Novel phosphatidylserine-binding molecule enhances antitumor T-cell responses by targeting immunosuppressive exosomes in human tumor microenvironments.

BACKGROUND: The human tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex and dynamic milieu of diverse acellular and cellular components, creating an immunosuppressive environment, which contributes to tumor progression. We have previously shown that phosphatidylserine (PS) expressed on the surface of exosomes isolated from human TMEs is causally linked to T-cell immunosuppression, representing a potential immunotherapeutic target. In this study, we investigated the effect of ExoBlock, a novel PS-binding molecule, on T-cell responses in the TME. METHODS: We designed and synthesized a new compound, (ZnDPA)6-DP-15K, a multivalent PS binder named ExoBlock. The PS-binding avidity of ExoBlock was tested using an in vitro competition assay. The ability of this molecule to reverse exosome-mediated immunosuppression in vitro was tested using human T-cell activation assays. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy of ExoBlock was then tested in two different human tumor xenograft models, the melanoma-based xenomimetic (X-)mouse model, and the ovarian tumor-based omental tumor xenograft (OTX) model. RESULTS: ExoBlock was able to bind PS with high avidity and was found to consistently and significantly block the immunosuppressive activity of human ovarian tumor and melanoma-associated exosomes in vitro. ExoBlock was also able to significantly enhance T cell-mediated tumor suppression in vivo in both the X-mouse and the OTX model. In the X-mouse model, ExoBlock suppressed tumor recurrence in a T cell-dependent manner. In the OTX model, ExoBlock treatment resulted in an increase in the number as well as function of CD4 and CD8 T cells in the TME, which was associated with a reduction in tumor burden and metastasis, as well as in the number of circulating PS+ exosomes in tumor-bearing mice. CONCLUSION: Our results establish that targeting exosomal PS in TMEs with ExoBlock represents a promising strategy to enhance antitumor T-cell responses.

Assessment of Chemotherapy-Induced Organ Damage with Ga-68 Labeled Duramycin.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of [68Ga]NODAGA-duramycin as a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer of cell death for whole-body detection of chemotherapy-induced organ toxicity. PROCEDURES: Tracer specificity of Ga-68 labeled NODAGA-duramycin was determined in vitro using competitive binding experiments. Organ uptake was analyzed in untreated and doxorubicin, busulfan, and cisplatin-treated mice 2 h after intravenous injection of [68Ga]NODAGA-duramycin. In vivo data were validated by immunohistology and blood parameters. RESULTS: In vitro experiments confirmed specific binding of [68Ga]NODAGA-duramycin. Organ toxicities were detected successfully using [68Ga]NODAGA-duramycin PET/X-ray computed tomography (CT) and confirmed by immunohistochemistry and blood parameter analysis. Organ toxicities in livers and kidneys showed similar trends in PET/CT and immunohistology. Busulfan and cisplatin-related organ toxicities in heart, liver, and lungs were detected earlier by PET/CT than by blood parameters and immunohistology. CONCLUSION: [68Ga]NODAGA-duramycin PET/CT was successfully applied to non-invasively detect chemotherapy-induced organ toxicity with high sensitivity in mice. It, therefore, represents a promising alternative to standard toxicological analyses with a high translational potential.

Optical and nuclear imaging of glioblastoma with phosphatidylserine-targeted nanovesicles.

Multimodal tumor imaging with targeted nanoparticles potentially offers both enhanced specificity and sensitivity, leading to more precise cancer diagnosis and monitoring. We describe the synthesis and characterization of phenol-substituted, lipophilic orange and far-red fluorescent dyes and a simple radioiodination procedure to generate a dual (optical and nuclear) imaging probe. MALDI-ToF analyses revealed high iodination efficiency of the lipophilic reporters, achieved by electrophilic aromatic substitution using the chloramide 1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3α,6α-diphenyl glycoluril (Iodogen) as the oxidizing agent in an organic/aqueous co-solvent mixture. Upon conjugation of iodine-127 or iodine-124-labeled reporters to tumor-targeting SapC-DOPS nanovesicles, optical (fluorescent) and PET imaging was performed in mice bearing intracranial glioblastomas. In addition, tumor vs non-tumor (normal brain) uptake was compared using iodine-125. These data provide proof-of-principle for the potential value of SapC-DOPS for multimodal imaging of glioblastoma, the most aggressive primary brain tumor.

