axonal outgrowth, and tailored MSC exosomes enriched with the miR-17-92 cluster promote axonal outgrowth of primary cortical neurons. We therefore investigated whether the miR-17-92 cluster enriched exosomes (Exo-miR-17-92 + ) harvested from MSCs enhance neurological recovery compared to control MSC derived exosomes (Exo-Con).

Methods: Rats (n=8/group) subjected to 2 hours of transient MCAO were intravenously administered Exo-miR-17-92 + , Exo-Con, or liposomes, and were sacrificed 28 days post MCAO. Foot-fault test, and a modified neurologic severity score (mNSS) were carried out at 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after MCAO by an investigator blinded to the treatments. Histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and Golgi-Cox staining were used to assess dendritic, axonal, synaptic and myelin remodeling. Expression of PTEN and activation of its downstream proteins, Akt, mTOR and GSK-3β in the peri-infarct region were measured by means of Western blots.

Results: Compared with the liposome treatment, both exosome treatment groups exhibited significant improvement of functional recovery (P<0.05, respectively), but Ex-miR-17-92 + treatment had more robust effects on improvement of neurological function (P<0.05), and enhancements of oligodendrogenesis, neurogenesis and neurite remodeling/neuronal dendrite plasticity in the ischemic boundary zone (IBZ) than the Ex-Con treatment (P<0.05, respectively). Moreover, Ex-miR-17-92 + treatment substantially inhibited PTEN, a validated miR-17-92 cluster target gene, and subsequently increased the phosphorylation of PTEN downstream proteins, Akt, mTOR, and decreased the activity of GSK-3β by phosphorylating GSK-3β in neurons compared to Ex-Con treatment (P<0.05, respectively).

Conclusions: Our data suggest that treatment of stroke with tailored exosomes enriched with the miR-17-92 cluster increases neural plasticity and functional recovery after stroke, possibly via targeting PTEN to activate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

Intravenous Formulation of HET0016 Decreased Human Glioblastoma Growth and Implicated Survival Benefit in Rat Xenograft Models

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a hypervascular primary brain tumor with poor prognosis. HET0016 is a selective CYP450 inhibitor, which has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and tumor growth. Therefore, to explore novel treatments, we have generated an improved intravenous (IV) formulation of HET0016 with HPßCD and tested in animal models of human and syngeneic GBM. Administration of a single IV dose resulted in 7-fold higher levels of HET0016 in plasma and 3.6-fold higher levels in tumor at 60 min than that in IP route. IV treatment with HPßCD-HET0016 decreased tumor growth, and altered vascular kinetics in early and late treatment groups (p < 0.05). Similar growth inhibition was observed in syngeneic GL261 GBM (p < 0.05). Survival studies using patient derived xenografts of GBM811, showed prolonged survival to 26 weeks in animals treated with focal radiation, in combination with HET0016 and TMZ (p < 0.05). We observed reduced expression of markers of cell proliferation (Ki-67), decreased neovascularization (laminin and αSMA), in addition to inflammation and angiogenesis markers in the treatment group (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that HPßCD-HET0016 is effective in inhibiting tumor growth through decreasing proliferation, and neovascularization. Furthermore, HPßCD-HET0016 significantly prolonged survival in PDX GBM811 model.

Targeting Triple Negative Breast Cancer with a Small-sized Paramagnetic Nanoparticle

There is no available targeted therapy or imaging agent for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). We developed a small-sized dendrimer-based nanoparticle containing a clinical relevant MRI contrast agent, GdDOTA and a NIR fluorescent dye, DL680. Systemic delivery of dual-modal nanoparticles led to accumulation of the agents in a flank mouse model of TNBC that were detected by both optical and MR imaging. In-vivo fluorescence images, as well as ex-vivo fluorescence images of individual organs, demonstrated that nanoparticles accumulated into tumor selectively. A dual modal strategy resulted in a selective delivery of a small-sized (GdDOTA)42-G4-DL680 dendrimeric agent to TNBC tumors, avoiding other major organs.

