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Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate both the biodistribution and safety of 64Cu-1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA)-Trastuzumab, a novel 64Cu-labeled positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in patients with breast cancer. Methods PET images at 1, 24, and 48 h after 296 MBq of 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab injection were obtained from seven patients with breast cancer. Both the primary tumors’ and metastatic lesions’ maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was evaluated. The mean SUVmax (SUVmean) was evaluated in the other organs, including the blood pool, liver, kidney, muscle, spleen, bladder, and the lungs, as well as the bones. Moreover, the internal radiation dosimetry was calculated using the OLINDA/EXM software. Safety was assessed based on feedback regarding adverse reactions and safety-related issues within 1 month after 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab administration. Results 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab PET images showed that the overall SUVmean values in each organ negatively correlated with time. The liver’s average SUVmean values were measured at 5.3 ± 0.7, 4.8 ± 0.6, and 4.4 ± 0.5 on 1 h, 24 h, and 48 h after injection, respectively. The average SUVmean blood values were measured at 13.1 ± 0.9, 9.1 ± 1.2, and 7.1 ± 1.9 on 1 h, 24 h, and 48 h after injection, respectively. The SUVmax of HER2-positive tumors was relatively higher than HER2-negative tumors (8.6 ± 5.1 and 5.2 ± 2.8 on 48 h after injection, respectively). Tumor-to-background ratios were higher in the HER2-positive tumors than in the HER2-negative tumors. No adverse events related to 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab were reported. The calculated effective dose with a 296 MBq injection of 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab was 2.96 mSv. The highest absorbed dose was observed in the liver (0.076 mGy/MBq), followed by the spleen (0.063 mGy/MBq), kidney (0.044 mGy/MBq), and heart wall (0.044 mGy/MBq). Conclusions 64Cu-NOTA-Trastuzumab showed a specific uptake at the HER2-expressing tumors, thus making it a feasible and safe monitoring tool of HER2 tumor status in patients with breast cancer. Trial registration CRIS, KCT0002790. Registered 02 February 2018, https://cris.nih.go.kr

Abstract Cachexia is a wasting syndrome associated with high mortality in cancer patients through inducing the failure of normal metabolism and reducing the efficacy of cancer treatment. Thus, it is critically important to diagnose cancer cachexia early. To provide background data for the diagnosis of cachexia, cancer cachectic factors were characterized in the present situation, including immunological cachectic changes during cachexia progression in a cancer cachexia mouse model. Major constitution of cachexia progression is known as the stages of pre-cachexia, cachexia, and refractory cachexia. In the pre-cachexia stage, the weights of immune-related organs, including the thymus and spleen were significantly. T cell populations in spleen were markedly reduced and cachectic cytokines consistently increased in a time-dependent manner. Immunosuppression by activation of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 was induced earlier in CD4+ cells versus other T cell populations. Furthermore, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and interleukin-6 levels in the cachexia group were significantly increased at 3 days from C26 cell inoculation whereas significant carcass weight loss as a classical diagnostic marker occurred at 9 days from C26 cell inoculation. In conclusion, the initiation of cachectic immunological changes was observed prior to weight loss, during the pre-cachexia stage. Accordingly, these findings reveal that the monitoring of humoral and immunological factors may be more sensitive than weight loss for the initial diagnosis and treatment of cachexia.

Immuno-positron emission tomography (PET) has great potential to evaluate the target expression level and therapeutic response for targeted cancer therapy. Immuno-PET imaging with pertuzumab, due to specific recognition in different binding sites of HER2, could be useful for the determination of the therapeutic efficacy of HER2-targeted therapy, trastuzumab, and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor, in HER2-expressing breast cancer. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of monitoring therapeutic response with 89Zr-DFO-pertuzumab for the treatment of HER2-targeted therapeutics, trastuzumab, or the HSP90 inhibitor 17-DMAG, in trastuzumab-resistant JIMT-1 breast cancer models. We prepared an immuno-PET imaging agent using desferoxamine (DFO)-pertuzumab labeled with 89Zr and performed the biodistribution and PET imaging in breast cancer xenograft models for monitoring therapeutic response to HER2-targeted therapy. 89Zr-DFO-pertuzumab was successfully prepared and showed specific binding to HER2 in vitro and clearly visualized HER2 expressing JIMT-1 tumors. 89Zr-DFO-pertuzumab had prominent tumor uptake in HER2 expressing JIMT-1 tumors. JIMT-1 tumors showed trastuzumab-resistant and HSP90 inhibitor sensitive characterization. In immuno-PET imaging, isotype antibody-treated JIMT-1 tumors had similar uptake in trastuzumab-treated JIMT-1 tumors, but 17-DMAG-treated JIMT-1 tumors showed greatly reduced uptake compared to vehicle-treated tumors. Additionally, HER2 downregulation evaluated by immuno-PET imaging was verified by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining which resulted in a significant reduction in the tumor’s HER2 level in 17-DMAG-treated JIMT-1 tumors. 89Zr-DFO-pertuzumab immuno-PET may be clinically translated to select pertinent patients for HER2-targeted therapy and to monitor the therapeutic response in HER2-positive cancer patients under various HER2-targeted therapeutics treatments.

