Construction and Preliminary Evaluation of Two 18F-Labeled Radiopharmaceuticals for Myocardial Perfusion Imaging.

AIMS: PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is the gold standard for the noninvasive diagnosis of ischemic myocardial. Construction of 18F-labeled PET MPI probe showed benefits to reduce the imaging cost, and enhance the image quality and patient-friendliness. METHODS: Two 18F-labeled MPI probes (18F-BoMPI) were developed. Detailed in vitro/vivo evaluation including photophysical properties, in vitro stability, myocardial cell uptake kinetics and mechanisms, cytotoxicity and IC50, biodistribution and plasma clearance curve were investigated. Resting and stressing myocardial perfusion PET imaging were performed in healthy and myocardial ischemic mice. RESULTS: 18F-BoMPI could be quickly labeled and easily postprocessed, and demonstrated excellent in vitro stability. Cell assays indicated that 18F-BoMPI exhibited mitochondria-targeting but potential-independent myocardial uptake. In vivo evaluation revealed the effective myocardial uptake and rapid background clearance. PET MPI confirmed effective probe accumulation in the healthy heart, but rapidly clearance in the background, making heart clearly delineated in the images. Ischemic myocardial could be clearly distinguished as the region of radioactivity sparsity in PET MPI. CONCLUSION: The 18F-labeled probes showed great potentials to reduce the practicability threshold of PET MPI.

Microglial Activation Imaging Using 18F-DPA-714 PET/MRI for Detecting Autoimmune Encephalitis.

Background Translocator protein (TSPO) PET has been used to visualize microglial activation in neuroinflammation and is a potential imaging tool for detecting autoimmune encephalitis (AIE). Purpose To compare the detection rate between TSPO radioligand fluorine 18 (18F) DPA-714 PET and conventional MRI and assess the relationship between 18F-DPA-714 uptake and clinical features in participants with AIE. Materials and Methods Healthy volunteers and patients with AIE were enrolled in this prospective study between December 2021 and April 2023. All participants underwent hybrid brain 18F-DPA-714 PET/MRI and antibody testing. Modified Rankin scale scoring and AIE-related symptoms were assessed in participants with AIE. Positive findings were defined as intensity of 18F-DPA-714 uptake above a threshold of the mean standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) plus 2 SD inside the corresponding brain regions of healthy controls. The McNemar test was used to compare the positive detection rate between the two imaging modalities; the independent samples t test was used to compare continuous variables; and correlation with Bonferroni correction was used to assess the relationship between 18F-DPA-714 uptake and clinical features. Results A total of 25 participants with AIE (mean age, 39.24 years ± 19.03 [SD]) and 10 healthy controls (mean age, 28.70 years ± 5.14) were included. The positive detection rate of AIE was 72% (18 of 25) using 18F-DPA-714 PET compared to 44% (11 of 25) using conventional MRI, but the difference was not statistically significant (P = .065). Participants experiencing seizures exhibited significantly higher mean SUVR in the entire cortical region than those without seizures (1.23 ± 0.21 vs 1.15 ± 0.18; P = .003). Of the 13 participants with AIE who underwent follow-up PET/MRI, 11 (85%) demonstrated reduced uptake of 18F-DPA-714 accompanied by relief of symptoms after immunosuppressive treatment. Conclusion 18F-DPA-714 PET has potential value in supplementing MRI for AIE detection. Clinical trial registration no. NCT05293405 © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Zaharchuk in this issue.

