Analysis of small molecule antibody-drug conjugate catabolites in rat liver and tumor tissue by liquid extraction surface analysis micro-capillary liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are some of the most promising antibody-related therapeutics. The fate of the cytotoxic moiety of ADCs in vivo after proteolytic degradation of the antibody needs to be well understood in order to mitigate toxicity risks and design proper first in patient studies. METHODS: The feasibility of liquid extraction surface analysis micro-capillary liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LESA-µLC/MS/MS) was tested for direct surface sampling of two possible ADC catabolites composed of synthetically modified maytansinoid (DM1) and 4-[N-maleimidomethyl]cyclohexane-1-carbonyl (MCC) from rat liver and tumor tissue. Moreover, the iMatrixSpray was incorporated to prepare calibration standards (Cs) and quality control (QC) samples by spraying analyte solution at different concentrations directly on blank tissue. RESULTS: Lys-MCC-DM1 sprayed on blank liver tissue was homogeneously distributed (12.3% variability). The assay was selective (inference ≤20%) and linear from 50.0 to 1000 ng/mL without any carry-over. Inter-run accuracy and precision were ≤2.3% and ≤25.9% meeting acceptance. Lys-MCC-DM1 was the only catabolite detected in liver and tumor tissue and was most likely responsible for the total radioactivity signal in liver tissue 72 h post-dose measured by quantitative whole body autoradiography (QWBA). CONCLUSIONS: Both analytical assays (LESA-µLC/MS/MS and QWBA) are complementary to each other and provide useful quantitative and qualitative information in spatial tissue distribution of ADCs and their related catabolites. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mass spectrometry imaging of biological tissue: an approach for multicenter studies.

Mass spectrometry imaging has become a popular tool for probing the chemical complexity of biological surfaces. This led to the development of a wide range of instrumentation and preparation protocols. It is thus desirable to evaluate and compare the data output from different methodologies and mass spectrometers. Here, we present an approach for the comparison of mass spectrometry imaging data from different laboratories (often referred to as multicenter studies). This is exemplified by the analysis of mouse brain sections in five laboratories in Europe and the USA. The instrumentation includes matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-time-of-flight (TOF), MALDI-QTOF, MALDI-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR), atmospheric-pressure (AP)-MALDI-Orbitrap, and cluster TOF-secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Experimental parameters such as measurement speed, imaging bin width, and mass spectrometric parameters are discussed. All datasets were converted to the standard data format imzML and displayed in a common open-source software with identical parameters for visualization, which facilitates direct comparison of MS images. The imzML conversion also allowed exchange of fully functional MS imaging datasets between the different laboratories. The experiments ranged from overview measurements of the full mouse brain to detailed analysis of smaller features (depending on spatial resolution settings), but common histological features such as the corpus callosum were visible in all measurements. High spatial resolution measurements of AP-MALDI-Orbitrap and TOF-SIMS showed comparable structures in the low-micrometer range. We discuss general considerations for planning and performing multicenter studies in mass spectrometry imaging. This includes details on the selection, distribution, and preparation of tissue samples as well as on data handling. Such multicenter studies in combination with ongoing activities for reporting guidelines, a common data format (imzML) and a public data repository can contribute to more reliability and transparency of MS imaging studies.

MSiMass list: a public database of identifications for protein MALDI MS imaging.

The clinical application of mass spectrometry imaging has developed into a sizable subdiscipline of proteomics and metabolomics because its seamless integration with pathology enables biomarkers and biomarker profiles to be determined that can aid patient and disease stratification (diagnosis, prognosis, and response to therapy). Confident identification of the discriminating peaks remains a challenge owing to the presence of nontryptic protein fragments, large mass-to-charge ratio ions that are not efficiently fragmented via tandem mass spectrometry or a high density of isobaric species. A public database of identifications has been initiated to aid the clinical development and implementation of mass spectrometry imaging. The MSiMass list database ( www.maldi-msi.org/mass ) enables users to assign identities to the peaks observed in their experiments and provides the methods by which the identifications were obtained. In contrast with existing protein databases, this list is designed as a community effort without a formal review panel. In this concept, authors can freely enter data and can comment on existing entries. In such, the database itself is an experiment on sharing knowledge, and its ability to rapidly provide quality data will be evaluated in the future.