This article evaluates the effects of in-package atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (ADCP) treatment on microbial inactivation, nitrate and nitrite contents, oral toxicity, and storage quality of protein-coated boiled chicken breast cubes (CBCs). ADCP treatment at 24 kV for 3 min inactivated natural mesophilic aerobic bacteria, Salmonella, and Tulane virus in CBCs by 0.7 ± 0.2, 1.4 ± 0.1 log CFU/cube, and 1.1 ± 0.2 log PFU/cube, respectively. ADCP treatment did not affect the nitrite content of CBCs (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the hematological and blood biochemical parameters from toxicity tests indicated the toxicological safety of ADCP-treated CBCs. Microbial counts of natural bacteria and Salmonella in ADCP-treated CBCs were lower than the ADCP-untreated CBCs by 0.7–0.9 and 1.4–1.7 log CFU/cube, respectively, throughout post-treatment storage at 4 °C for 21 d. ADCP treatment did not alter the pH, color, total volatile basic nitrogen, lipid oxidation, and tenderness of CBCs during storage at 4 and 24 °C, and did not change the sensory properties of CBCs following a 3 d storage period at 4 °C (p > 0.05). Thus, ADCP treatment has the potential to be applied as a method to increase the microbiological safety of packaged ready-to-eat chicken products, leading to overall toxicological safety.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed and considered as a proper molecular target for diagnosis and targeted therapy of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This study evaluated the usefulness of PET imaging biomarkers with 64Cu-PCTA-cetuximab and 18F-FDG-PET for anti-EGFR immunotherapy in ESCC models. In vivo EGFR status and glucose metabolism by cetuximab treatment were evaluated using 64Cu-PCTA-cetuximab and 18F-FDG-PET, respectively. Therapeutic responses with imaging biomarkers were confirmed by western blot and immunohistochemistry. TE-4 and TE-8 tumors were clearly visualized by 64Cu-PCTA-cetuximab, and EGFR expression on TE-8 tumors showed 2.6-fold higher uptake than TE-4. Tumor volumes were markedly reduced by cetuximab in TE-8 tumor (92.5 ± 5.9%), but TE-4 tumors were refractory to cetuximab treatment. The SUVs in 64Cu-PCTA-cetuximab and 18F-FDG-PET images were statistically significantly reduced by cetuximab treatment in TE-8 but not in TE-4. 64Cu-PCTA-cetuximab and 18F-FDG-PET images were well correlated with EGFR and pAkt levels. 64Cu-PCTA-cetuximab immuno-PET had a potential for determining EGFR level and monitoring therapeutic response by anti-EGFR therapy. 18F-FDG-PET was also attractive for monitoring efficacy of anti-EGFR therapy. In conclusion, PET imaging biomarkers may be useful for selecting patients that express target molecules and for monitoring therapeutic efficacy of EGFR-targeted therapy in ESCC patients.

Recently, the use of a cancer deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccine encoding tumor-associated antigens has emerged as an immunotherapeutic strategy. In this study, we monitored tumor growth inhibition by pcDNA3-hMUC1 immunization in mice using optical imaging. To determine the anti-hMUC1-associated immune response generated by pcDNA3.1 or pcDNA3-hMUC1, we determined the concentration of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) protein and CD8+IFN-γ cell numbers among lymphocytes from the draining lymph nodes of mice immunized with pcDNA3.1 or pcDNA3-hMUC1. After subcutaneously injecting CT26/hMUC1-F luc into mice immunized with pcDNA3-hMUC1, we monitored in vivo tumor growth inhibition using an optical imaging method. The concentration of IFN-γ protein in pcDNA3-hMUC1 was higher than that of the pcDNA3.1 group (2.7 ⩽ 0.08 ng/mL and 1.6 ± 0.07 ng/mL, respectively, p < .001. The number of hMUC1-associated CD8+IFN-γ cells in pcDNA3-hMUC1-immunized animals was 30-fold higher than in the pcDNA3.1 group. Bioluminescent images showed tumor growth inhibition in pcDNA3-hMUC1 immunized animals up to 25 days after immunization. A good correlation ( r 2 = .9076: pcDNA3/hMUC1 group; r 2 = .7428: pcDNA3.1 group) was observed between bioluminescence signals and tumor weights in two mice in each group. We conclude that optical bioluminescent imaging offers a useful means of monitoring the antitumor effects of cancer DNA immunization in living animals.

