Transferrin receptor in primary and metastatic breast cancer: Evaluation of expression and experimental modulation to improve molecular targeting.

BACKGROUND: Conjugation of transferrin (Tf) to imaging or nanotherapeutic agents is a promising strategy to target breast cancer. Since the efficacy of these biomaterials often depends on the overexpression of the targeted receptor, we set out to survey expression of transferrin receptor (TfR) in primary and metastatic breast cancer samples, including metastases and relapse, and investigate its modulation in experimental models. METHODS: Gene expression was investigated by datamining in twelve publicly-available datasets. Dedicated Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were generated to evaluate matched primary and bone metastases as well as and pre and post chemotherapy tumors from the same patient. TMA were stained with the FDA-approved MRQ-48 antibody against TfR and graded by staining intensity (H-score). Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and isogenic metastatic mouse models were used to study in vivo TfR expression and uptake of transferrin. RESULTS: TFRC gene and protein expression were high in breast cancer of all subtypes and stages, and in 60-85% of bone metastases. TfR was detectable after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, albeit with some variability. Fluorophore-conjugated transferrin iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO) enhanced TfR uptake in human breast cancer cells in vitro and proved transferrin localization at metastatic sites and correlation of tumor burden relative to untreated tumor mice. CONCLUSIONS: TfR is expressed in breast cancer, primary, metastatic, and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Variability in expression of TfR suggests that evaluation of the expression of TfR in individual patients could identify the best candidates for targeting. Further, systemic iron chelation with DFO may upregulate receptor expression and improve uptake of therapeutics or tracers that use transferrin as a homing ligand.

Time-domain immersed-boundary simulation of acoustic propagation between two spherical gas bubblesa).

Acoustic fields and resonance responses from two spherical gas bubbles are investigated using a time-domain simulation. Interior acoustic fields are obtained simultaneously from the simulation of the entire acoustic field propagation with an immersed-boundary method. The linear resonance responses are obtained and discussed for each of the bubbles with respect to the respective interior gas velocities. Also, these are analyzed in the frequency domain in terms of the coupled interactions. Unlike previous numerical and analytical solutions, the method allows for two bubbles of different sizes and shapes to be in contact with each other, which is representative of applicable underwater scattering targets.

Time-domain simulation of acoustic wave scattering and internal propagation from a gas bubble of various shapes.

Acoustic scattering and resonances of gas bubbles are computed using a time-domain simulation based on numerical solutions of the conservation laws. The time histories of scattered pressure and fluid velocity, outside and inside the bubble, are obtained simultaneously from an immersed-boundary method allowing for the investigation of exterior and interior fields for non-spherical geometries. The acoustic resonances of the bubble are investigated for various bubble sizes, shapes, and inner gas parameters and compared in limiting cases to the partial wave scattering solutions for spherical bubbles. The dynamics of the gas motion and its associated contribution to resonance response has received little attention in previous analytical and numerical formulations. In this study, the acoustic propagation and motion inside the interior gas is investigated with respect to the monopole resonance with the combined time-domain simulation and immersed-boundary method. For the non-spherical prolate and oblate shapes, the scattering and resonance behaviors are compared with the approximate analytical results based on the shape factor method. The simulation method can be extended to less-understood shapes relevant to underwater and physical acoustics, such as "pancake-shaped" or "cigar-shaped" bubbles, as well as to spatial and time-dependent forcing.

VLA4-Targeted Nanoparticles Hijack Cell Adhesion-Mediated Drug Resistance to Target Refractory Myeloma Cells and Prolong Survival.

PURPOSE: In multiple myeloma, drug-resistant cells underlie relapse or progression following chemotherapy. Cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance (CAM-DR) is an established mechanism used by myeloma cells (MMC) to survive chemotherapy and its markers are upregulated in residual disease. The integrin very late antigen 4 (VLA4; α4ß1) is a key mediator of CAM-DR and its expression affects drug sensitivity of MMCs. Rather than trying to inhibit its function, here, we hypothesized that upregulation of VLA4 by resistant MMCs could be exploited for targeted delivery of drugs, which would improve safety and efficacy of treatments. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We synthetized 20 nm VLA4-targeted micellar nanoparticles (V-NP) carrying DiI for tracing or a novel camptothecin prodrug (V-CP). Human or murine MMCs, alone or with stroma, and immunocompetent mice with orthotopic multiple myeloma were used to track delivery of NPs and response to treatments. RESULTS: V-NPs selectively delivered their payload to MMCs in vitro and in vivo, and chemotherapy increased their uptake by surviving MMCs. V-CP, alone or in combination with melphalan, was well tolerated and prolonged survival in myeloma-bearing mice. V-CP also reduced the dose requirement for melphalan, reducing tumor burden in association with suboptimal dosing without increasing overall toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: V-CP may be a safe and effective strategy to prevent or treat relapsing or refractory myeloma. V-NP targeting of resistant cells may suggest a new approach to environment-induced resistance in cancer.