Myelin-targeted, texaphyrin-based multimodal imaging agent for magnetic resonance and optical imaging

Reliable methods of imaging myelin are essential to investigate the causes of demyelination and to study drugs that promote remyelination. Myelin-specific compounds can be developed into imaging probes to detect myelin with various imaging techniques. The development of multimodal myelin-specific imaging probes enables the use of orthogonal imaging techniques to accurately visualize myelin content and validate experimental results. Here, we describe the synthesis and application of multimodal myelin-specific imaging agents for light microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging. The imaging agents were synthesized by incorporating the structural features of luxol fast blue MBS, a myelin-specific histological stain, into texaphyrins coordinated to Gd^III . These new complexes demonstrated absorption of visible light, emission of near-IR light, and relaxivity values greater than clinically approved contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. These properties enable the use of optical imaging and magnetic resonance imaging for visualization of myelin. We performed section- and en block-staining of ex vivo mouse brains to investigate the specificity for myelin of the new compounds. Images obtained from light microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrate that our complexes are retained in white matter structures and enable detection of myelin. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Targeting Glioma with a Dual Mode Optical and Paramagnetic Nanoprobe across the Blood-brain Tumor Barrier

In brain tumors, delivering nanoparticles across the blood-tumor barrier presents major hurdles. A clinically relevant MRI contrast agent, GdDOTA and a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye, DL680 were conjugated to a G5 PAMAM dendrimer, thus producing a dual-mode MRI and NIR imaging agent. Systemic delivery of the subsequent nano-sized agent demonstrated glioma-specific accumulation, probably due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect. In vivo MRI detected the agent in glioma tissue, but not in normal contralateral tissue; this observation was validated with in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging. A biodistribution study showed the agent to have accumulated in the glioma tumor and the liver, the latter being the excretion path for a G5 dendrimer-based agent.

pH-Dependent Cellular Internalization of Paramagnetic Nanoparticle

A hallmark of the tumor microenvironment in malignant tumor is extracellular acidosis, which can be exploited for targeted delivery of drugs and imaging agents. A pH sensitive paramagnetic nanoaparticle (NP) is developed by incorporating GdDOTA-4AmP MRI contrast agent and pHLIP (pH Low Insertion Peptide) into the surface of a G5-PAMAM dendrimer. pHLIP showed pH-selective insertion and folding into cell membranes, but only in acidic conditions. We demonstrated that pHLIP-conjugated Gd₄₄-G5 paramagnetic nanoparticle binds and fuses with cellular membrane at low pH, but not at normal physiological pH, and that it promotes cellular uptake. Intracellular trafficking of NPs showed endosomal/lysosomal path ways.

Targeted Theranostic Approach for Glioma Using Dendrimer-Based Curcumin Nanoparticle

The delivery of anti-cancer agents to brain tumors represent a challenge because the blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB) effectively limits the delivery of many agents. A new generation 3 (G3) dendrimer-based curcumin (Curc) conjugate was synthesized. The synthesized G3-Curc conjugate demonstrated full solubility in aqueous media. The in vitro study revealed that G3-Curc nanoparticles were internalized into glioma U-251 cells. Systemic delivery of G3-Curc conjugate led to preferentially accumulation in an orthotopic preclinical glioma model minimizing systemic toxic effect. Multicolor microscopy images of the tumor tissue showed that G3-Curc particles were internalized inside tumor cells selectively and further localized within nuclei. Enhanced bioavailability of G3-Curc conjugate was also observed with improved therapeutic efficacy against different cancers cells.

Effect of Curcumin on Pro-angiogenic Factors in the Xenograft Model of Breast Cancer

The formation of a new blood vessel is stimulated by angiogenic factors. Curcumin, which is the active ingredient of the spice plant Curcuma longa L and is used as food and traditional medicine, has shown anticancer effects against different types of cancers. We evaluated the effects of curcumin on angiogenesis/pro-angiogenic factors in a mouse model of human breast cancer. Cell viability was measured by the MTT assay after curcumin treatment in triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231). For the in vivo study, human breast cancer was induced in athymic mice and treated with 300 mg/kg/day of curcumin administered intraperitoneally. Tumor size was measured weekly, and the animals underwent single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scanning with Tc-99m tagged VEGF-c to detect the in vivo expression of VEGFR2/3. In addition, the expression of proangiogenic/ growth factors in the tumor extracts was evaluated by a membrane antibody array. Histological analysis was performed to confirm the effect of curcumin on neovascularization. The MTT assay showed that curcumin significantly reduced the cell viability of MDA-MB-231 cells. In breast cancer xenografts, curcumin treatment led to a decrease in tumor volume and cell proliferation (Ki-67) compared with the vehicle treated group. Tc-99m-HYNIC-VEGF-c-SPECT imaging showed decreased uptake to the tumor, which may indicate a lower expression of VEGFR2/3 in curcumin treated tumors; however, a statistically significant difference was not achieved (p>0.05). Additionally, curcumin treatment showed a significantly low level of expression of pro-angiogenic factors (p<0.05) and a decrease in micro-vessel density (vWF) in animals compared with that of vehicle treated tumors. In conclusion, curcumin treatment showed effectiveness in reducing tumor growth and cell proliferation, as well as in the inhibition of angiogenesis.