Deep-red fluorescent imaging probe for bacteria.

A versatile deep-red fluorescent imaging probe is described that is comprised of a bis(zinc(II)-dipicolylamine) targeting unit covalently attached to a pentamethine carbocyanine fluorophore with Cy5-like spectroscopic properties. A titration assay based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer is used to prove that the probe selectively associates with anionic vesicle membranes whose composition mimics bacterial cell membranes. Whole-body optical imaging experiments show that the probe associates with the surfaces of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria cells, and it can target the site of bacterial infection in a living mouse. In vivo accumulation at the infection site and subsequent clearance occurs more quickly than a structurally related near-infrared bis(zinc(II)-dipicolylamine) probe. The fact that the same deep-red probe molecule can be used for spectroscopic assays, cell microscopy, and in vivo imaging studies, is an important and attractive technical feature.

Evaluating the protective role of ischaemic preconditioning in rat hearts using a stationary small-animal SPECT imager and 99mTc-glucarate.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the protective role of ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) in rat hearts using Tc-glucarate (GLA) and a stationary SPECT imager, FastSPECT. METHODS: Twenty-four rats with 30 min myocardial ischaemia and 150 min reperfusion (IR) were studied as follows. The IPC group (n=6) underwent IPC (five cycles of 4 min ligation of the left coronary artery and reflow) before IR. The control group (n=7) was treated by IR without IPC. The SPT group (n=6) was subjected to IPC and an adenosine antagonist, 8-(p-sulfophenyl)-theophylline (SPT). The vehicle group (n=5) received IPC and SPT carrier vehicle. GLA was delivered intravenously 30 min post-reperfusion, and 2-h dynamic cardiac images were acquired by FastSPECT. RESULTS: GLA showed 'hot-spot' accumulation in the ischaemic area-at-risk (IAR) and exhibited lower retention (% 5 min peak) in the IPC and vehicle groups (33.8+/-2.6 vs. 35.7+/-9.2, P>0.05) than in the control and SPT groups (63.1+/-5.3 vs. 54.8+/-4.8, P>0.05). The infarct size (% IAR) was larger in the control and SPT groups (48.2+/-6.3 vs. 41.7+/-6.3, P>0.05) than that in the IPC and vehicle groups (21.0+/-1.9 vs. 19.1+/-4.6, P>0.05). In terms of the ex-vivo IAR-to-normal radioactivity ratio, there was a statistical difference between the control and IPC groups (7.4+/-0.9 vs. 3.0+/-0.4), as well as the SPT and vehicle groups (7.4+/-1.0 vs. 3.4+/-0.5). CONCLUSION: IPC offers cardioprotection and relates to the activation of adenosine receptors in rat hearts. FastSPECT GLA imaging is not only useful in detecting early ischaemia-reperfusion injury, but also valuable in evaluating cardioprotection.

In vitro growth and stability of recombinant rabies viruses designed for vaccination of wildlife.

Three live rabies virus (RV) recombinant vaccine candidates, SPBNGA, SPBNGA-Cyto c (+), and SPBNGA-GA, were examined for their production levels and stability. Maximum production levels up to 10(10) infectious particles/mL were achieved using bioreactor technology. All virus lots exhibited thermostability profiles typical for RV vaccines and were non-pathogenic for intracranially inoculated immunocompetent mice. Moreover, sequence analysis indicated high genetic stability in all three RVs during 10 consecutive passages in newborn mice. This analysis revealed no change in the extra RV G gene in the SPBNGA-GA vaccine or in the cytochrome c gene in the SPBNGA-Cyto c (+) vaccine. Moreover, no changes were detected in the G gene codon for Glu333, which renders the virus non-pathogenic. However, after the fifth passage, a mutation resulting in an Asn194 --> Lys194 exchange emerged in the G genes of all three RVs. This mutation was associated with a modest increase in pathogenicity in SPBNGA and SPBNGA-Cyto c (+), but not in SPBNGA-GA, which contained the mutation in only one of its two G genes and which remained non-pathogenic. These results demonstrate the feasibility of producing RV vaccines that remain highly stable even after multiple passages.