An unmet clinical need: The history of thrombus imaging.

Robust thrombus imaging is an unresolved clinical unmet need dating back to the mid 1970s. While early molecular imaging approaches began with nuclear SPECT imaging, contrast agents for virtually all biomedical imaging modalities have been demonstrated in vivo with unique strengths and common weaknesses. Two primary molecular imaging targets have been pursued for thrombus imaging: platelets and fibrin. Some common issues noted over 40 years ago persist today. Acute thrombus is readily imaged with all probes and modalities, but aged thrombus remains a challenge. Similarly, anti-coagulation continues to interfere with and often negate thrombus imaging efficacy, but heparin is clinically required in patients suspected of pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis or coronary ruptured plaque prior to confirmatory diagnostic studies have been executed and interpreted. These fundamental issues can be overcome, but an innovative departure from the prior approaches will be needed.

Diagnosis of LVAD Thrombus using a High-Avidity Fibrin-Specific 99mTc Probe.

Treatment of advanced heart failure with implantable LVADs is increasing, driven by profound unmet patient need despite potential serious complications: bleeding, infection, and thrombus. The experimental objective was to develop a sensitive imaging approach to assess early thrombus accumulation in LVADs under operational high flow and high shear rates. Methods: A monomeric bifunctional ligand with a fibrin-specific peptide, a short spacer, and 99mTc chelating amino acid sequence (F1A) was developed and compared to its tetrameric PEG analogue (F4A). Results:99mTc attenuation by LVAD titanium (1 mm) was 23%. 99mTc-F1A affinity to fibrin was Kd ~10 µM, whereas, the bound 99mTc-F4A probe was not displaced by F1A (120,000:1). Human plasma interfered with 99mTc-F1A binding to fibrin clot (p<0.05) in vitro, whereas, 99mTc-F4A targeting was unaffected. The pharmacokinetic half-life of 99mTc-F4A was 28% faster (124±41 min) than 99mTc-F1A (176±26 min) with both being bioeliminated through the urinary system with negligible liver or spleen biodistribution. In mice with carotid thrombus, 99mTc-F4A binding to the injured carotid was much greater (16.3±3.3 %ID/g, p=0.01) than that measured with an irrelevant negative control, 99mTc-I4A (3.4±1.6 %ID/g). In an LVAD mock flow-loop (1:1, PBS:human plasma:heparin) operating at maximal flow rate, 99mTc-F4A bound well to phantom clots in 2 min (p<0.05), whereas 99mTc-F1A had negligible targeting. Excised LVADs from patients undergoing pump exchange or heart transplant were rewired, studied in the mock flow loop, and found to have spatially variable fibrin accumulations in the inlet and outlet cannulas and bearings. Conclusions:99mTc-F4A is a high-avidity prototype probe for characterizing thrombus in LVADs that is anticipated to help optimize anticoagulation, reduce thromboembolic events, and minimize pump exchange.

Anti-angiogenic Nanotherapy Inhibits Airway Remodeling and Hyper-responsiveness of Dust Mite Triggered Asthma in the Brown Norway Rat.