Retinoic acids are natural derivatives of vitamin A, and play important roles in modulating tumor cell growth by regulating differentiation, thus suggesting the potential use of these derivatives in cancer therapy and prevention. To visualize the intranuclear responses of functional retinoic acid receptors, we have developed a dual-imaging reporter gene system based on the use of sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) and luciferase in cancer cell lines. NIS and luciferase genes were linked with an internal ribosome entry site, and placed under the control of an artificial cis -acting retinoic acid responsive element (pRARE/NL). After retinoic acid treatment, I-125 uptake by pRARE/NL transfected cells was found to have increased by up to about five times that of nontreated cells. The bioluminescence intensity of pRARE/NL transfected cells showed dose-dependency. In vivo luciferase images showed higher intensity in retinoic acid treated SK-RARE/NL tumors, and scintigraphic images of SK-RARE/NL tumors showed increased Tc-99m uptake after retinoic acid treatment. The NIS/luciferase imaging reporter system was sufficiently sensitive to allow the visualization of intranuclear retinoic acid receptor activity. This cis -enhancer imaging reporter system may be useful in vitro and in vivo for the evaluation of retinoic acid responses in such areas as cellular differentiation and chemoprevention.

Positron emission tomography (PET) using 2-deoxy-2-[18F] fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) as a radioactive tracer is a useful technique for in vivo brain imaging. However, the anatomical and physiological features of the Harderian gland limit the use of FDG-PET imaging in the mouse brain. The gland shows strong FDG uptake, which in turn results in distorted PET images of the frontal brain region. The purpose of this study was to determine if a simple surgical procedure to remove the Harderian gland prior to PET imaging of mouse brains could reduce or eliminate FDG uptake. Measurement of FDG uptake in unilaterally adenectomized mice showed that the radioactive signal emitted from the intact Harderian gland distorts frontal brain region images. Spatial parametric measurement analysis demonstrated that the presence of the Harderian gland could prevent accurate assessment of brain PET imaging. Bilateral Harderian adenectomy efficiently eliminated unwanted radioactive signal spillover into the frontal brain region beginning on postoperative Day 10. Harderian adenectomy did not cause any post-operative complications during the experimental period. These findings demonstrate the benefits of performing a Harderian adenectomy prior to PET imaging of mouse brains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the role of p53 in radionuclide gene therapy, we investigated the cytotoxic effect of 131I and 188Re following cotransfection of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) and wild-type p53 (wt-p53) genes into cancer cells. The NIS gene was transfected to human anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells (ARO) expressing mutant p53 (mt-p53) using liposomes. The uptakes of 125I and 188Re were measured in the transfected (ARO-N) and wild-type cell lines (ARO). A recombinant adenovirus-5 vector containing a CMV promoter and wt-p53 cDNA, called Ad-p53, was established and transduced to ARO and ARO-N cells. After incubating cells with 131I and 188Re, the survival rate of each cell line was measured using a clonogenic assay. For radionuclide gene therapy in an animal model, Ad-p53 was injected directly into ARO and ARO-N tumours which were transplanted to nude mice. Two days later, 188Re or saline was injected intraperitoneally into the mice, and the tumours were measured using a calliper for 4 weeks. In ARO-N cells, the uptakes of 125I and 188Re were 505.16±21.30 pmol/106 cells and 13,875.20±504.85 cpm/106 cells at 30 min, respectively. There was no difference between the survival rates of ARO cells and ARO-N cells after incubation with 131I or 188Re. When Ad-p53 was transduced to ARO-N cells, the survival rate of wt-p53-expressing ARO-N cells incubated with 131I (18.5 MBq/5 ml) and 188Re (18.5 MBq/5 ml) decreased to 48.8±18.4% and 32.6±23.5%, respectively. In the nude mice experiment, ARO and ARO-N tumours gradually grew up to six to eight times larger than the initial volume. ARO and ARO-N tumours transduced with Ad-p53 continued to grow. However, the ARO-N tumours treated with Ad-p53 and 185 MBq of 188Re regressed to 20% of the initial volume. Growth of ARO-N tumour treated with 131I or 188Re was significantly inhibited by Ad-p53 transduction in vivo as well as in vitro. Transfection of the NIS gene into human anaplastic thyroid