The therapeutic effect of a novel GAPDH inhibitor in mouse model of breast cancer and efficacy monitoring by molecular imaging.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a serious threat to women's health with high morbidity and mortality. The development of more effective therapies for the treatment of breast cancer is strongly warranted. Growing evidence suggests that targeting glucose metabolism may be a promising cancer treatment strategy. We previously identified a new glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) inhibitor, DC-5163, which shows great potential in inhibiting tumor growth. Here, we evaluated the anticancer potential of DC-5163 in breast cancer cells. METHODS: The effects of DC-5163 on breast cancer cells were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Seahorse, glucose uptake, lactate production, and cellular ATP content assays were performed to examine the impact of DC-5163 on cellular glycolysis. Cell viability, colony-forming ability, cell cycle, and apoptosis were assessed by CCK8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and immunoblotting respectively. The anticancer activity of DC-5163 in vivo was evaluated in a mouse breast cancer xenograft model. RESULTS: DC-5163 suppressed aerobic glycolysis and reduced energy supply of breast cancer cells, thereby inhibiting breast cancer cell growth, inducing cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, and increasing apoptosis. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed using a breast cancer xenograft mouse model. DC-5163 treatment markedly suppressed tumor growth in vivo without inducing evident systemic toxicity. Micro-PET/CT scans revealed a notable reduction in tumor 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT uptake in the DC-5163 treatment group compared to the DMSO control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that DC-5163 is a promising GAPDH inhibitor for suppressing breast cancer growth without obvious side effects. 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT PET/CT can noninvasively assess the levels of glycolysis and proliferation in tumors following treatment with DC-5163.

Integrating TSPO PET imaging and transcriptomics to unveil the role of neuroinflammation and amyloid-ß deposition in Alzheimer's disease.

PURPOSE: Despite the revealed role of immunological dysfunctions in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) through animal and postmortem investigations, direct evidence regarding the impact of genetic factors on microglia response and amyloid-ß (Aß) deposition in AD individuals is lacking. This study aims to elucidate this mechanism by integrating transcriptomics and TSPO, Aß PET imaging in clinical AD cohort. METHODS: We analyzed 85 patients with PET/MR imaging for microglial activation (TSPO, [18F]DPA-714) and Aß ([18F]AV-45) within the prospective Alzheimer's Disease Immunization and Microbiota Initiative Study Cohort (ADIMIC). Immune-related differentially expressed genes (IREDGs), identified based on AlzData, were screened and verified using blood samples from ADIMIC. Correlation and mediation analyses were applied to investigate the relationships between immune-related genes expression, TSPO and Aß PET imaging. RESULTS: TSPO uptake increased significantly both in aMCI (P < 0.05) and AD participants (P < 0.01) and showed a positive correlation with Aß deposition (r = 0.42, P < 0.001). Decreased expression of TGFBR3, FABP3, CXCR4 and CD200 was observed in AD group. CD200 expression was significantly negatively associated with TSPO PET uptake (r =-0.33, P = 0.013). Mediation analysis indicated that CD200 acted as a significant mediator between TSPO uptake and Aß deposition (total effect B = 1.92, P = 0.004) and MMSE score (total effect B =-54.01, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: By integrating transcriptomics and TSPO PET imaging in the same clinical AD cohort, this study revealed CD200 played an important role in regulating neuroinflammation, Aß deposition and cognitive dysfunction.

A comparative study of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/MR and [18F]FDG PET/CT in the diagnostic accuracy and resectability prediction of ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE: To provide a theory for guiding clinical treatment by comparing the clinical application value of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) PET/CT and [68Ga]Ga-FAPI (fibroblast activating protein inhibitor) PET/MR in the diagnosis and evaluation of resectability of ovarian cancer. METHODS: Thirty patients with high clinical suspicion of ovarian malignancies were enrolled from July 2021 to October 2022 and underwent [18F]FDG PET/CT and [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/MR within 5 days. Twenty patients underwent [18F]FDG PET/MR at once completing [18F]FDG PET/CT for consistency checking. Images were analysed for comparing SUVs and for judging incomplete resectability according to the peritoneal cancer index (PCI) and SUIDAN scoring system. The expression of FAP, HK2 and Ki67 was analysed by immunohistochemistry staining. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between PET/MR and PET/CT in SUVs-FDG at different locations (p > 0.05), and their diagnostic accuracies were similar. The diagnostic accuracy of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/MR had advantages for peritoneal metastasis since SUVsFAPI were higher (p < 0.01). The sensitivity of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/MR in the diagnosis of peridiaghragmatic metastases was higher because SUVmax in the liver was decreased (p < 0.001). [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/MR might have advantages in diagnosing gastrointestinal invasion. In PCI score analysis, [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/MR could partially correct missing or underestimated scores by [18F]FDG PET/CT, but the matching probability between left peri-intestinal metastasis scores was low and easy to overestimate. Interestingly, diaphragmatic metastasis detected by [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/MR had the greatest correlation with the prediction of incomplete resectability (logistic regression p = 0.02). Through immunohistochemistry, the expression of FAP had a strong correlation with SUVmax-FAPI (p < 0.001), while the expression of HK2 was correlated with SUVmax-FDG (p < 0.01). In addition, SUVmax-FDG with Ki67 ≥ 20% was significantly higher than that with Ki67 < 20% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/MR had obvious advantages for metastases diagnosis and could more accurately assess tumour load and predict incomplete resectability. SUVmax-FDG was conducive to evaluating the degree of tumour malignancy.