Although angiogenesis is a hallmark feature of asthmatic inflammatory responses, therapeutic anti-angiogenesis interventions have received little attention. Objective: Assess the effectiveness of anti-angiogenic Sn2 lipase-labile prodrugs delivered via αvß3-micellar nanotherapy to suppress microvascular expansion, bronchial remodeling, and airway hyper-responsiveness in Brown Norway rats exposed to serial house dust mite (HDM) inhalation challenges. Results: Anti-neovascular effectiveness of αvß3-mixed micelles incorporating docetaxel-prodrug (Dxtl-PD) or fumagillin-prodrug (Fum-PD) were shown to robustly suppress neovascular expansion (p<0.01) in the upper airways/bronchi of HDM rats using simultaneous 19F/1H MR neovascular imaging, which was corroborated by adjunctive fluorescent microscopy. Micelles without a drug payload (αvß3-No-Drug) served as a carrier-only control. Morphometric measurements of HDM rat airway size (perimeter) and vessel number at 21d revealed classic vascular expansion in control rats but less vascularity (p<0.001) after the anti-angiogenic nanotherapies. CD31 RNA expression independently corroborated the decrease in airway microvasculature. Methacholine (MCh) induced respiratory system resistance (Rrs) was high in the HDM rats receiving αvß3-No-Drug micelles while αvß3-Dxtl-PD or αvß3-Fum-PD micelles markedly and equivalently attenuated airway hyper-responsiveness and improved airway compliance. Total inflammatory BAL cells among HDM challenged rats did not differ with treatment, but αvß3+ macrophages/monocytes were significantly reduced by both nanotherapies (p<0.001), most notably by the αvß3-Dxtl-PD micelles. Additionally, αvß3-Dxtl-PD decreased BAL eosinophil and αvß3+ CD45+ leukocytes relative to αvß3-No-Drug micelles, whereas αvß3-Fum-PD micelles did not. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the potential of targeted anti-angiogenesis nanotherapy to ameliorate the inflammatory hallmarks of asthma in a clinically relevant rodent model.

Subharmonic Response of Polymer Contrast Agents Based on the Empirical Mode Decomposition.

The subharmonic threshold for ultrasound contrast agents has been defined as a 20-25 dB difference between the fundamental and subharmonic (2/1) spectral components of the backscatter signal. However, this Fourier-based criterion assumes a linear time-invariant signal. A more appropriate criterion for short cycle and frequency-modulated waveforms is proposed with an adaptive signal-processing approach based on the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method. The signal is decomposed into an orthogonal basis known as intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a subharmonic threshold is defined with respect to the energy ratio of the subharmonic IMF component to that of the incident signal. The method is applied to backscatter data acquired from two polymer-shelled contrast agents, Philips (#38, mean diameter 2.0 [Formula: see text]) and Point Biomedical (#12027, mean diameter 3.9 [Formula: see text]). The acoustic backscatter signals are investigated for a single contrast agent subjected to monofrequency (20 MHz, 20 cycles) and chirp (15-25 MHz, 20 cycles) forcing for incident pressures ranging from 0.5 to 2.4 MPa. In comparison to the spectral peak difference (20 dB) criterion, the EMD method is more sensitive in determining subharmonic signals.

Dual-therapy with αvß3-targeted Sn2 lipase-labile fumagillin-prodrug nanoparticles and zoledronic acid in the Vx2 rabbit tumor model.

Fumagillin, an unstable anti-angiogenesis mycotoxin, was synthesized into a stable lipase-labile prodrug and incorporated into integrin-targeted lipid-encapsulated nanoparticles (αvß3-Fum-PD NP). Dual anti-angiogenic therapy combining αvß3-Fum-PD NP with zoledronic acid (ZA), a long-acting osteoclast inhibitor with proposed anti-angiogenic effects, was evaluated. In vitro, αvß3-Fum-PD NP reduced (P<0.05) endothelial cell viability without impacting macrophage viability. ZA suppressed (P<0.05) macrophage viability at high dosages but not endothelial cell proliferation. 3D MR neovascular imaging of rabbit Vx2 tumors showed no effect with ZA, whereas αvß3-Fum-PD NP alone and with ZA decreased angiogenesis (P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry revealed decreased (P<0.05) microvascularity with αvß3-Fum-PD NP and ZA and further microvascular reduction (P<0.05) with dual-therapy. In vivo, ZA did not decrease tumor macrophage numbers nor cancer cell proliferation, whereas αvß3-Fum-PD-NPs reduced both measures. Dual-therapy with ZA and αvß3-Fum-PD-NP may provide enhanced neo-adjuvant utility if macrophage ZA uptake is increased. From the Clinical Editor: Although anti-angiogenesis is one of the treatment modalities in the fight against cancer, many cancers become resistant to VEGF pathway inhibitors. In this article, the authors investigated the use of dual therapy using fumagillin, integrin-targeted lipid-encapsulated nanoparticles (αvß3- Fum-PD NP) and zoledronic acid (ZA), in both in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. This combination approach may provide an insight to the design of future drugs against cancers.