Biodistribution and metabolism studies of lipid nanoparticle-formulated internally [3H]-labeled siRNA in mice.

Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion properties of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) formulated in a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vehicle were determined in male CD-1 mice following a single intravenous administration of LNP-formulated [(3)H]-SSB siRNA, at a target dose of 2.5 mg/kg. Tissue distribution of the [(3)H]-SSB siRNA was determined using quantitative whole-body autoradiography, and the biostability was determined by both liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with radiodetection and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction techniques. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetics and distribution of the cationic lipid (one of the main excipients of the LNP vehicle) were investigated by LC-MS and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging techniques, respectively. Following i.v. administration of [(3)H]-SSB siRNA in the LNP vehicle, the concentration of parent guide strand could be determined up to 168 hours p.d. (post dose), which was ascribed to the use of the vehicle. This was significantly longer than what was observed after i.v. administration of the unformulated [(3)H]-SSB siRNA, where no intact parent guide strand could be observed 5 minutes post dosing. The disposition of the siRNA was determined by the pharmacokinetics of the formulated LNP vehicle itself. In this study, the radioactivity was widely distributed throughout the body, and the total radioactivity concentration was determined in selected tissues. The highest concentrations of radioactivity were found in the spleen, liver, esophagus, stomach, adrenal, and seminal vesicle wall. In conclusion, the LNP vehicle was found to drive the kinetics and biodistribution of the SSB siRNA. The renal clearance was significantly reduced and its exposure in plasma significantly increased compared with the unformulated [(3)H]-SSB siRNA.

Software tools of the Computis European project to process mass spectrometry images.

Among the needs usually expressed by teams using mass spectrometry imaging, one that often arises is that for user-friendly software able to manage huge data volumes quickly and to provide efficient assistance for the interpretation of data. To answer this need, the Computis European project developed several complementary software tools to process mass spectrometry imaging data. Data Cube Explorer provides a simple spatial and spectral exploration for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight (MALDI-ToF) and time of flight-secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) data. SpectViewer offers visualisation functions, assistance to the interpretation of data, classification functionalities, peak list extraction to interrogate biological database and image overlay, and it can process data issued from MALDI-ToF, ToF-SIMS and desorption electrospray ionisation (DESI) equipment. EasyReg2D is able to register two images, in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format, issued from different technologies. The collaboration between the teams was hampered by the multiplicity of equipment and data formats, so the project also developed a common data format (imzML) to facilitate the exchange of experimental data and their interpretation by the different software tools. The BioMap platform for visualisation and exploration of MALDI-ToF and DESI images was adapted to parse imzML files, enabling its access to all project partners and, more globally, to a larger community of users. Considering the huge advantages brought by the imzML standard format, a specific editor (vBrowser) for imzML files and converters from proprietary formats to imzML were developed to enable the use of the imzML format by a broad scientific community. This initiative paves the way toward the development of a large panel of software tools able to process mass spectrometry imaging datasets in the future.

iMatrixSpray: a free and open source sample preparation device for mass spectrometric imaging.

A device was built for matrix deposition in mass spectrometric imaging. This spray-type instrument requires no user interaction other than providing the spray solution and selecting the pre-defined or custom-built method. Robustness was achieved by utilizing a delta-robotics design in combination with a simple liquid system. All the information describing the systems is provided as open source and hardware and the design is therefore suitable for wide distribution and adaption by the scientific community.

High-sensitivity MALDI-MRM-MS imaging of moxifloxacin distribution in tuberculosis-infected rabbit lungs and granulomatous lesions.