Utility of [68Ga]FAPI-04 and [18F]FDG dual-tracer PET/CT in the initial evaluation of gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the role of [68Ga]FAPI-04 and [18F]FDG dual-tracer PET/CT for the initial assessment of gastric cancer and to explore the factors associated with their uptake. METHODS: This study enrolled 62 patients with histopathologically confirmed gastric cancer. We compared the diagnostic performance of [68Ga]FAPI-04, [18F]FDG, and combined dual-tracer PET/CT. The standardized uptake value (SUV) and tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) were also measured, and the factors that influence tracer uptake were analyzed. RESULTS: [68Ga]FAPI-04 PET/CT detected more primary lesions (90.3% vs 77.4%, p = 0.008) and peritoneal metastases (91.7% vs 41.7%, p = 0.031) and demonstrated higher SUVmax and TBR values (p < 0.001) of primary lesions compared to [18F]FDG PET/CT. Dual-tracer PET/CT significantly improved the diagnostic sensitivity for the detection of distant metastases, compared with stand-alone [18F]FDG (97.1% vs 73.5%, p = 0.008) or [68Ga]FAPI-04 (97.1% vs 76.5%, p = 0.016) PET/CT. Subsequently, treatment strategies were changed in nine patients following [68Ga]FAPI-04 and [18F]FDG dual-tracer PET/CT. Nevertheless, [68Ga]FAPI-04 uptake was primarily influenced by the size and invasion depth of the tumor. Both [68Ga]FAPI-04 and [18F]FDG PET/CT showed limited sensitivity for detecting early gastric cancer (EGC) (37.5% vs 25.0%, p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this initial study, [68Ga]FAPI-04 and [18F]FDG dual-tracer PET/CT were complementary and improved sensitivity for the detection of distant metastases pre-treatment in gastric cancer and could improve treatment stratification in the future. [68Ga]FAPI-04 had limited efficacy in detecting EGC. KEY POINTS: • [68Ga]FAPI-04 and [18F]FDG dual-tracer PET/CT are complementary to each other for improving diagnostic sensitivity in the initial evaluation of distant metastases from gastric cancer. • [68Ga]FAPI-04 PET/CT showed limited sensitivity in detecting EGC. • Need for further validation in a larger multi-centre prospective study.

Development of a H2S-responsive NIR Fluorescent Probe for H2S Detection and H2S Releasing Monitoring From Prodrug.

H2S was deemed as a toxic gradient in the realm of food and environment but plays pivotal pathophysiological roles in organisms. H2S instabilities and disturbances are always responsible for multiple disorders. We fabricated a H2S-responsive NIR fluorescent probe (HT) for H2S detection and evaluation both in vitro and in vivo. HT exhibited rapid H2S response within 5 min, accompanied with visible color change and NIR fluorescence generation, and the fluorescent intensities were linearly correlated with corresponding H2S concentrations. When HT was incubated with A549 cells, the intracellular H2S and H2S fluctuations could be monitored ore rotundo via the responsive fluorescence. Meanwhile, when HT was co-administrated with H2S prodrug ADT-OH, the H2S release from ADT-OH could be visualized and monitored to evaluate its release efficacy.

In Vivo Distribution and Therapeutic Efficacy of Radioiodine-Labeled pH-Low Insertion Peptide Variant 3 in a Mouse Model of Breast Cancer.