Correlation of rupture dynamics to the nonlinear backscatter response from polymer-shelled ultrasound contrast agents.

Polymer-shelled ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) may expel their encapsulated gas subject to ultrasound-induced shell buckling or rupture. Nonlinear oscillations of this gas bubble can produce a subharmonic component in the ultrasound backscatter. This study investigated the relationship between this gas-release mechanism and shell-thickness-to-radius ratios (STRRs) of polymer-shelled UCAs. Three types of polylactide-shelled UCAs with STRRs of 7.5, 40, and 100 nm/µm were studied. Each UCA population had a nominal mean diameter of 2 µm. UCAs were subjected to increasing static overpressure ranging from 2 to 330 kPa over a duration of 2 h in a custom-designed test chamber while being imaged using a 200× magnification video microscope at a frame rate of 5 frames/s. Digitized video images were binarized and processed to obtain the cross-sectional area of individual UCAs. Integration of the normalized cross-sectional area over normalized time, defined as buckling factor (Bf), provided a dimensionless parameter for quantifying and comparing the degree of pre-rupture buckling exhibited by the UCAs of different STRRs in response to overpressure. The UCAs with an STRR of 7.5 nm/µm exhibited a distinct shell-buckling phase before shell rupture (Bf < 1), whereas the UCAs with higher STRRs (40 and 100 nm/µm) did not undergo significant prerupture buckling (Bf ≈ 1). The difference in the overpressure response was correlated with the subharmonic response produced by these UCAs. When excited using 20-MHz ultrasound, individual UCAs (N = 3000) in populations that did not exhibit a buckling phase produced a subharmonic response that was an order of magnitude greater than the UCA population with a prominent pre-rupture buckling phase. These results indicate the mechanism of gas expulsion from these UCAs might be a relevant factor in determining the level of subharmonic response in response to high-frequency ultrasound.

Quantifying progression and regression of thrombotic risk in experimental atherosclerosis.

Currently, there are no generally applicable noninvasive methods for defining the relationship between atherosclerotic vascular damage and risk of focal thrombosis. Herein, we demonstrate methods to delineate the progression and regression of vascular damage in response to an atherogenic diet by quantifying the in vivo accumulation of semipermeable 200-300 nm perfluorocarbon core nanoparticles (PFC-NP) in ApoE null mouse plaques with [(19)F] magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Permeability to PFC-NP remained minimal until 12 weeks on diet, then increased rapidly following 12 weeks, but regressed to baseline within 8 weeks after diet normalization. Markedly accelerated clotting (53.3% decrease in clotting time) was observed in carotid artery preparations of fat-fed mice subjected to photochemical injury as defined by the time to flow cessation. For all mice on and off diet, an inverse linear relationship was observed between the permeability to PFC-NP and accelerated thrombosis (P = 0.02). Translational feasibility for quantifying plaque permeability and vascular damage in vivo was demonstrated with clinical 3 T MRI of PFC-NP accumulating in plaques of atherosclerotic rabbits. These observations suggest that excessive permeability to PFC-NP may indicate prothrombotic risk in damaged atherosclerotic vasculature, which resolves within weeks after dietary therapy.

A two-hydrophone range and bearing localization algorithm with performance analysis.

An automated, passive algorithm for detecting and localizing small boats using two hydrophones mounted on the seabed is outlined. This extends previous work by Gebbie et al. [(2013). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, EL77 - EL83] in which a similar two-hydrophone approach is used to produce an ambiguity surface of likely target locations leveraging multipath analysis and knowledge of the local bathymetry. The work presented here improves upon the prior approach using particle filtering to automate detection and localization processing. A detailed analysis has also been conducted to determine the conditions and limits under which the improved approach can be expected to yield accurate range and unambiguous bearing information. Experimental results in 12 m of water allow for a comparison of different separation distances between hydrophones, and the Bayesian Cramér-Rao lower bound is used to extrapolate the performance expected in 120 m water. This work demonstrates the conditions under which a low cost, passive, sparse array of hydrophones can provide a meaningful small boat detection and localization capability.

Atherosclerotic neovasculature MR imaging with mixed manganese-gadolinium nanocolloids in hyperlipidemic rabbits.