MALDI-MSI is a powerful technology for localizing drug and metabolite distributions in biological tissues. To enhance our understanding of tuberculosis (TB) drug efficacy and how efficiently certain drugs reach their site of action, MALDI-MSI was applied to image the distribution of the second-line TB drug moxifloxacin at a range of time points after dosing. The ability to perform multiple monitoring of selected ion transitions in the same experiment enabled extremely sensitive imaging of moxifloxacin within tuberculosis-infected rabbit lung biopsies in less than 15 min per tissue section. Homogeneous application of a reference standard during the matrix spraying process enabled the ion-suppressing effects of the inhomogeneous lung tissue to be normalized. The drug was observed to accumulate in granulomatous lesions at levels higher than that in the surrounding lung tissue from 1.5 h postdose until the final time point. MALDI-MSI moxifloxacin distribution data were validated by quantitative LC/MS/MS analysis of lung and granuloma extracts from adjacent biopsies taken from the same animals. Drug distribution within the granulomas was observed to be inhomogeneous, and very low levels were observed in the caseum in comparison to the cellular granuloma regions. In this experiment the MALDI-MRM-MSI method was shown to be a rapid and sensitive method for analyzing the distribution of anti-TB compounds and will be applied to distribution studies of additional drugs in the future.

Imaging Mass Cytometry and Single-Cell Genomics Reveal Differential Depletion and Repletion of B-Cell Populations Following Ofatumumab Treatment in Cynomolgus Monkeys.

Ofatumumab is the first, fully human, anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody in Phase 3 development for multiple sclerosis (MS). The study focused on changes in lymphocyte subsets in blood and lymphoid tissues and on potential novel biomarkers as a result of anti-CD20 antibody action in Cynomolgus monkeys treated with human equivalent doses of subcutaneous (s.c.) ofatumumab on Days 0, 7, and 14. Axillary lymph nodes (LNs) and blood samples were collected at various time points until Day 90. Lymphocyte subsets were quantified by flow cytometry, while morphological and immune cell changes were assessed by imaging mass cytometry (IMC), immunohistochemistry (IHC), in situ hybridization (ISH), and transcriptome analyses using single-cell methodology. Ofatumumab treatment resulted in a potent and rapid reduction of B cells along with a simultaneous drop in CD20+ T cell counts. At Day 21, IHC revealed B-cell depletion in the perifollicular and interfollicular area of axillary LNs, while only the core of the germinal center was depleted of CD20+CD21+ cells. By Day 62, the perifollicular and interfollicular areas were abundantly infiltrated by CD21+ B cells and this distribution returned to the baseline cytoarchitecture by Day 90. By IMC CD20+CD3+CD8+ cells could be identified at the margin of the follicles, with a similar pattern of distribution at Day 21 and 90. Single-cell transcriptomics analysis showed that ofatumumab induced reversible changes in t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) defined B-cell subsets that may serve as biomarkers for drug action. In summary, low dose s.c. ofatumumab potently depletes both B cells and CD20+ T cells but apparently spares marginal zone (MZ) B cells in the spleen and LN. These findings add to our molecular and tissue-architectural understanding of ofatumumab treatment effects on B-cell subsets.

Dynamics of Abeta turnover and deposition in different beta-amyloid precursor protein transgenic mouse models following gamma-secretase inhibition.