Are hypertensive disorders in pregnancy associated with congenital malformations in offspring? Evidence from the WHO Multicountry cross sectional survey on maternal and newborn health

BACKGROUND

Annually, around 7.9 million children are born with birth defects and the contribution of congenital malformations to neonatal mortality is generally high. Congenital malformations in children born to mothers with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy has marginally been explored.

METHODS

Country incidence of congenital malformations was estimated using data on the 310 401 livebirths of the WHO Multicountry Survey which reported information from 359 facilities across 29 countries. A random-effect logistic regression model was utilized to explore the associations between six broad categories of congenital malformations and the four maternal hypertensive disorders "Chronic Hypertension", "Preeclampsia" and "Eclampsia" and "Chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia".

RESULTS

The occupied territories of Palestine presented the highest rates in all groups of malformation except for the "Lip/Cleft/Palate" category. Newborns of women with chronic maternal hypertension were associated with a 3.7 (95 % CI 1.3-10.7), 3.9 (95 % CI 1.7-9.0) and 4.2 (95 % CI 1.5-11.6) times increase in odds of renal, limb and lip/cleft/palate malformations respectively. Chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia was associated with a 4.3 (95 % CI 1.3-14.4), 8.7 (95 % CI 2.5-30.2), 7.1 (95 % CI 2.1-23.5) and 8.2 (95 % CI 2.0-34.3) times increase in odds of neural tube/central nervous system, renal, limb and Lip/Cleft/Palate malformations.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that chronic hypertension in the maternal period exposes newborns to a significant risk of developing renal, limb and lip/cleft/palate congenital malformations, and the risk is further exacerbate by superimposing eclampsia. Additional research is needed to identify shared pathways of maternal hypertensive disorders and congenital malformations.

Abstract 466: MR prediction of tumor burden in Patient-Derived Mouse Xenografts model of glioblastoma using an adaptive model

Introduction: In human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), infiltrating cells are found in remote locations, even in the hemisphere contralateral to the primary lesion. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) allows approximation of the extent of tumor cell infiltration. However, the actual extent of infiltration may be greater or less than the edema, and there is no standard MRI practice that allow exploring the infiltrating tumor burden. This pilot study investigates the feasibility of using a set of MR modalities for the development of an MRI estimate of infiltrating tumor burden in Patient-Derived Mouse Xenografts model of GBM using an adaptive model.

Material and Methods: 8 mice implanted with GBM CSC HF2927 were studied. MRI studies were performed in a Direct Drive Varian 7 Tesla. The following image sets were acquired: high-res. T1-weighted; T2-weighted (TE/TR = (20, 40, 60, 80)/3000 ms); MT-weighted fast spin-echo. Magnevist (0.25 mmol/kg i.p) was injected about 5 minutes before the post-contrast T1-weighted image set was acquired. The animal was sacrificed immediately after MRI and stained for the presence of human GBM cells. We used the following MRI sequences to establish a basis set for training the AM: pre- and post-contrast (Magnevist, I.P.) T1-weighted, 4-echo T2, MT, 3-direction, 3 b-value diffusion-weighted. Maps of T2 and proton density (T2-PD) were produced by fitting the T2 data. The histology image was warped and co-registered to the T2-PD image using mouse brain anatomical landmarks. MR image sets were normalized to the white matter area of the brain, and each voxel profile extracted from the 9 image set was normalized to the summation of two normalized T2 images (echo 2 and 3), following which the normalized profile along with the co-registered histology was used for training and testing of an artificial neural network (ANN) with Multi-Layer perceptron architecture to predict the presence of local tumor burden in form of tumorous cell density.