Purpose: Extracellular acidity is a marker of highly aggressive breast cancer (BC). pH-low insertion peptides (pHLIPs) target the acidic tumor microenvironment. This study evaluates the distribution and therapeutic efficacy of radioiodine-labeled pHLIP variant 3 (Var3) in a mouse model of BC. Methods: The binding of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)- or radioiodine-125 (125I) labeled Var3-pHLIP to MDA-MB-231, 4T1, and SK-BR-3 BC cell lines under different pH values was evaluated in vitro. The distribution of 125I-labeled Var3-pHLIP and wild-type- (WT-) pHLIP in tumor-bearing mice was analyzed in vivo using micro-SPECT/CT imaging. The therapeutic efficacy of radioiodine-131 (131I)-labeled Var3-pHLIP in MDA-MB-231 xenografts was evaluated by relative tumor volume measurement and immunohistochemical analysis. Results: The binding ability of FITC- or 125I-labeled Var3-pHLIP to tumor cells increased with the decrease in pH. The tumor-to-background ratio of 125I-Var3-pHLIP in BC xenografts showed the best imaging contrast at 24 h or 48 h postinjection. The uptake of 125I-Var3-pHLIP in MDA-MB-231 xenografts at 2 h postinjection was significantly higher than that of 125I-WT-pHLIP (3.76 ± 0.37 vs. 2.87 ± 0.60%ID/g, p = 0.046). The relative tumor volume in MDA-MB-231 xenografts was significantly lower in the 131I-Var3-pHLIP-treated group than in the groups treated with Var3-pHLIP (p = 0.027), 131I (p = 0.001), and saline (p < 0.001). The 131I-Var 3-pHLIP group presented a lower expression of Ki67 and a higher expression of caspase 3. Conclusion: Radioiodine-labeled Var3-pHLIP effectively targeted BC cells in an acidic environment and inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 xenografts by ionizing radiation.

Development and preliminary evaluation of an integrin α2ß1-targeted PET probe as a supplement and alternative of PSMA imaging for prostate cancer.

An integrin α2ß1-targeted PET probe (68Ga-IABtP) was developed to serve as a supplement and alternative of PSMA imaging for prostate cancer. 68Ga-IABtP was synthesized by labeling the precursor peptide with 68Ga with 93% labeling yield and 4.14 MBq/µg specific radioactivity. 68Ga-IABtP showed no specific uptake in LNCaP prostate cancer cell with low integrin α2ß1 expression but significantly increased uptake in PC-3 prostate cancer cell with high integrin α2ß1 expression, which could be specifically blocked by the integrin α2ß1 monoclonal antibody. The efflux experiments demonstrated that 68Ga-IABtP could rapidly penetrate into PC-3 cell after cell binding, thereby prolonging the residence time in the tumor and allow enough time for probe clearance from the circulation and non-specific organs. The biodistribution study indicated that 68Ga-IABtP showed no specific accumulation in non-target organs and was quickly cleared from the kidney. The in vivo PET-CT imaging demonstrated that 68Ga-IABtP showed no specific uptake in LNCaP tumor but could specifically accumulate in the PC-3 tumor, and was rapidly cleared from spleen, intestine, kidney and liver, resulting in excellent contrast effect with low background signal and high target to non-target ratios.

The effects of season change and fasting on Brown adipose tissue FDG-PET in mice.

It is widely reported that BAT is more frequently observed in patients during the winter season, and its activities could vary significantly under different conditions. However, whether this phenomenon is entirely caused by low temperature or other factors is not very clear. In this study, we tried to explore the seasonal fluctuation of FDG-PET BAT using mouse models that were from the same genetic breed and raised in a well-controlled environment. We also compared these variations with the effects of fasting and cold stimulation on BAT activities in these mice. In overnight fasted mice, the FDG-PET BAT was the highest in standardized uptake value (SUV) in the winter season. The values were much lower in all other seasons, especially in the summer. Compared to regular feeding, overnight fasting reduced BAT SUV, and refeeding after fasting could fully recover BAT activities. Fasted mice also did not respond to cold environment stimulation. After refeeding, their BAT thermogenic activities became normal. These results suggest that BAT FDG-PET SUV measurements vary significantly with the season and highlight the importance of taking into account the seasonal effect and fasting status in BAT evaluation studies using FDG-PET imaging.