cancer induced the accumulation of beta-emitter radionuclides, and cotransfection with a wt-p53 gene enhanced the cytotoxic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We imaged neuronal differentiation in vivo using dual reporters (sodium iodide symporter [NIS] and luciferase) coupled to a neuron-specific enolase (NSE) promoter. PC12 (NSE positive) and F11 cells were transfected with a bicistronic (NIS and luciferase; pNSE-NF) or a luciferase (pNSE-Fluc) reporter coupled to the NSE promoter. Weak NSE promoter activity was overcome by a two-step transcriptional amplification (TSTA) system (pNSE-TSTA-Fluc). In vivo, NIS and luciferase expression were examined using a 99mTc-pertechnetate gamma camera and bioluminescence imaging, respectively. pNSE-NF-transfected PC12 cells showed 3-fold higher radioiodine uptakes and >100-fold higher luciferase activity than parental cells. NIS or luciferase activity was not detected in pNSE-NF-transfected HeLa cells. When F11 cells were differentiated into neurons by db-cAMP, NIS and luciferase activities increased 4-fold compared to those without treatment, which was confirmed by Western blot and RT-PCR of NSE. In vivo in pNSE-NF-transfected F11 cells, db-cAMP treatment increased the luciferase activity but not the scintigraphic activity. In vitro, pNSE-TSTA-Fluc produced 130-fold higher luciferase activity than pNSE-Fluc and neuronal differentiation showed 4-fold higher activity from both pNSE-TSTA-Fluc and pNSE-Fluc than before differentiation. In vivo, in pNSE-TSTA-Fluc-transfected F11 cells, luciferase activity increased after neuronal differentiation. In vivo luciferase activity persisted up to 2 days after db-cAMP-induced neuronal differentiation. NSE promoter-driven dual reporter transgenes revealed the possibility of in vivo imaging of neuronal differentiation, which was further enabled by high amplification using a TSTA system. We propose that this strategy be used to follow the transplanted stem cells during differentiation in live animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on translational research using the sodium/iodide symporter in imaging and therapy. Role of NIS in thyroid diseases; NIS gene for radionuclide gene therapy.

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging reporter genes, such as HSV1-tk and D2 receptor genes, make it possible to visualise gene expression non-invasively and repetitively in vivo. However, these systems require the synthesis of complicated substrates and the availability of expensive PET equipment. Expression of the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) gene can be easily monitored with radioiodines and technetium-99m using a gamma camera. To evaluate the possibility of using NIS as an imaging reporter gene, we compared its characteristics with those of the conventional HSV1-tk gene. The CM cell line was made by transfecting the HSV1-tk gene into CT-26 (mouse colon carcinoma cell line). The CTN and CMN cell lines were then made by transfecting the NIS gene into CT-26 and CM. We measured the uptake of iodine-125 iodovinyldeoxyuridine ([125I]IVDU) and 125I to evaluate the expression of the HSV1-tk and NIS genes, respectively. Each cell line was injected into four flank sites in Balb/c mice. The biodistribution study was performed after intravenously injecting [125I]IVDU and 131I, and 131 I scintigraphy was performed for the evaluation of NIS expression. In vitro studies indicated that CTN and CMN had 40- to 79-fold and 150- to 256-fold higher uptake of 125 I than CT-26 and CM, respectively. Furthermore, CM and CMN showed 57- to 69-fold higher uptake of [125I]IVDU than CT-26 and CTN. NIS gene expression and 125I accumulation were found to be directly correlated (R 2=0.923), as were HSV1-tk gene expression and [125I]IVDU accumulation (R 2=0.956). Calculated signal per unit NIS and HSV1-tk mRNA expression was 23,2407±3,755 cpm and 34,039±5,346 cpm, re spectively. In vivo study indicated that CTN and CMN had 2.3- and 5.8-fold higher uptake of 131 I than CT-26 and CM, and 1.8- and 3.5-fold higher uptake of [125I]IVDU than CT-26 and CTN. Scintigraphy using 131I easily visualised CTN and CMN tumours. In conclusion, the NIS gene may be viewed as an imaging reporter gene with comparable performance to the HSV1-tk gene for monitoring target gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main reason for the recent interest in p53 is that almost 50% of human cancers contain p53 gene mutations. The majority of studies on p53 alterations in breast cancer have been limited to the isolated cases of ductal carcinoma in situ and infiltrating ductal carcinoma. The aims of this study were to determine the status and timing of p53 mutation in the progression from