Non-invasive monitoring of arthritis treatment response via targeting of tyrosine-phosphorylated annexin A2 in chondrocytes.

BACKGROUND: The development and optimization of therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is currently hindered by a lack of methods for early non-invasive monitoring of treatment response. Annexin A2, an inflammation-associated protein whose presence and phosphorylation levels are upregulated in RA, represents a potential molecular target for tracking RA treatment response. METHODS: LS301, a near-infrared dye-peptide conjugate that selectively targets tyrosine 23-phosphorylated annexin A2 (pANXA2), was evaluated for its utility in monitoring disease progression, remission, and early response to drug treatment in mouse models of RA by fluorescence imaging. The intraarticular distribution and localization of LS301 relative to pANXA2 was determined by histological and immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: In mouse models of spontaneous and serum transfer-induced inflammatory arthritis, intravenously administered LS301 showed selective accumulation in regions of joint pathology including paws, ankles, and knees with positive correlation between fluorescent signal and disease severity by clinical scoring. Whole-body near-infrared imaging with LS301 allowed tracking of spontaneous disease remission and the therapeutic response after dexamethasone treatment. Histological analysis showed preferential accumulation of LS301 within the chondrocytes and articular cartilage in arthritic mice, and colocalization was observed between LS301 and pANXA2 in the joint tissue. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that fluorescence imaging with LS301 can be used to monitor the progression, remission, and early response to drug treatment in mouse models of RA. Given the ease of detecting LS301 with portable optical imaging devices, the agent may become a useful early treatment response reporter for arthritis diagnosis and drug evaluation.

Selective imaging of solid tumours via the calcium-dependent high-affinity binding of a cyclic octapeptide to phosphorylated Annexin A2.

The heterogeneity and continuous genetic adaptation of tumours complicate their detection and treatment via the targeting of genetic mutations. However, hallmarks of cancer such as aberrant protein phosphorylation and calcium-mediated cell signalling provide broadly conserved molecular targets. Here, we show that, for a range of solid tumours, a cyclic octapeptide labelled with a near-infrared dye selectively binds to phosphorylated Annexin A2 (pANXA2), with high affinity at high levels of calcium. Because of cancer-cell-induced pANXA2 expression in tumour-associated stromal cells, the octapeptide preferentially binds to the invasive edges of tumours and then traffics within macrophages to the tumour's necrotic core. As proof-of-concept applications, we used the octapeptide to detect tumour xenografts and metastatic lesions, and to perform fluorescence-guided surgical tumour resection, in mice. Our findings suggest that high levels of pANXA2 in association with elevated calcium are present in the microenvironment of most solid cancers. The octapeptide might be broadly useful for selective tumour imaging and for delivering drugs to the edges and to the core of solid tumours.

Selective photonic disinfection of cell culture using a visible ultrashort pulsed laser.

Microbial contamination of cell culture is a major problem encountered both in academic labs and in the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industries. A broad spectrum of microbes including mycoplasma, bacteria, fungi, and viruses are the causative agents of cell culture contamination. Unfortunately, the existing disinfection techniques lack selectivity and/or lead to the development of drug-resistance, and more importantly there is no universal method to address all microbes. Here, we report a novel, chemical-free visible ultrashort pulsed laser method for cell culture disinfection. The ultrashort pulsed laser technology inactivates pathogens with mechanical means, a paradigm shift from the traditional pharmaceutical and chemical approaches. We demonstrate that ultrashort pulsed laser treatment can efficiently inactivate mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and viruses with good preservation of mammalian cell viability. Our results indicate that this ultrashort pulsed laser technology has the potential to serve as a universal method for the disinfection of cell culture.

Pathogen reduction in human plasma using an ultrashort pulsed laser.

Pathogen reduction is a viable approach to ensure the continued safety of the blood supply against emerging pathogens. However, the currently licensed pathogen reduction techniques are ineffective against non-enveloped viruses such as hepatitis A virus, and they introduce chemicals with concerns of side effects which prevent their widespread use. In this report, we demonstrate the inactivation of both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses in human plasma using a novel chemical-free method, a visible ultrashort pulsed laser. We found that laser treatment resulted in 2-log, 1-log, and 3-log reductions in human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis A virus, and murine cytomegalovirus in human plasma, respectively. Laser-treated plasma showed ≥70% retention for most coagulation factors tested. Furthermore, laser treatment did not alter the structure of a model coagulation factor, fibrinogen. Ultrashort pulsed lasers are a promising new method for chemical-free, broad-spectrum pathogen reduction in human plasma.