The Labeling, Visualization, and Quantification of Hyaluronan Distribution in Tumor-Bearing Mouse Using PET and MR Imaging.

PURPOSE: Hyaluronan (HA) based biomaterials are widely used as tissue scaffolds, drug formulations, as well as targeting ligands and imaging probes for diagnosis and drug delivery. However, because of the presence of abundant endogenous HA presented in various tissues in vivo, the pharmacokinetic behavior and biodistribution patterns of exogenously administered HAs have not been well characterized. METHODS: The HA backbone was modified with Diethylenetriamine (DTPA) to enable the chelation of gadolinium (Gd) and aluminum (Al) ions. Series of PET and MR imaging were taken after the injection of HA-DTPA-Gd and HA-DTPA-Al18F while using18F-FDG and Magnevist(DTPA-Gd) as controls. The Tomographic images were analyzed and quantified to reveal the distribution and locations of HA in tumor-bearing mice. RESULTS: The labeled HAs had good stability in plasma. They retained binding affinity towards CD44s on tumor cell surface. The injected HAs distributed widely in various organs, but were found to be cleared quickly except inside tumor tissues where the signals were higher and persisted longer. CONCLUSION: Medical imaging tools, including MR and PET, can be highly valuable for examining biomaterial distribution non-invasively. The HA tumor accumulation properties may be explored for the development of active targeting drug carriers and molecular probes.

Value of 68Ga-FAPI-04 and 18F-FDG PET/CT in Early Prediction of Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer.

This prospective study investigated whether PET parameters from 18F-FDG and 68Ga-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI)-04 PET/CT can predict a pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) early in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). Methods: The study included 28 patients with LAGC who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT and 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT at baseline and after 1 cycle of NAC. PET parameters including SUV and tumor-to-background ratio (TBR), as well as the change rate of SUV and TBR, were recorded. Patients were classified as major or minor pathologic responders according to postoperative pathology findings. We compared the PET parameters between the 2 pathologic response groups and different treatment regimens and analyzed their predictive performance for tumor pathologic response. Results: Major pathologic responders had significantly lower 68Ga-FAPI change rates (percentage SUVmax [%SUVmax], percentage SUVpeak [%SUVpeak], and percentage TBR [%TBR]) than minor pathologic responders. Among the PET parameters, 68Ga-FAPI %SUVmax (area under the curve, 0.856; P = 0.009), %SUVpeak (area under the curve, 0.811; P = 0.022), and %TBR (area under the curve, 0.864; P = 0.007) were significant parameters for early prediction of pathologic response to NAC in LAGC; they had the same predictive accuracy of 89.29%, with the thresholds of decrease to at least 52.43%, 60.46%, and 52.96%, respectively. In addition, 68Ga-FAPI %SUVmax and %TBR showed significant differences between the different treatment regimens. Conclusion: In this preliminary study, 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET change rate parameters were preferable to 18F-FDG in predicting pathologic response to NAC at an early stage in LAGC. 68Ga-FAPI %SUVmax and %TBR may be better predictors of therapeutic response between different treatment regimens. These findings may help optimize the treatment for patients with LAGC.

Design of a Zn-based nanozyme injectable multifunctional hydrogel with ROS scavenging activity for myocardial infarction therapy.