A high r1 relaxivity manganese-gadolinium nanocolloid (αvß3-MnOL-Gd NC) was developed and effectively detected atherosclerotic angiogenesis in rabbits fed cholesterol-rich diets for 12 months using a clinical MRI scanner (3T). 3D mapping of neovasculature signal intensity revealed the spatial coherence and intensity of plaque angiogenic expansion, which may, with other high risk MR bioindicators, help identify high-risk patients with moderate (40% to 60%) vascular stenosis. Microscopy confirmed the predominant media and plaque distribution of fluorescent αvß3-MnOL-Gd NC, mirroring the MR data. An expected close spatial association of αvß3-integrin neovasculature and macrophages was noted, particularly within plaque shoulder regions. Manganese oleate bioelimination occurred via the biliary system into feces. Gd-DOTA was eliminated through the bile-fecal and renal excretion routes. αvß3-MnOL-Gd NC offers an effective vehicle for T1w neovascular imaging in atherosclerosis. From the clinical editor: Cerebrovascular accidents are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The acute formation of thrombus following atherosclerotic plaque rupture has been well recognized as the etiology of stroke. The authors studied microanatomical features of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque in this article, in an attempt to identify those with high risk of rupture. Gadolinium-manganese hybrid nanocolloid (MnOL-Gd NC) was developed as a novel contrast agent for MRI. They show that this agent is effective in providing neovascular imaging.

alphaVbeta3-targeted copper nanoparticles incorporating an Sn 2 lipase-labile fumagillin prodrug for photoacoustic neovascular imaging and treatment.

Photoacoustic (PA) tomography enables multiscale, multicontrast and high-resolution imaging of biological structures. In particular, contrast-enhanced PA imaging offers high-sensitivity noninvasive imaging of neovessel sprout formation and nascent tubules, which are important biomarkers of malignant tumors and progressive atherosclerotic disease. While gold nanoparticles or nanorods have been used as PA contrast agents, we utilized high-density copper oleate small molecules encapsulated within a phospholipid surfactant (CuNPs) to generate a soft nanoparticle with PA contrast comparable to that from gold. Within the NIR window, the copper nanoparticles provided a 4-fold higher signal than that of blood. ανß3-integrin targeting of CuNPs in a Matrigel(TM) angiogenesis mouse model demonstrated prominent (p<0.05) PA contrast enhancement of the neovasculature compared with mice given nontargeted or competitively inhibited CuNPs. Furthermore, incorporation of a Sn 2 lipase-labile fumagillin prodrug into the CuNP outer lipid membrane produced marked antiangiogenesis in the same model when targeted to the ανß3-integrin, providing proof of concept in vivo for the first targeted PA - drug delivery agent.

Memory for items and relationships among items embedded in realistic scenes: disproportionate relational memory impairments in amnesia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the dependence of item memory and relational memory on medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures. Patients with amnesia, who either had extensive MTL damage or damage that was relatively restricted to the hippocampus, were tested, as was a matched comparison group. Disproportionate relational memory impairments were predicted for both patient groups, and those with extensive MTL damage were also expected to have impaired item memory. METHOD: Participants studied scenes, and were tested with interleaved 2-alternative forced-choice probe trials. Probe trials were either presented immediately after the corresponding study trial (Lag 1), 5 trials later (Lag 5), or 9 trials later (Lag 9) and consisted of the studied scene along with a manipulated version of that scene in which 1 item was replaced with a different exemplar (item memory test) or was moved to a new location (relational memory test). Participants were to identify the exact match of the studied scene. RESULTS: As predicted, patients were disproportionately impaired on the test of relational memory. Item memory performance was marginally poorer among patients with extensive MTL damage, but both groups were impaired relative to matched comparison participants. Impaired performance was evident at all lags, including the shortest possible lag (Lag 1). CONCLUSIONS: The results are consistent with the proposed role of the hippocampus in relational memory binding and representation, even at short delays, and suggest that the hippocampus may also contribute to successful item memory when items are embedded in complex scenes.

Angiogenesis and airway reactivity in asthmatic Brown Norway rats.