Results and Conclusions: The ANN was successfully trained and validated using K-Fold Cross Validation technique (KFCV) and the 9 MR modalities as its input set. Results imply that the chosen MRI feature set contains adequate information content for training the ANN. The predictive power of the ANN was ∼ 0.81. The correlation coefficient for the association between the predicted map and histology was ∼ 0.85. Given the success of training an ANN to predict infiltrating tumor burden, it may be possible to identify similar or different basis set of MRI images that can robustly predict both infiltrating and solid tumor burden in human GBM.

Citation Format: Hassan Bagher-Ebadian, Ana deCarvalho, Azimeh NV Dehkordi, Tavarekere Nagaraja, Susan Irtenkauf, Swayamparva Panda, Meser M. Ali, Arbab S. Ali, Hamid Soltanian-Zadeh, Robert Knight, James R. Ewing. MR prediction of tumor burden in Patient-Derived Mouse Xenografts model of glioblastoma using an adaptive model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 466.

Abstract 2710: Model evolution technique as a novel concept for characterization of tumor heterogeneity in dynamic contrast enhanced MRI studies

Introduction: Many studies have shown that tumor vascular network and the assortment of tumorous cells inside and on the periphery of solid tumors are spatially heterogeneous. Variation in cell packing density (VCPD), hypoxia, acidosis, and elevated interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) are main characteristic features of solid tumors. Elevated IFP and VCPD in solid tumors can be generally relevant to the pathological structures at the cellular level that is fundamental to understanding the chance of response to treatment and recurrence. Therefore, non-invasive quantification of tumor heterogeneity for the same types of tumors can play an important role in diagnosis and treatment planning.

Hypothesis: In this pilot study, using Nested Model (NM) selection technique, Model Evolution (ME) concept is framed and introduced to quantify the evolutions of 3 different physiologically NM that are derived from standard Tofts model, throughout the course of Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) experiment. Using ME technique for pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling and DCE-MRI data analysis, a heterogeneity measure is formulated and introduced based on the evolutionary profile of the estimated extra-cellular extra-vascular (ve) volume. We hypothesized that the ME profiles in the course of DCE-MRI experiment, highly depend on the inward diffusion and outward convection of contrast agent concentration and contain abundant information for describing the compartmentalization and heterogeneity levels of solid tumors.

Material and Methods: 24 athymic Nude rats with U251n rat tumor model of cerebral tumor were studied. Look-Locker T1 mapping and DCE-MRI experiments (Dual Gradient Echo, 150 image sets at 4.0 sec intervals over 10 min: matrix = 128×64, five 2.0 mm slices, NE = 2, NA = 1, TE/TE/TR = 2.0/4.0/40ms with bolus intravenous injection of the Magnevist at 0.25 mmol/kg) acquired at 7T field strengths. In each animal, in-vivo measurement of tumor IFP was done right after the DCE-MRI experiment using a wick-in-needle technique. The ME technique was applied on DCE-MR data of 24 U251n rat tumors to characterize the heterogeneity of each tumor and then the results were compared to their known in vivo measure of IFPs.

Results and Conclusions: Results of this pilot study clearly attest that the evolutionary profile of ve can be used to characterize the heterogeneity level of solid tumors. The ME results imply that as the slop of the evolutionary profile increases, the IFP of tumor increases. Also, the latency of the profile during the course of MR experiment can reliably explain the tumor compartmentalization and their elevated IFP. This pilot study confirms that the ME concept can make a paradigm shift in non-invasive quantification of tumor heterogeneity from DCE-MRI studies

Citation Format: Hassan Bagher-Ebadian, Azimeh NV Dehkordi, Rasha Alamgharibi, David Nathanson, Hamid Soltanian-Zadeh, Arbab S. Ali, Stephen Brown, Meser M. Ali, Tom Mikkelsen, James R. Ewing. Model evolution technique as a novel concept for characterization of tumor heterogeneity in dynamic contrast enhanced MRI studies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2710.