High-resolution imaging with (99m)Tc-glucarate for assessing myocardial injury in rat heart models exposed to different durations of ischemia with reperfusion.

UNLABELLED: (99m)Tc-Glucarate ((99m)Tc-GLA) is a novel infarct-avid imaging agent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of (99m)Tc-GLA for assessing the severity of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat heart models exposed to varied durations of left coronary artery (LCA) occlusion with reperfusion using a high-resolution SPECT system, FASTSPECT. We also wanted to clarify whether a rapid sequence of 3-dimensional imaging with FASTSPECT can quantify uptake and washout kinetics of cardiovascular imaging agents in small-animal heart models. METHODS: The ischemic-reperfused rat heart models were created by ligating the LCA for 30 min (IR30, n = 12) or 90 min (IR90, n = 6) (IR = ischemia-reperfusion) and releasing the ligature for 30 min. Dynamic images were acquired over a 2-h period after (99m)Tc-GLA was intravenously injected. The ischemic area at risk (IAR) was determined by Evans blue staining. Necrosis was assessed with triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). RESULTS: The infarct size of the left ventricle (% IAR) on TTC staining was smaller in IR30 (49.2 +/- 4.3) than in IR90 (73.4 +/- 4.7, P < 0.05), which exhibited evidence of more severe irreversible injury than the IR30 heart on TEM. FASTSPECT images demonstrated hot spot accumulations of (99m)Tc-GLA in all hearts. The washout of (99m)Tc-GLA from the ischemic-reperfused area in IR90 was significantly slower than that in IR30. The ratio of the hot spot to normal myocardial activity was 4.1 +/- 0.3 in IR30 and 7.1 +/- 1.1 in IR90 (P < 0.05). The hot spot size (% IAR) (58.4 +/- 2.7 in IR30 vs. 75.9 +/- 2.7 in IR90, P < 0.05) related significantly to the infarct size. CONCLUSION: The severity of myocardial injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion can be assessed by FASTSPECT imaging with (99m)Tc-GLA. The results suggest that (99m)Tc-GLA will be clinically useful in detecting and quantifying acute necrotic myocardium. The FASTSPECT imaging with the rat heart models provides a solution-specific approach with high-resolution and fast dynamic acquisition for kinetic studies of new myocardial imaging agents.

99mTc glucarate high-resolution imaging of drug sensitive and drug resistant human breast cancer xenografts in SCID mice.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Previous studies have showed that 99mTc labelled glucarate (GLA) might be an agent for non-invasive detection of breast tumours. In xenografted BT20 breast tumours, GLA was found to have higher uptake than 99mTc sestamibi (MIBI). It is unclear whether GLA can localize in all cell line breast cancer xenografts, as well as breast tumours with multidrug resistance (MDR). The present study aimed to investigate the properties of GLA in detecting drug sensitive and drug resistant MCF7 breast cancer xenografts in mice by using dynamic single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. METHODS: MCF7/S cells are drug sensitive breast carcinoma cells. MCF7/D40 cells are 40-fold more resistant to doxorubicin compared to MCF7/S. Subcutaneous tumours were grown in SCID mice for 10-14 days after injection of 1 x 10(6) cells into the right thigh. Anaesthetized mice with MCF7/S (MIBI, n=9; GLA, n=8) and MCF7/D40 (MIBI, n=6; GLA, n=5) tumours were imaged using a high-resolution SPECT system called FASTSPECT. Dynamic images were acquired for 2 h after intravenous injection of GLA or MIBI. Expression of MDR P-glycoprotein (Pgp) in the tumours was demonstrated in the MCF7/D40 tumours by western blotting, not in the MCF7/S tumours. RESULTS: The xenografted tumours were visualized unequivocally within 10-30 min in GLA images and remained detectable for at least 2 h after injection. Drug resistant tumours, from which MIBI was rapidly expelled, retained GLA as readily as did drug sensitive tumours. The biodistribution data of GLA demonstrated significantly higher accumulation (%ID/g) compared to MIBI. CONCLUSION: MCF7 tumour xenografts can be detected by 99mTc glucarate imaging. More importantly, 99mTc glucarate can potentially localize drug resistant breast tumours.