Expanded and aberrant bronchial vascularity, a prominent feature of the chronic asthmatic airway, might explain persistent airway wall edema and sustained leukocyte recruitment. Since it is well established that there are causal relationships between exposure to house dust mite (HDM) and the development of asthma, determining the effects of HDM in rats, mammals with a bronchial vasculature similar to humans, provides an opportunity to study the effects of bronchial angiogenesis on airway function directly. We studied rats exposed bi-weekly to HDM (Der p 1; 50 µg/challenge by intranasal aspiration, 1, 2, 3 weeks) and measured the time course of appearance of increased blood vessels within the airway wall. Results demonstrated that within 3 weeks of HDM exposure, the number of vessels counted within airway walls of bronchial airways (0.5-3 mm perimeter) increased significantly. These vascular changes were accompanied by increased airway responsiveness to methacholine. A shorter exposure regimen (2 weeks of bi-weekly exposure) was insufficient to cause a significant increase in functional vessels or reactivity. Yet, 19F/1H MR imaging at 3T following αvß3-targeted perfluorocarbon nanoparticle infusion revealed a significant increase in 19F signal in rat airways after 2 weeks of bi-weekly HDM, suggesting earlier activation of the process of neovascularization. Although many antigen-induced mouse models exist, mice lack a bronchial vasculature and consequently lack the requisite human parallels to study bronchial edema. Overall, our results provide an important new model to study the impact of bronchial angiogenesis on chronic inflammation and airways hyperreactivity.

Detection and quantification of bacterial biofilms combining high-frequency acoustic microscopy and targeted lipid microparticles.

BACKGROUND: Immuno-compromised patients such as those undergoing cancer chemotherapy are susceptible to bacterial infections leading to biofilm matrix formation. This surrounding biofilm matrix acts as a diffusion barrier that binds up antibiotics and antibodies, promoting resistance to treatment. Developing non-invasive imaging methods that detect biofilm matrix in the clinic are needed. The use of ultrasound in conjunction with targeted ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) may provide detection of early stage biofilm matrix formation and facilitate optimal treatment. RESULTS: Ligand-targeted UCAs were investigated as a novel method for pre-clinical non-invasive molecular imaging of early and late stage biofilms. These agents were used to target, image and detect Staphylococcus aureus biofilm matrix in vitro. Binding efficacy was assessed on biofilm matrices with respect to their increasing biomass ranging from 3.126 × 103 ± 427 UCAs per mm(2) of biofilm surface area within 12 h to 21.985 × 103 ± 855 per mm(2) of biofilm matrix surface area at 96 h. High-frequency acoustic microscopy was used to ultrasonically detect targeted UCAs bound to a biofilm matrix and to assess biofilm matrix mechanoelastic physical properties. Acoustic impedance data demonstrated that biofilm matrices exhibit impedance values (1.9 MRayl) close to human tissue (1.35 - 1.85 MRayl for soft tissues). Moreover, the acoustic signature of mature biofilm matrices were evaluated in terms of integrated backscatter (0.0278 - 0.0848 mm(-1) × sr(-1)) and acoustic attenuation (3.9 Np/mm for bound UCAs; 6.58 Np/mm for biofilm alone). CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis of biofilm matrix formation is a challenge in treating cancer patients with infection-associated biofilms. We report for the first time a combined optical and acoustic evaluation of infectious biofilm matrices. We demonstrate that acoustic impedance of biofilms is similar to the impedance of human tissues, making in vivo imaging and detection of biofilm matrices difficult. The combination of ultrasound and targeted UCAs can be used to enhance biofilm imaging and early detection. Our findings suggest that the combination of targeted UCAs and ultrasound is a novel molecular imaging technique for the detection of biofilms. We show that high-frequency acoustic microscopy provides sufficient spatial resolution for quantification of biofilm mechanoelastic properties.

Anti-angiogenesis therapy in the Vx2 rabbit cancer model with a lipase-cleavable Sn 2 taxane phospholipid prodrug using α(v)ß3-targeted theranostic nanoparticles.