The existing strategies for myocardial infarction therapy mainly focus on reinstating myocardial blood supply, often disregarding the intrinsic and intricate microenvironment created by elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that accompanies myocardial infarction. This microenvironment entails cardiomyocytes apoptosis, substantial vascular cell death, excessive inflammatory infiltration and fibrosis. In such situation, the present study introduces a zinc-based nanozyme injectable multifunctional hydrogel, crafted from ZIF-8, to counteract ROS effects after myocardial infarction. The hydrogel exhibits both superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like and catalase (CAT)-like enzymatic activities, proficiently eliminating surplus ROS in the infarcted region and interrupting ROS-driven inflammatory cascades. Furthermore, the hydrogel's exceptional immunomodulatory ability spurs a notable transformation of macrophages into the M2 phenotype, effectively neutralizing inflammatory factors and indirectly fostering vascularization in the infarcted region. For high ROS and demanding for zinc of the infarcted microenvironment, the gradual release of zinc ions as the hydrogel degrades further enhances the bioactive and catalytic performance of the nanozymes, synergistically promoting cardiac function post myocardial infarction. In conclusion, this system of deploying catalytic nanomaterials within bioactive matrices for ROS-related ailment therapy not only establishes a robust foundation for biomedical material development, but also promises a holistic approach towards addressing myocardial infarction complexities. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Myocardial infarction remains the leading cause of death worldwide. However, the existing strategies for myocardial infarction therapy mainly focus on reinstating myocardial blood supply. These therapies often ignore the intrinsic and intricate microenvironment created by elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hence, we designed an injectable Zn-Based nanozyme hydrogel with ROS scavenging activity for myocardial infarction therapy. ALG-(ZIF-8) can significantly reduce ROS in the infarcted area and alleviate the ensuing pathological process. ALG-(ZIF-8) gradually releases zinc ions to participate in the repair process and improves cardiac function. Overall, this multifunctional hydrogel equipped with ZIF-8 makes full use of the characteristics of clearing ROS and slowly releasing zinc ions, and we are the first to test the therapeutic efficacy of Zinc-MOFs crosslinked-alginate hydrogel for myocardial infarction.

Multi-omics data reveals aberrant gut microbiota-host glycerophospholipid metabolism in association with neuroinflammation in APP/PS1 mice.

Numerous studies have described the notable impact of gut microbiota on the brain in Alzheimer's disease (AD) via the gut - brain axis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the involvement of gut microbiota in the development of AD are limited. This study aimed to explore the potential mechanisms of gut microbiota in AD by integrating multi-omics data. In this study, APP/PS1 and WT mice at nine months of age were used as study mouse model. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze test. The levels of Aß plaque and neuroinflammation in the brain were detected using immunofluorescence and PET/CT. In addition, we not only used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolomics to explore the variation characteristics of gut microbiota and serum metabolism abundance, but also combined spatial metabolomics and transcriptomics to explore the change in the brain and identify their potential correlation. APP/PS1 mice showed significant cognitive impairment and amyloid-ß deposits in the brain. The abundance of gut microbiota was significantly changed in APP/PS1 mice, including decreased Desulfoviobrio, Enterococcus, Turicibacter, and Ruminococcus and increased Pseudomonas. The integration of serum untargeted metabolomics and brain spatial metabolomics showed that glycerophospholipid metabolism was a common alteration pathway in APP/PS1 mice. Significant proliferation and activation of astrocyte and microglia were observed in APP/PS1 mice, accompanied by alterations in immune pathways. Integration analysis and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) intervention revealed potential association of gut microbiota, host glycerophospholipid metabolism, and neuroinflammation levels in APP/PS1 mice.

pH-sensitive gold nanoclusters labeling with radiometallic nuclides for diagnosis and treatment of tumor.

The acidic microenvironment is one of the remarkable features of tumor and is also a reliable target for tumor theranostics. Ultrasmall gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) have good in vivo behaviors, such as non-retention in liver and spleen, renal clearance, and high tumor permeability, and held great potential for developing novel radiopharmaceuticals. Herein, we developed pH-sensitive ultrasmall gold nanoclusters by introducing quaternary ammonium group (TMA) or tertiary amine motifs (C6A) onto glutathione-coated AuNCs (TMA/GSH@AuNCs, C6A-GSH@AuNCs). Density functional theory simulation revealed that radiometal 89Sr, 223Ra, 44Sc, 90Y, 177Lu, 89Zr, 99mTc, 188Re, 106Rh, 64Cu, 68Ga, and 113Sn could stably dope into AuNCs. Both TMA/GSH@AuNCs and C6A-GSH@AuNCs could assemble into large clusters responding to mild acid condition, with C6A-GSH@AuNCs being more effective. To assess their performance for tumor detection and therapy, TMA/GSH@AuNCs and C6A-GSH@AuNCs were labeled with 68Ga, 64Cu, 89Zr and 89Sr, respectively. PET imaging of 4T1 tumor-bearing mice revealed TMA/GSH@AuNCs and C6A-GSH@AuNCs were mainly cleared through kidney, and C6A-GSH@AuNCs accumulated in tumors more efficiently. As a result, 89Sr-labeled C6A-GSH@AuNCs eradicated both the primary tumors and their lung metastases. Therefore, our study suggested that GSH-coated AuNCs held great promise for developing novel radiopharmaceuticals that specifically target the tumor acidic microenvironment for tumor diagnosis and treatments.