Ultrashort pulsed laser treatment inactivates viruses by inhibiting viral replication and transcription in the host nucleus.

Ultrashort pulsed laser irradiation is a new method for virus reduction in pharmaceuticals and blood products. Current evidence suggests that ultrashort pulsed laser irradiation inactivates viruses through an impulsive stimulated Raman scattering process, resulting in aggregation of viral capsid proteins. However, the specific functional defect(s) in viruses inactivated in this manner have not been demonstrated. This information is critical for the optimization and the extension of this treatment platform to other applications. Toward this goal, we investigated whether viral internalization, replication, or gene expression in cells were altered by ultrashort pulsed laser irradiation. Murine Cytomegalovirus (MCMV), an enveloped DNA virus, was used as a model virus. Using electron and fluorescence microscopy, we found that laser-treated MCMV virions successfully internalized in cells, as evidenced by the detection of intracellular virions, which was confirmed by the detection of intracellular viral DNA via PCR. Although the viral DNA itself remained polymerase-amplifiable after laser treatment, no viral replication or gene expression was observed in cells infected with laser-treated virus. These results, along with evidence from previous studies, support a model whereby the laser treatment stabilizes the capsid, which inhibits capsid uncoating within cells. By targeting the mechanical properties of viral capsids, ultrashort pulsed laser treatment represents a unique potential strategy to overcome viral mutational escape, with implications for combatting emerging or drug-resistant pathogens.

Studies of inactivation mechanism of non-enveloped icosahedral virus by a visible ultrashort pulsed laser.

BACKGROUND: Low-power ultrashort pulsed (USP) lasers operating at wavelengths of 425 nm and near infrared region have been shown to effectively inactivate viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), M13 bacteriophage, and murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV). It was shown previously that non-enveloped, helical viruses such as M13 bacteriophage, were inactivated by a USP laser through an impulsive stimulated Raman scattering (ISRS) process. Recently, enveloped virus like MCMV has been shown to be inactivated by a USP laser via protein aggregation induced by an ISRS process. However, the inactivation mechanism for a clinically important class of viruses--non-enveloped, icosahedral viruses remains unknown. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: We have ruled out the following four possible inactivation mechanisms for non-enveloped, icosahedral viruses, namely, (1) inactivation due to ultraviolet C (UVC) photons produced by non-linear optical process of the intense, fundamental laser beam at 425 nm; (2) inactivation caused by thermal heating generated by the direct laser absorption/heating of the virion; (3) inactivation resulting from a one-photon absorption process via chromophores such as porphyrin molecules, or indicator dyes, potentially producing reactive oxygen or other species; (4) inactivation by the USP lasers in which the extremely intense laser pulse produces shock wave-like vibrations upon impact with the viral particle. We present data which support that the inactivation mechanism for non-enveloped, icosahedral viruses is the impulsive stimulated Raman scattering process. Real-time PCR experiments show that, within the amplicon size of 273 bp tested, there is no damage on the genome of MNV-1 caused by the USP laser irradiation. CONCLUSION: We conclude that our model non-enveloped virus, MNV-1, is inactivated by the ISRS process. These studies provide fundamental knowledge on photon-virus interactions on femtosecond time scales. From the analysis of the transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of viral particles before and after USP laser irradiation, the locations of weak structural links on the capsid of MNV-1 were revealed. This important information will greatly aid our understanding of the structure of non-enveloped, icosahedral viruses. We envision that this non-invasive, efficient viral eradication method will find applications in the disinfection of pharmaceuticals, biologicals and blood products in the near future.

Inactivation of enveloped virus by laser-driven protein aggregation.

Ultrafast lasers in the visible and near-infrared range have emerged as a potential new method for pathogen reduction of blood products and pharmaceuticals. However, the mechanism of enveloped virus inactivation by this method is unknown. We report the inactivation as well as the molecular and structural effects caused by visible (425 nm) femtosecond laser irradiation on murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus. Our results show that laser irradiation (1) caused a 5-log reduction in MCMV titer, (2) did not cause significant changes to the global structure of MCMV virions including membrane and capsid, as assessed by electron microscopy, (3) produced no evidence of double-strand breaks or crosslinking in MCMV genomic DNA, and (4) caused selective aggregation of viral capsid and tegument proteins. We propose a model in which ultrafast laser irradiation induces partial unfolding of viral proteins by disrupting hydrogen bonds and/or hydrophobic interactions, leading to aggregation of closely associated viral proteins and inactivation of the virus. These results provide new insight into the inactivation of enveloped viruses by visible femtosecond lasers at the molecular level, and help pave the way for the development of a new ultrafast laser technology for pathogen reduction.

