Morphological and Advanced Imaging of Epilepsy: Beyond the Basics

The etiology of epilepsy is variable and sometimes multifactorial. Clinical course and response to treatment largely depend on the precise etiology of the seizures. Along with the electroencephalogram (EEG), neuroimaging techniques, in particular, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are the most important tools for determining the possible etiology of epilepsy. Over the last few years, there have been many developments in data acquisition and analysis for both morphological and functional neuroimaging of people suffering from this condition. These innovations have increased the detection of underlying structural pathologies, which have till recently been classified as "cryptogenic" epilepsy. Cryptogenic epilepsy is often refractory to anti-epileptic drug treatment. In drug-resistant patients with structural or consistent functional lesions related to the epilepsy syndrome, surgery is the only treatment that can offer a seizure-free outcome. The pre-operative detection of the underlying structural condition increases the odds of successful surgical treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. This article provides a comprehensive overview of neuroimaging techniques in epilepsy, highlighting recent advances and innovations and summarizes frequent etiologies of epilepsy in order to improve the diagnosis and management of patients suffering from seizures, especially young patients and children.

Targeting cancer stem cells with an 131I-labeled anti-AC133 monoclonal antibody in human colorectal cancer xenografts

INTRODUCTION

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation within a tumor, which possesses the characteristics of self-renewal, differentiation, tumorigenicity, and drug resistance. The aim of this study was to target the colorectal CSC marker CD133 with an(131)I-labeled specific monoclonal antibody (AC133 mAb) in a nude mouse xenograft model.

METHODS

Colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (LoVo cell line) were separated into CD133(+) and CD133(-) cells by magnetic activated cell sorting. CD133(+), CD133(-), and unsorted LoVo cells were cultured and then implanted subcutaneously into the lower limbs of nude mice (n = 5). AC133 mAb was labeled with (131)I by the iodogen method.

RESULTS

The radiolabeled compound, (131)I-AC133 mAb, showed high stability, specificity, and immunoactivity in vitro. Obvious accumulation of (131)I-AC133 mAb was seen in nude mice bearing xenografts of CD133(+) and unsorted LoVo cells, but no uptake was found in mice bearing CD133(-) xenografts or specifically blocked xenografts. Biodistribution analysis showed that the tumor uptake of (131)I-AC133 mAb was 6.97 ± 1.40, 1.35 ± 0.48, 6.12 ± 1.91, and 1.61 ± 0.44% ID/g (n = 4) at day 7 after injection of (131)I-AC133 mAb in CD133(+), CD133(-), unsorted LoVo cell and specifically blocked xenografts, respectively. The results of immunofluorescence, autoradiography, and western blotting further verified the specific binding of (131)I-AC133 mAb to CD133(+) tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the possibility of targeting CSCs with a radiolabeled AC133 mAb in colorectal cancer xenografts based on in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experiments. Our findings suggest a new method for imaging CSCs non-invasively.