atypical ductal hyperplasia to invasive cancer, and to evaluate the patterns of p53 mutations in noninvasive and invasive lesions. Available lesions of invasive (n=88) and noninvasive (n=76) lesions were microdissected in 107 paraffin-embedded tissues (19 ductal carcinomas in situ, 57 invasive carcinomas with intraductal components, and 31 pure invasive carcinomas) and double-strand DNA sequencing was performed in exon 4–9 of the p53 gene. Among in situ cancers without invasive disease 36.8% had p53 mutations whereas in situ cancer with concurrent invasive disease showed p53 mutations in 33.3% of cases. In particular, two of seven atypical ductal hyperplasias harbored p53 alterations (one insertion and one missense mutation) in exon 8. The invasive component harbored p53 mutations in 30 of 88 cases (34.1%). We also discovered a novel deletion of 14 bp in exon 6 of two invasive lesions. The invasive component (1.33±0.13) carried a greater number of p53 mutations than its counterparts (1.19±0.10) and demonstrated more frequent multiple mutations (23.3% vs. 15.4%), but without statistical significance. Moreover, no statistical significance could be attached to the mutation frequency in the zinc-binding domains (26.7% vs. 15.4%), the directly DNA contact region (13.3% vs. 15.4%) and the missense mutation of p53 (50.0% vs. 57.7%) of the two groups. Based on our results, in spite of the small number of the lesions investigated, p53 mutation can occur at the stage of atypical ductal hyperplasia. The hypermutability and the specific p53 mutations involving the biologically functional domain (e.g., zinc binding domain or DNA contact region) have an insignificant influence on invasive progression in the breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The actin-sequestering protein thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) is involved in various cellular and physiological processes such as proliferation, motility, growth and metastasis. Nitric oxide (NO) promotes tumor invasiveness and metastasis by activating various enzymes. Herein, we investigated whether hypoxia-inducible NO regulates Tβ4 expression and cancer cell migration using HeLa cervical cancer cells. NO production and Tβ4 expression were increased in a hypoxic condition. The treatment with N-(β-D-Glucopyranosyl)-N2-acetyl-S-nitroso-D, L-penicillaminamide (SNAP-1), to generate NO, enhanced the transcription of Tβ4 and cancer cell migration. SNAP-1-induced cell migration was decreased by the inhibition of Tβ4 with small interference (si) RNA. In a hypoxic condition, treatment with N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, reduced Tβ4 transcriptional activity, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. Hypoxia-induced cancer cell migration was also decreased by L-NMMA treatment. In a normoxic condition, Tβ4 transcriptional activity was decreased in the cells incubated in the presence of L-NMMA after co-transfection with Tβ4 promoter and GST-conjugated HIF-1α. Collectively, these results suggest that NO could regulate the expression of Tβ4 by direct or indirect effect of HIF-1α on Tβ4 promoter.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in Eastern Asia, and its incidence is increasing globally. Numerous experimental models have been developed to better our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of HCC and to evaluate novel therapeutic approaches. Molecular imaging is a convenient and up-to-date biomedical tool that enables the visualization, characterization and quantification of biologic processes in a living subject. Molecular imaging based on reporter gene expression, in particular, can elucidate tumor-specific events or processes by acquiring images of a reporter gene's expression driven by tumor-specific enhancers/promoters. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various experimental HCC mouse models and we present in vivo images of tumor-specific reporter gene expression driven by an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) enhancer/promoter system in a mouse model of HCC. The current mouse models of HCC development are established by xenograft, carcinogen induction and genetic engineering, representing the spectrum of tumor-inducing factors and tumor locations. The imaging analysis approach of reporter genes driven by AFP enhancer/promoter is presented for these different HCC mouse models. Such molecular imaging can provide longitudinal information about carcinogenesis and tumor progression. We expect that clinical application of AFP-targeted reporter gene expression imaging systems will be useful for the detection of AFP-expressing HCC tumors and screening of increased/decreased AFP levels due to disease or drug treatment.