Human beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice are commonly used to test potential therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease. We have characterized the dynamics of beta-amyloid (Abeta) generation and deposition following gamma-secretase inhibition with compound LY-411575 [N(2)-[(2S)-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-2-hydroxyethanoyl]-N(1)-[(7S)-5-methyl-6-oxo-6,7-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,d]azepin-7-yl]-L-alaninamide]. Kinetic studies in preplaque mice distinguished a detergent-soluble Abeta pool in brain with rapid turnover (half-lives for Abeta40 and Abeta42 were 0.7 and 1.7 h) and a much more stable, less soluble pool. Abeta in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) reflected the changes in the soluble brain Abeta pool, whereas plasma Abeta turned over more rapidly. In brain, APP C-terminal fragments (CTF) accumulated differentially. The half-lives for gamma-secretase degradation were estimated as 0.4 and 0.1 h for C99 and C83, respectively. Three different APP transgenic lines responded very similarly to gamma-secretase inhibition regardless of the familial Alzheimer's disease mutations in APP. Amyloid deposition started with Abeta42, whereas Abeta38 and Abeta40 continued to turn over. Chronic gamma-secretase inhibition lowered amyloid plaque formation to a different degree in different brain regions of the same mice. The extent was inversely related to the initial amyloid load in the region analyzed. No evidence for plaque removal below baseline was obtained. gamma-Secretase inhibition led to a redistribution of intracellular Abeta and an elevation of CTFs in neuronal fibers. In CSF, Abeta showed a similar turnover as in preplaque animals demonstrating its suitability as marker of newly generated, soluble Abeta in plaque-bearing brain. This study supports the use of APP transgenic mice as translational models to characterize Abeta-lowering therapeutics.

In vivo detection of amyloid-beta deposits by near-infrared imaging using an oxazine-derivative probe.

As Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis is associated with the formation of insoluble aggregates of amyloid beta-peptide, approaches allowing the direct, noninvasive visualization of plaque growth in vivo would be beneficial for biomedical research. Here we describe the synthesis and characterization of the near-infrared fluorescence oxazine dye AOI987, which readily penetrates the intact blood-brain barrier and binds to amyloid plaques. Using near-infrared fluorescence imaging, we demonstrated specific interaction of AOI987 with amyloid plaques in APP23 transgenic mice in vivo, as confirmed by postmortem analysis of brain slices. Quantitative analysis revealed increasing fluorescence signal intensity with increasing plaque load of the animals, and significant binding of AOI987 was observed for APP23 transgenic mice aged 9 months and older. Thus, AOI987 is an attractive probe to noninvasively monitor disease progression in animal models of Alzheimer disease and to evaluate effects of potential Alzheimer disease drugs on the plaque load.

Biophotonics applied to proteomics.

Since the completion of the human genome sequencing, our understanding of gene and protein function and their involvement in physiopathological states has increased dramatically, partly due to technological developments in photonics. Photonics is a very active area where new developments occur on a weekly basis, while established tools are adapted to fulfill the needs of other disciplines like genomics and proteomics. Biophotonics emerged at the interface of photonics and biology as a very straightforward and efficient approach to observe and manipulate living systems. In this chapter, we review the current applications of photonics and imaging to proteomics from 2D gels analysis to molecular imaging.

Imaging of a beta-peptide distribution in whole-body mice sections by MALDI mass spectrometry.

Mass spectrometric imaging was applied to assess compound distributions on whole-body sections of mice after i.v. dosing of a beta-peptide and an alpha-peptide control. Animals were sacrificed at different time points (5 min, 1 h, 24 h) post-dose, providing simultaneous spatial as well as kinetic information. As a result of this study, no detection of the alpha-peptide control was observed at 1 h post-dose, while retention of the beta-peptide was observed for longer than 24 h post-dose.

MALDI MS imaging of amyloid.

Label-free molecular imaging by mass spectrometry allows simultaneous mapping of multiple analytes in biological tissue sections. In this chapter, the application of this new technology to the detection Abeta peptides in mouse brain sections is discussed.

MALDI mass spectrometric imaging of biological tissue sections.