Abstract 1316: Targeted therapeutic approach for triple negative breast cancer using paramagnetic nanoparticle

Breast cancer (BC) is a spectrum of diseases with distinct molecular alterations accounting for differences in treatment response and outcome. Gene expression profiling defines much of this molecular heterogeneity and has been used to stratify the disease into different molecular subtypes. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) refers to a subtype of breast cancer that is negative for estrogen receptors (ER) and/or progesterone receptors (PR), and lacks HER2 overexpression. Therefore, this subtype of breast cancer lacks the benefits of specific therapies which target these receptors. TNBC has been characterized by an acidic extracellular environment. In human aggressive breast tumors, extracellular pH (pHe) has been measured by microelectrode and the values are in good agreement with the values observed in animal systems i.e. that the pHe is significantly acidic in the range from 6.2 to 7.0. However, tumor intracellular pH is either neutral or alkaline. Interestingly, a similar pH gradient is not observed in normal tissues. Therefore, this acidic extracellular pH (pHe) within tumor tissues can be exploited for targeted delivery of drugs and imaging agents.

Recently, A pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP) derived from the protein bacteriorhodopsin has been found to target tumor acidic pHe. The peptide inserts across cell membranes as an alpha-helix when extracellular pH (pHe) is acidic, but does not form the helix at normal or alkaline pH. Since aggressive TNBC has an acidic environment, the pHLIP will insert into the cancer cell membrane, but the pHLIP will not insert into the cell membranes of normal tissues, providing excellent specificity for targeting TNBC. Our initial study demonstrated the detection of breast tumor in rodent by dendrimer-based paramagnetic nanoparticles nonspecifically. To develop this nanoparticle as a platform, it should easily accommodate targeting ligands for selective localization at the acidic tumor microenvironment and for therapeutic drugs that can be released selectively into TNBC tumor cells. Here, we demonstrate that pHLIP-tagged nanoparticles bind to and are internalized by TNBC cells in in-vitro. Systemic delivery of paramagnetic nanoparticle, Gd-G5-pHLIP (NP-pHLIP) leads to accumulation of the NPs in a flank mouse model of TNBC tumor that are detected by both optical and MR imaging.

Finally, we have conjugated doxorubicin (dox) with pHLIP3-NP via hydrazone bond formation. We have successfully incorporated 20 dox molecules with pHLIP3-NP via a pH-sensitive hydrazone bond as evidenced by maldi-tof analyses. A cohort of 6 mice was treated with pHLIP-NP-dox and a second cohort of 6 mice was treated with vehicle. A solution of 0.04 mmol/kg pHLIP-NP-dox (12mg/kg equivalent dose of dox) was injected through the tail vein catheter at day 8 and 14. We generated T2 maps on day 21′to calculate tumor volume by following our previous reports. We observed a short-term tumor regression by pHLIP-NP-dox infusion.

Citation Format: Meser M. Ali, Li Zhang, Hassan Bagher Ebadian, James R. Ewing. Targeted therapeutic approach for triple negative breast cancer using paramagnetic nanoparticle. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1316.

Spectroscopic Characterization of the 3+ and 2+ Oxidation States of Europium in a Macrocyclic Tetraglycinate Complex

The 3+ and 2+ oxidation states of europium have drastically different magnetic and spectroscopic properties. Electrochemical measurements are often used to probe Eu^III/II oxidation state changes, but a full suite of spectroscopic characterization is necessary to demonstrate conversion between these two oxidation states in solution. Here, we report the facile conversion of an europium(III) tetraglycinate complex into its Eu^II analogue. We present electrochemical, luminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance, UV-visible, and NMR spectroscopic data demonstrating complete reversibility from the reduction and oxidation of the 3+ and 2+ oxidation states, respectively. The Eu^II-containing analogue has kinetic stability within the range of clinically approved Gd^III-containing complexes using an acid-catalyzed dissociation experiment. Additionally, we demonstrate that the 3+ and 2+ oxidation states provide redox-responsive behavior through chemical-exchange saturation transfer or proton relaxation, respectively. These results will be applicable to a wide range of redox-responsive contrast agents and Eu-containing complexes.

Introduction and enzootic of A/H5N1 in Egypt: Virus evolution, pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy ten years on

It is almost a decade since the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus (A/H5N1) of clade 2.2.1 was introduced to Egypt in 2005, most likely, via wild birds; marking the longest endemic status of influenza viruses in poultry outside Asia. The endemic A/H5N1 in Egypt still compromises the poultry industry, poses serious hazards to public health and threatens to become potentially pandemic. The control strategies adopted for A/H5N1 in Egyptian poultry using diverse vaccines in commercialized poultry neither eliminated the virus nor did they decrease its evolutionary rate. Several virus clades have evolved, a few of them disappeared and others prevailed. Disparate evolutionary traits in both birds and humans were manifested by accumulation of clade-specific mutations across viral genomes driven by a variety of selection pressures. Viruses in vaccinated poultry populations displayed higher mutation rates at the immunogenic epitopes, promoting viral escape and reducing vaccine efficiency. On the other hand, viruses isolated from humans displayed changes in the receptor binding domain, which increased the viral affinity to bind to human-type glycan receptors. Moreover, viral pathogenicity exhibited several patterns in different hosts. This review aims to provide an overview of the viral evolution, pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy of A/H5N1 in Egypt during the last ten years.