In nanomedicine, the hydrophobic nature of paclitaxel has favored its incorporation into many nanoparticle formulations for anti-cancer chemotherapy. At lower doses taxanes are reported to elicit anti-angiogenic responses. In the present study, the facile synthesis, development and characterization of a new lipase-labile docetaxel prodrug is reported and shown to be an effective anti-angiogenic agent in vitro and in vivo. The Sn 2 phosphatidylcholine prodrug was stably incorporated into the lipid membrane of α(v)ß3-integrin targeted perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoparticles (α(v)ß3-Dxtl-PD NP) and did not appreciably release during dissolution against PBS buffer or plasma over three days. Overnight exposure of α(v)ß3-Dxtl-PD NP to plasma spiked with phospholipase enzyme failed to liberate the taxane from the membrane until the nanoparticle integrity was compromised with alcohol. The bioactivity and efficacy of α(v)ß3-Dxtl-PD NP in endothelial cell culture was as effective as Taxol(®) or free docetaxel in methanol at equimolar doses over 96 hours. The anti-angiogenesis effectiveness of α(v)ß3-Dxtl-PD NP was demonstrated in the Vx2 rabbit model using MR imaging of angiogenesis with the same α(v)ß3-PFC nanoparticle platform. Nontargeted Dxtl-PD NP had a similar MR anti-angiogenesis response as the integrin-targeted agent, but microscopically measured decreases in tumor cell proliferation and increased apoptosis were detected only for the targeted drug. Equivalent dosages of Abraxane(®) given over the same treatment schedule had no effect on angiogenesis when compared to control rabbits receiving saline only. These data demonstrate that α(v)ß3-Dxtl-PD NP can reduce MR detectable angiogenesis and slow tumor progression in the Vx2 model, whereas equivalent systemic treatment with free taxane had no benefit.

Assessing intrarenal nonperfusion and vascular leakage in acute kidney injury with multinuclear (1) H/(19) F MRI and perfluorocarbon nanoparticles.

PURPOSE: We sought to develop a unique sensor-reporter approach for functional kidney imaging that employs circulating perfluorocarbon nanoparticles and multinuclear (1) H/(19) F MRI. METHODS: (19) F spin density weighted and T1 weighted images were used to generate quantitative functional mappings of both healthy and ischemia-reperfusion (acute kidney injury) injured mouse kidneys. (1) H blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) MRI was also employed as a supplementary approach to facilitate the comprehensive analysis of renal circulation and its pathological changes in acute kidney injury. RESULTS: Heterogeneous blood volume distributions and intrarenal oxygenation gradients were confirmed in healthy kidneys by (19) F MRI. In a mouse model of acute kidney injury, (19) F MRI, in conjunction with blood-oxygenation-level-dependent MRI, sensitively delineated renal vascular damage and recovery. In the cortico-medullary junction region, we observed 25% lower (19) F signal (P < 0.05) and 70% longer (1) H T2* (P < 0.01) in injured kidneys compared with contralateral kidneys at 24 h after initial ischemia-reperfusion injury. We also detected 71% higher (19) F signal (P < 0.01) and 40% lower (1) H T2* (P < 0.05) in the renal medulla region of injured kidneys compared with contralateral uninjured kidneys. CONCLUSION: Integrated (1) H/(19) F MRI using perfluorocarbon nanoparticles provides a multiparametric readout of regional perfusion defects in acutely injured kidneys.

Neuroanatomical differences in visual, motor, and language cortices between congenitally deaf signers, hearing signers, and hearing non-signers.

WE INVESTIGATED EFFECTS OF SIGN LANGUAGE USE AND AUDITORY DEPRIVATION FROM BIRTH ON THE VOLUMES OF THREE CORTICAL REGIONS OF THE HUMAN BRAIN: the visual cortex surrounding the calcarine sulcus in the occipital lobe; the language-related cortex in the inferior frontal gyrus (pars triangularis and pars opercularis); and the motor hand region in the precentral gyrus. The study included 25 congenitally deaf participants and 41 hearing participants (of which 16 were native sign language users); all were right-handed. Deaf participants exhibited a larger calcarine volume than hearing participants, which we interpret as the likely result of cross-modal compensation and/or dynamic interactions within sensory neural networks. Deaf participants also had increased volumes of the pars triangularis bilaterally compared to hearing signers and non-signers, which we interpret is related to the increased linguistic demands of speech processing and/or text reading for deaf individuals. Finally, although no statistically significant differences were found in the motor hand region for any of the groups, the deaf group was leftward asymmetric, the hearing signers essentially symmetric and the hearing non-signers were rightward asymmetric - results we interpret as the possible result of activity-dependent change due to life-long signing. The brain differences we observed in visual, motor, and language-related areas in adult deaf native signers provide evidence for the plasticity available for cognitive adaptation to varied environments during development.