Prospects for a novel ultrashort pulsed laser technology for pathogen inactivation.

The threat of emerging pathogens and microbial drug resistance has spurred tremendous efforts to develop new and more effective antimicrobial strategies. Recently, a novel ultrashort pulsed (USP) laser technology has been developed that enables efficient and chemical-free inactivation of a wide spectrum of viral and bacterial pathogens. Such a technology circumvents the need to introduce potentially toxic chemicals and could permit safe and environmentally friendly pathogen reduction, with a multitude of possible applications including the sterilization of pharmaceuticals and blood products, and the generation of attenuated or inactivated vaccines.

Studies of inactivation of encephalomyocarditis virus, M13 bacteriophage, and Salmonella typhimurium by using a visible femtosecond laser: insight into the possible inactivation mechanisms.

We report experimental results on the inactivation of encephalomyocarditis virus, M13 bacteriophage, and Salmonella typhimurium by a visible femtosecond laser. Our results suggest that inactivation of virus and bacterium by a visible femtosecond laser involves completely different mechanisms. Inactivation of viruses by a visible femtosecond laser involves the breaking of hydrogen∕hydrophobic bonds or the separation of the weak protein links in the protein shell of a viral particle. In contrast, inactivation of bacteria is related to the damage of their DNAs due to irradiation of a visible femtosecond laser. Possible mechanisms for the inactivation of viruses and bacteria are discussed.

Therapeutic HPV DNA vaccines.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with several human cancers, including cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal and anal cancer, and a subset of head and neck cancers. The identification of HPV as an etiological factor for HPV-associated malignancies creates the opportunity for the control of these cancers through vaccination. Currently, the preventive HPV vaccine using HPV virus-like particles has been proven to be safe and highly effective. However, this preventive vaccine does not have therapeutic effects, and a significant number of people have established HPV infection and HPV-associated lesions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop therapeutic HPV vaccines to facilitate the control of HPV-associated malignancies and their precursor lesions. Among the various forms of therapeutic HPV vaccines, DNA vaccines have emerged as a potentially promising approach for vaccine development due to their safety profile, ease of preparation and stability. However, since DNA does not have the intrinsic ability to amplify or spread in transfected cells like viral vectors, DNA vaccines can have limited immunogenicity. Therefore, it is important to develop innovative strategies to improve DNA vaccine potency. Since dendritic cells (DCs) are key players in the generation of antigen-specific immune responses, it is important to develop innovative strategies to modify the properties of the DNA-transfected DCs. These strategies include increasing the number of antigen-expressing/antigen-loaded DCs, improving antigen processing and presentation in DCs, and enhancing the interaction between DCs and T cells. Many of the studies on DNA vaccines have been performed on preclinical models. Encouraging results from impressive preclinical studies have led to several clinical trials.

Femtosecond laser treatment enhances DNA transfection efficiency in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Gene therapy with plasmid DNA is emerging as a promising strategy for the treatment of many diseases. One of the major obstacles to such therapy is the poor transfection efficiency of DNA in vivo. METHODS: In this report, we employed a very low power, near-infrared femtosecond laser technique to enhance the transfection efficiency of intradermally and intratumorally administered DNA plasmid. RESULTS: We found that femtosecond laser treatment can significantly enhance the delivery of DNA into the skin and into established tumors in mice. In addition, we found that both laser power density as well as duration of laser treatment are critical parameters for augmenting DNA transfection efficiency. The femtosecond laser technique employs a relatively unfocused laser beam that maximizes the transfected area, minimizes damage to tissue and simplifies its implementation. CONCLUSION: This femtosecond new laser technology represents a safe and innovative technology for enhancing DNA gene transfer in vivo.

Photonic approach to the selective inactivation of viruses with a near-infrared subpicosecond fiber laser.

We report a photonic approach for selective inactivation of viruses with a near-infrared subpicosecond laser. We demonstrate that this method can selectively inactivate viral particles ranging from nonpathogenic viruses such as the M13 bacteriophage and the tobacco mosaic virus to pathogenic viruses such as the human papillomavirus and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). At the same time, sensitive materials such as human Jurkat T cells, human red blood cells, and mouse dendritic cells remain unharmed. The laser technology targets the global mechanical properties of the viral protein shell, making it relatively insensitive to the local genetic mutation in the target viruses. As a result, the approach can inactivate both the wild and mutated strains of viruses. This intriguing advantage is particularly important in the treatment of diseases involving rapidly mutating viral species such as HIV. Our photonic approach could be used for the disinfection of viral pathogens in blood products and for the treatment of blood-borne viral diseases in the clinic.