In biomedical research, the discovery of new biomarkers and new drugs demands analytical techniques with high sensitivity together with increased throughput. The possibility to localize or to follow changes in organisms at the molecular level by imaging component distributions of specific tissues, is of prime importance to unravel biochemical pathways and develop new treatments and drugs. Established molecular imaging techniques such as MRI and PET are already widely used, however their need for molecular probes to report the presence of the analytes of interest precludes the simultaneous exploration of different biomolecules. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric imaging (MALDI MSI) takes full advantage of the high sensitivity of mass spectrometry instrumentation but also of the ability of the latter to simultaneously detect a wide range of compounds, almost regardless from their nature and mass. To perform MALDI MSI, sections of biological tissues are introduced in an MALDI MS instrument, where the UV pulsed laser of the MALDI source is used to raster over a selected area while acquiring mass spectra of the ablated ions at every image point. From this array of spectra, hundreds of analyte-specific images can be generated based on the selected masses. MALDI MSI can be used to track biomarkers such as peptides or proteins but also to map drug/tissue interactions. In this paper, an overview of the possibilities of MSI will be given. As an example, MSI on brain tissue sections for the study of Alzheimer's disease (AD) will be shown. Mapping of amyloid peptides as a new approach for drug lead optimization will be presented. Target identification thanks to MSI will be introduced and the last part will be dedicated to the molecular scanner approach, which gives access to high-mass range by combining tissue blotting and digestion in a one-step process.

Molecular imaging in drug discovery and development: potential and limitations of nonnuclear methods.

Noninvasive conventional imaging methods are established technologies in modern drug discovery and development providing valuable morphological, physiological, and metabolic information to characterize disease phenotypes, to evaluate the efficacy of therapy and to identify and develop potential biomarkers for clinical drug evaluation. The development of target-specific or molecular imaging has added a new dimension: molecular events such as the target expression, the drug-target interaction, or the activation of signal transduction pathways can be studied in the intact organism with high spatial and temporal resolution. Molecular imaging is inherently a multimodality approach. In this article, we review the role of molecular imaging for drug discovery and development focusing on nonnuclear imaging methods, i.e., magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging techniques based on fluorescence and bioluminescence readouts. Examples discussed are direct visualization of target expression using target-specific ligands or reporter genes, pathway imaging, and cell-trafficking studies.

Reproducible Matrix Deposition for MALDI MSI Based on Open-Source Software and Hardware.

The new open-source software and hardware matrix deposition device named iMatrixSpray was optimized and specified for homogeneity, reproducibility, and sensitivity in MS imaging experiments. The results confirm the design claims, with the device delivering uniform coatings with a constant quality from experiment to experiment. The robustness in combination with the open design allows developing and sharing of matrix deposition and sample preparation protocols between labs. This tool therefore enables researchers to enter the field of MALDI MSI without previous experience in matrix coating.

Evaluation of sparfloxacin distribution by mass spectrometry imaging in a phototoxicity model.

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) was applied to samples from mouse skin and from a human in vitro 3D skin model in order to assess its suitability in the context of photosafety evaluation. MSI proved to be a suitable method for the detection of the model compound sparfloxacin in biological tissues following systemic administration (oral gavage, 100 mg/kg) and subsequent exposure to simulated sunlight. In the human in vitro 3D skin model, a concentration-dependent increase as well as an irradiation-dependent decrease of sparfloxacin was observed. The MSI data on samples from mouse skin showed high signals of sparfloxacin 8 h after dosing. In contrast, animals irradiated with simulated sunlight showed significantly lower signals for sparfloxacin starting already at 1 h postirradiation, with no measurable intensity at the later time points (3 h and 6 h), suggesting a time- and irradiation-dependent degradation of sparfloxacin. The acquisition resolution of 100 µm proved to be adequate for the visualization of the distribution of sparfloxacin in the gross ear tissue samples, but distinct skin compartments were unable to be resolved. The label-free detection of intact sparfloxacin was only the first step in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the phototoxic processes. Further work is needed to identify the degradation products of sparfloxacin implicated in the observed inflammatory processes in order to better understand the origin and the mechanism of the phototoxic reaction.