Dendrimer-Based Responsive MRI Contrast Agents (G1-G4) for Biosensor Imaging of Redundant Deviation in Shifts (BIRDS)

Biosensor imaging of redundant deviation in shifts (BIRDS) is a molecular imaging platform for magnetic resonance that utilizes unique properties of low molecular weight paramagnetic monomers by detecting hyperfine-shifted nonexchangeable protons and transforming the chemical shift information to reflect its microenvironment (e.g., via temperature, pH, etc.). To optimize translational biosensing potential of BIRDS we examined if this detection scheme observed with monomers can be extended onto dendrimers, which are versatile and biocompatible macromolecules with modifiable surface for molecular imaging and drug delivery. Here we report on feasibility of paramagnetic dendrimers for BIRDS. The results show that BIRDS is resilient with paramagnetic dendrimers up to the fourth generation (i.e., G1-G4), where the model dendrimer and chelate were based on poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) and 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA(4-)) complexed with thulium ion (Tm(3+)). Temperature sensitivities of two prominent signals of Gn-PAMAM-(TmDOTA(-))x (where n = 1-4, x = 6-39) were comparable to that of prominent signals in TmDOTA(-). Transverse relaxation times of the coalesced nonexchangeable protons on Gn-PAMAM-(TmDOTA(-))x were relatively short to provide signal-to-noise ratio that was comparable to or better than that of TmDOTA(-). A fluorescent dye, rhodamine, was conjugated to a G2-PAMAM-(TmDOTA)12 to create a dual-modality nanosized contrast agent. BIRDS properties of the dendrimer were unaltered with rhodamine conjugation. Purposely designed paramagnetic dendrimers for BIRDS in conjunction with novel macromolecular surface modification for functional ligands/drugs could potentially be used for biologically compatible theranostic sensors.

Concentration-independent MRI of pH with a dendrimer-based pH-responsive nanoprobe

The measurement of extracellular pH (pHe ) has significant clinical value for pathological diagnoses and for monitoring the effects of pH-altering therapies. One of the major problems of measuring pHe with a relaxation-based MRI contrast agent is that the longitudinal relaxivity depends on both pH and the concentration of the agent, requiring the use of a second pH-unresponsive agent to measure the concentration. Here we tested the feasibility of measuring pH with a relaxation-based dendritic MRI contrast agent in a concentration-independent manner at clinically relevant field strengths. The transverse and longitudinal relaxation times in solutions of the contrast agent (GdDOTA-4AmP)44 -G5, a G5-PAMAM dendrimer-based MRI contrast agent in water, were measured at 3 T and 7 T magnetic field strengths as a function of pH. At 3 T, longitudinal relaxivity (r1 ) increased from 7.91 to 9.65 mM(-1) s(-1) (on a per Gd(3+) basis) on changing pH from 8.84 to 6.35. At 7 T, r1 relaxivity showed pH response, albeit at lower mean values; transverse relaxivity (r2 ) remained independent of pH and magnetic field strengths. The longitudinal relaxivity of (GdDOTA-4AmP)44 -G5 exhibited a strong and reversible pH dependence. The ratio of relaxation rates R2 /R1 also showed a linear relationship in a pH-responsive manner, and this pH response was independent of the absolute concentration of (GdDOTA-4AmP)44 -G5 agent. Importantly, the nanoprobe (GdDOTA-4AmP)44 -G5 shows pH response in the range commonly found in the microenvironment of solid tumors.