Inactivation of viruses by coherent excitations with a low power visible femtosecond laser.

BACKGROUND: Resonant microwave absorption has been proposed in the literature to excite the vibrational states of microorganisms in an attempt to destroy them. But it is extremely difficult to transfer microwave excitation energy to the vibrational energy of microorganisms due to severe absorption of water in this spectral range. We demonstrate for the first time that, by using a visible femtosecond laser, it is effective to inactivate viruses such as bacteriophage M13 through impulsive stimulated Raman scattering. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: By using a very low power (as low as 0.5 nj/pulse) visible femtosecond laser having a wavelength of 425 nm and a pulse width of 100 fs, we show that M13 phages were inactivated when the laser power density was greater than or equal to 50 MW/cm2. The inactivation of M13 phages was determined by plaque counts and had been found to depend on the pulse width as well as power density of the excitation laser. CONCLUSION: Our experimental findings lay down the foundation for an innovative new strategy of using a very low power visible femtosecond laser to selectively inactivate viruses and other microorganisms while leaving sensitive materials unharmed by manipulating and controlling with the femtosecond laser system.

Probing the low-frequency vibrational modes of viruses with Raman scattering--bacteriophage M13 in water.

Raman spectroscopy is used to study low-wave-number (

Enhancing DNA vaccine potency by modifying the properties of antigen-presenting cells.

DNA vaccines represent a potentially promising approach for antigen-specific immunotherapy. Advances in our knowledge of the adaptive immune system have indicated that professional antigen-presenting cells, especially dendritic cells (DCs), play a key role in the generation of antigen-specific immune responses. Thus, the modification of the properties of DCs represents an important strategy for enhancing the potency of DNA vaccines. This review discusses strategies to increase the number of antigen-expressing DCs, enhance antigen expression, processing and presentation in DCs, promote the activation and function of DCs, and improve DC and T-cell interaction, in order to optimize DNA vaccine-elicited immune responses. Continuing progress in our understanding of DC and T-cell biology serves as a foundation for further improvement of DNA vaccine potency, which may lead to future clinical applications of DNA vaccines for the control of infectious diseases and malignancies.

Inactivation of viruses by laser-driven coherent excitations via impulsive stimulated Raman scattering process.

The inactivation of viruses such as M13 bacteriophages subject to excitations by a very low power visible femtosecond laser has been studied. Our experimental results show that for a visible femtosecond laser having lambda = 425 nm and a pulse width of 100 fs, the M13 bacteriophages are inactivated when the laser power density is greater than or equal to 49 MW/cm(2). The medium lethal laser power density (LD(50)) is 51.94+/-0.14 MW/cm(2). The functionality of M13 bacteriophages has been shown to be critically dependent on the pulse width as well as power density of the excitation laser. Our work demonstrates that by using a very low power visible femtosecond laser, it is plausible to inactivate viruses such as the M13 bacteriophages through impulsive stimulated Raman scattering process. These experimental findings suggest a novel avenue of selectively inactivating microorganisms while leaving the sensitive materials unharmed by manipulating and controlling with femtosecond laser systems.

Observation of the low frequency vibrational modes of bacteriophage M13 in water by Raman spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Recently, a technique which departs radically from conventional approaches has been proposed. This novel technique utilizes biological objects such as viruses as nano-templates for the fabrication of nanostructure elements. For example, rod-shaped viruses such as the M13 phage and tobacco mosaic virus have been successfully used as biological templates for the synthesis of semiconductor and metallic nanowires. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Low wave number (

Lycopene is more potent than beta carotene in the neutralization of singlet oxygen: role of energy transfer probed by ultrafast Raman spectroscopy.

Energy transfer processes between beta carotene, lycopene, and singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) have been studied by ultrafast Raman spectroscopy. Our experimental results demonstrate that during the neutralization of singlet oxygen by beta carotene the excitation energy of singlet oxygen is transferred directly to the first excited electronic state S(1) of beta carotene. In contrast, the excitation energy of singlet oxygen is transferred directly to the ground excited vibronic state S(0) of lycopene. Our data not only provide the first direct experimental elucidation of energy transfer processes in such important biological systems but also help explain why lycopene is a more potent antioxidant than beta carotene in the neutralization of singlet oxygen.