Visualization research on ENT1/NIS dual-function gene therapy to reverse drug resistance mediated by MUC1 in GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: To use bifunctional target genes to increase the intracellular transport of gemcitabine (GEM) to reverse chemotherapy resistance and to simultaneously use reporter gene imaging to localize therapeutic genes. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by [18F]FLT PET/CT to visualize the effect of gene therapy. METHODS: A viral gene vector containing the pancreatic cancer-targeting promoter MUC1 for specific transcription of equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1) and NIS (nuclide transport channel) was employed. [125I]NaI uptake tests and [131I]NaI SPECT imaging were performed to verify the function of NIS and the target function of MUC1. The correlation between [18F]FLT uptake and GEM resistance were assessed, and the influence ENT1 and thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) expression on [18F]FLT micro-PET/CT was measured, which provides a theoretical basis for the use of [18F]FLT micro-PET/CT to evaluate the efficacy of gene therapy. RESULTS: First, functions of gene therapy were confirmed: ENT1 reversed the drug resistance of GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer cells by increasing GEM intracellular transport; MUC1 drove NIS target gene expression in pancreatic cancer; and therapeutic genes could be localized using [131I]NaI SPECT reporter gene imaging. Second, the [18F]FLT uptake ratio was affected by drug resistance and GEM treatment. The mechanism underlying this effect was related to ENT1 and TK1. Increased expression of ENT1 inhibited the expression of TK1 after GEM chemotherapy to reduce the uptake of [18F]FLT. Finally, micro-PET/CT indicated that the SUVmax of [18F]FLT could predict survival time. SUVmax exhibited an increasing trend in resistant pancreatic cancer but a trend of inhibition after upregulation of ENT1, which was more significant after GEM treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Bifunctional targeted genes can localize therapeutic genes through reporter gene imaging, reverse the drug resistance of GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer and be visually evaluated through [18F]FLT micro-PET/CT.

Alterations in histology of the aging salivary gland and correlation with the glandular inflammatory microenvironment.

Aging-related salivary dysfunction typically causes reduced saliva volumes, which leads to debilitating consequences, even affecting patient quality of life. Understanding the respective clinicopathological characteristics and molecular mechanisms underlying salivary gland functioning during aging is vital for therapeutic purposes. Here, we provide a detailed atlas of the salivary gland microenvironment during aging, and we identified several phenotypes characteristic of aging salivary glands, including acini atrophy, increased inflammatory cells, altered immune responses, and accumulation of lysosomes and autophagosomes in aging cells, which may reflect progressive degeneration of salivary gland function. Furthermore, our analyses suggested significant enrichment of metabolic pathways in aging glands. Our results revealed complex cellular cross-talk among aging acinar cells, inflammatory factors, and immune responses. A natural aging animal model was established to verify these findings. This study provides mechanistic insights into age-related clinicopathogenesis, important implications for early diagnosis, and identification of new targets for improving salivary gland dysfunction.

An Intrinsically Magnetic Epicardial Patch for Rapid Vascular Reconstruction and Drug Delivery.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of mortality worldwide. The major limitation of regenerative therapy for MI is poor cardiac retention of therapeutics, which results from an inefficient vascular network and poor targeting ability. In this study, a two-layer intrinsically magnetic epicardial patch (MagPatch) prepared by 3D printing with biocompatible materials like poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS) is designed, poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL), and NdFeB. The two-layer structure ensured that the MagPatch multifariously utilized the magnetic force for rapid vascular reconstruction and targeted drug delivery. MagPatch accumulates superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPION)-labelled endothelial cells, instantly forming a ready-implanted organization, and rapidly reconstructs a vascular network anastomosed with the host. In addition, the prefabricated vascular network within the MagPatch allowed for the efficient accumulation of SPION-labelled therapeutics, amplifying the therapeutic effects of cardiac repair. This study defined an extendable therapeutic platform for vascularization-based targeted drug delivery that is expected to assist in the progress of regenerative therapies in clinical applications.