Abstract P1-01-13: Triple negative breast cancer targeting paramagnetic nanoparticle for non-invasive tumor imaging

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) refers to a subtype of breast cancer that is negative for estrogen receptors (ER) and/or progesterone receptors (PR) , and lacks HER2 overexpression. Therefore, this subtype of breast cancer lacks the benefits of specific therapies which target these receptors. TNBC has been characterized by an acidic extracellular environment. In human aggressive breast tumors, pHe has been measured by microelectrode and the values are in good agreement with the values observed in animal systems i.e. that the pHe is significantly acidic in the range from 6.2 to 7.0. However, tumor intracellular pH is either neutral or alkaline. Interestingly, a similar pH gradient is not observed in normal tissues. Therefore, this acidic extracellular pH (pHe) within tumor tissues can be exploited for targeted delivery of drugs and imaging agents. Recently, A pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP) derived from the protein bacteriorhodopsin has been found to target tumor acidic pH. The peptide inserts across cell membranes as an α-helix when extracellular pH (pHe) is acidic, but does not form the helix at normal or alkaline pH. Since aggressive TNBC has an acidic environment, the pHLIP will insert into the cancer cell membrane, but the pHLIP will not insert into the cell membranes of normal tissues, providing excellent specificity for targeting TNBC. Here, we demonstrate that pHLIP-tagged nanoparticles bind to and are internalized by TNBC cells in vitro. Systemic delivery of the Gd-G5-pHLIP leads to accumulation of the nanoparticles in a flank mouse model of TNBC tumor that are detected by optical and MR imaging.

We have synthesized pH-responsive MRI nanoprobe, phosphonate G5-(GdDOTA-4AmP) by following our published synthetic method. The MW of the conjugated G5 dendrimer was estimated at 79,082 g/mole by maldi-tof analysis. This corresponds to a G5-dendrime with an average of 44 chelated Gd3+ ions per dendrimer. Gd44-G5 dendrimer was reacted with heterobifunctional cross-linker (sulfo-SMCC) to form reactive maleimides and then maleimide- Gd44-G5 dendrimer was coupled with C-terminus cysteine group of biotinylated Bt-pHLIP (AEQNPIYWARYADWLFTTPLLLLDLALLVDADEGTCG-pegBiotin). The HABA assay with biotin and avidin revealed that on average 3.1 molecules of biotin are present in Gd44-G5-Bt-pHLIP dendrimer. Finally, Rhodamine dye was conjugated to amines surface of preloaded Gd44-G5-Bt-pHLIP3 in order to achieve final conjugate Rhodamine-Gd44-G5-Bt-pHLIP3.

To study pH-dependent translocation of molecules across the cell membrane, we have added Rho-Gd-G5-Bt-pHLIP to the cells and incubated for 3 h at pH 7.4 and 6.5. The cellular uptake of Rho-Gd-G5-pHLIP was significantly higher at pH 6.5. When Rho-Gd-G5 was used, the cellular uptake was considerable lower at both, pH 6.5 and 7.4. Hence, we have shown the ability of pHLIP peptide for intracellular delivery of Gd-G5 nanoparticles in vitro at pH 6.5 but the same ability is attenuated significantly at neutral pH. We have created a mouse model of TNBC MDA-MB-231 tumor. The pharmacokinetics of Gd44-G5-pHLIP was visualized in the MDA-MB-231 tumor over the course of 105 min post-contrast administration.

Citation Format: Meser M Ali, Nadimpalli RS Varma, Branislava Janic, Li Zhang, James R Ewing. Triple negative breast cancer targeting paramagnetic nanoparticle for non-invasive tumor imaging [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-01-13.

SLE presenting as multiple hemorrhagic complications

A 24 year old female with hereditary spastic paraplegia presented with intermittent headache for one year. She also had lower abdominal pain and vomiting for two months. She was pale, had icterus and mild splenomegaly. On diagnostic evaluation she was found to have hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and bilateral adrenal, subdural, soft tissue (scalp and orbit) hemorrhages due to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) antibodies were negative. Bilateral adrenal hemorrhage without associated APS is a rare phenomenon in SLE. We describe a case of SLE presenting with sequence of rare hemorrhagic complications in concert.

Oxidation-responsive Eu(2+/3+)-liposomal contrast agent for dual-mode magnetic resonance imaging

An oxidation-responsive contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging was synthesized using Eu(2+) and liposomes. Positive contrast enhancement was observed with Eu(2+), and chemical exchange saturation transfer was observed before and after oxidation of Eu(2+). Orthogonal detection modes render the concentration of Eu inconsequential to molecular information provided through imaging.