A Link Between Mitochondrial Dysfunction and the Immune Microenvironment of Salivary Glands in Primary Sjogren's Syndrome.

Background: Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is a slowly progressive, inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration into salivary and lacrimal glands. It becomes more recognized that morphology alterations of epithelial mitochondria are involved in altered cellular bioenergetics in pSS patients. The integrated analysis of the mitochondrial role in the pathogenesis and aberrant immune microenvironment in pSS remains unknown. Methods: The mitochondria-related genes and gene expression data were downloaded from the MitoMiner, MitoCarta, and NCBI GEO databases. We performed novel transcriptomic analysis and constructed a network between the mitochondrial function and immune microenvironment in pSS-salivary glands by computer-aided algorithms. Subsequently, real-time PCR was performed in clinical samples in order to validate the bioinformatics results. Histological staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were further studied on labial salivary gland samples of non-pSS and pSS patients characterized for mitochondria-related phenotypic observation in the different stages of the disease. Results: The bioinformatic analysis revealed that the expression of several mitochondria-related genes was altered in pSS. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that four hub genes, CD38, CMPK2, TBC1D9, and PYCR1, were differentially expressed in the pSS clinical samples. These hub genes were associated with the degree of immune cell infiltration in salivary glands, the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, mitochondrial metabolic pathway in gluconeogenesis, TCA cycle, and pyruvate/ketone/lipid/amino acid metabolism in pSS. Clinical data revealed that the gene expression of fission (Fis1, DRP1, and MFF) and fusion (MFN1, MFN2, and OPA1) was downregulated in pSS samples, consistent with the results from the public validation database. As the disease progressed, cytochrome c and Bcl-2 proteins were regionally distributed in salivary glands from pSS patients. TEM revealed cytoplasmic lipid droplets and progressively swollen mitochondria in salivary epithelial cells. Conclusion: Our study revealed cross talk between mitochondrial dysfunction and the immune microenvironment in salivary glands of pSS patients, which may provide important insights into SS clinical management based on modulation of mitochondrial function.

Cystatin B increases autophagic flux by sustaining proteolytic activity of cathepsin B and fuels glycolysis in pancreatic cancer: CSTB orchestrates autophagy and glycolysis in PDAC.

BACKGROUND: Both autophagy and glycolysis are essential for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) survival due to desmoplasia. We investigated whether targeting a hub gene which participates in both processes could be an efficient strategy for PDAC treatment. METHODS: The expression pattern of glycolysis signatures (GS) and autophagy signatures (AS) and their correlation with cystatin B (CSTB) in PDAC were analysed. It was discovered how CSTB affected the growth, glycolysis, and autophagy of PDAC cells. We assessed competitive binding to cathepsin B (CTSB) between CSTB and cystatin C (CSTC) via immunoprecipitation (IP) and immunofluorescence (IF). Chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR) and luciferase reporter gene assays were used to unveil the mechanism underlying CSTB upregulation. The expression pattern of CSTB was examined in clinical samples and KrasG12D/+, Trp53R172H/+, Pdx1-Cre (KPC) mice. RESULTS: GS and AS were enriched and closely associated in PDAC tissues. CSTB increased autophagic flux and provided substrates for glycolysis. CSTB knockdown attenuated the proliferation of PDAC cells and patient-derived xenografts. The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay indicated CSTB interacted with CTSB and contributed to the proteolytic activity of CTSB in lysosomes. IF and IP assays demonstrated that CSTB competed with CSTC to bind to CTSB. Mutation of the key sites of CSTB abolished the interaction between CSTB and CTSB. CSTB was highly expressed in PDAC due to H3K27acetylation and SP1 expression. High expression of CSTB in PDAC was observed in tissue microarray and patients' serum samples. CONCLUSIONS: Our work demonstrated the tumorigenic roles of autophagy and glycolysis in PDAC. CSTB is a key role in orchestrating these processes to ensure energy supply of PDAC cells.