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One possibility for the non-invasive imaging of encapsulated cell grafts is to label the lumen of cell embedding capsules with a redox-responsive probe, as an increased extracellular reducing potential can be considered as a marker of hypoxia-induced necrosis. A Gd(III)-HPDO3A-like chelate has been conjugated to glycol-chitosan through a redox-responsive disulphide bond to obtain a contrast agent for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Such a compound can be interspersed with fibroblasts within the lumen of alginate-chitosan capsules. Increasing reducing conditions within the extracellular microenvironment lead to the reductive cleavage of the disulphide bond and to the release of gadolinium in the form of a low molecular weight, non-ionic chelate. The efflux of such chelate from capsules is readily detected by a decrease of contrast enhancement in T 1 -weighted MR images.

The redox microenvironment within a cell graft can be considered as an indicator to assess whether the graft is metabolically active or hypoxic. We present a redox-responsive MRI probe based on porous silica microparticles whose surface has been decorated with a Gd-chelate through a disulphide bridge. Such microparticles are designed to be interspersed with therapeutic cells within a biocompatible hydrogel. The onset of reducing conditions within the hydrogel is paralleled by an increased clearance of Gd, that can be detected by MRI.

The approach to molecular imaging of enzymes by MRI typically relies upon imaging probes composed of an enzymecleavable moiety conjugated with a paramagnetic imaging reporter, such as a GdIII chelate.[1] Upon enzymatic processing, the probe is transformed into a fragment with an altered relaxivity, leading to a different capability to enhance contrast in MR images with respect to the parent species. Ideally, the unprocessed (intact) form of the probe should be completely silent while the processed (cleaved) form should have a high relaxivity (that is, high contrast enhancement). In such a way the appearance of contrast within images can be unambiguously attributed to the result of enzymatic activity and not to dynamic changes of tissue probe concentration. However, gadolinium-based agents as enzyme responsive agents are never completely silent and both forms (unprocessed and processed) contribute to the overall contrast enhancement as a function of their respective relaxivities and tissue local concentrations.[2] Exact knowledge of the total concentration of Gd is essential to translate image contrast enhancement into the molar ratio of unprocessed versus processed forms, and thus into true enzyme activity maps. Aviable solution to the concentration problem can be provided by the R2p/R1p.

Two novel Gd-based contrast agents (CAs) for the molecular imaging of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were synthetized and characterized in vitro and in vivo. These probes were based on the PLG*LWAR peptide sequence, known to be hydrolyzed between Gly and Leu by a broad panel of MMPs. A Gd–DOTA chelate was conjugated to the N-terminal position through an amide bond, either directly to proline (compd Gd–K11) or through a hydrophilic spacer (compd Gd–K11N). Both CA were made strongly amphiphilic by conjugating an alkyl chain at the C-terminus of the peptide sequence. Gd–K11 and Gd–K11N have a good affinity for β-cyclodextrins (KD 310 and 670 µ m respectively) and for serum albumin (KD 350 and 90 µ m respectively), and can be efficiently cleaved in vitro at the expected site by MMP-2 and MMP-12. Upon MMP-dependent cleavage, the CAs lose the C-terminal tetrapeptide and the alkyl chain, thus undergoing to an amphiphilic-to-hydrophilic transformation that is expected to alter tissue pharmacokinetics. To prove this, Gd–K11 was systemically administered to mice bearing a subcutaneous B16.F10 melanoma, either pre-treated or not with the broad spectrum MMP inhibitor GM6001 (Ilomastat). The washout of the Gd-contrast enhancement in MR images was significantly faster for untreated subjects (displaying MMP activity) with respect to treated ones (MMP activity inhibited). The washout kinetics of Gd-contrast enhancement from the tumor microenvironment could be then interpreted in terms of the local activity of MMPs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Iopamidol (Isovue®-Bracco Diagnostic Inc.) is a clinically approved X-Ray contrast agent used in the last 30 years for a wide variety of diagnostic applications with a very good clinical acceptance. Iopamidol contains two types of amide functionalities that can be exploited for the generation of chemical exchange saturation transfer effect. The exchange rate of the two amide proton pools is markedly pH-dependent. Thus, a ratiometric method for pH assessment has been set-up based on the comparison of the saturation transfer effects induced by selective irradiation of the two resonances. This ratiometric approach allows to rule out the concentration effect of the contrast agent and provides accurate pH measurements in the 5.5-7.4 range. Upon injection of Iopamidol into healthy mice, it has been possible to acquire pH maps of kidney regions. Furthermore, it has been also shown that the proposed method is able to report about pH-changes induced in control mice fed with acidified or basified water for a period of a week before image acquisition.

Under HR-MAS conditions, cells are subjected to high centrifugal forces that may cause irreversible cell damage. First, conditions have been defined to monitor and keep to a minimum unwanted effects in HR-MAS spectra arising from the loss of cell integrity. Then, the HR-MAS spectra of reasonably intact cells have been analyzed. Cell suspensions subjected to MAS rates as low as 1 kHz split into a two-compartment system that is composed of a cell-rich phase (H2Oi) and a cell-free phase (H2Oo). Each of these phases is characterized by its own water 1H-NMR signal. Transport of water molecules between the cell-rich and cell-free compartments is limited by the very low contact area between the two compartments, and water exchange dynamics consequently fall into the slow exchange limit on the NMR timescale. Since the exchange between the two water populations is “frozen,” the separation between the H2Oo and H2Oi water signals (Δνwater) detected in an HR-MAS experiment is not affected by chemical exchange but reflects only chemical differences in the two environments. Different cell lines show a different Δνwater, leading to the concept of “cellular water shift.” This shift roughly correlates with the cellular protein content, supporting the view that the most important determinant of the cellular water shift is the interaction between water and proteins in the intracellular compartment. Magn Reson Med, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The segment 32-47 of the N-terminal extracellular domain of the type A cholecystokinin receptor, CCKA-R(32-47), was synthesized and structurally characterized in a membrane mimicking environment by CD, NMR and molecular dynamics calculations. The region of CCKA-R(32-47) encompassing residues 39-46 adopted a well-defined secondary structure in the presence of DPC micelles, whereas the conformation of the N-terminal region (segment 32-37) could not be uniquely defined by the NOE derived distance constraints because of local flexibility. The conformation of the binding domain of CCKA-R(32-47) was different from that found for the intact N-terminal receptor tail, CCKA-R(1-47). To assess whether CCKA-R(32-47) was still able to bind the nonsulfated cholecystokinin C-terminal octapeptide, CCK8, a series of titrations was carried out in SDS and DPC micelles, and the binding interaction was followed by fluorescence spectroscopy. These titrations gave no evidence for complex formation, whereas a high binding affinity was found between CCKA- R(1-47) and CCK8. The different affinities for the ligand shown by CCKA-R(32-47) and CCKA-R(1-47) were paralleled by different interaction modes between the receptor segments and the micelles. The interaction of CCKA-R(32-47) with DPC micelles was much weaker than that of CCKA-R(1-47), because the former receptor segment lacks proper stabilizing contacts with the micelle surface. In the case of SDS micelles CCKA-R(32-47) was found to form non-micellar adducts with the detergent that prevented the onset of a functionally significant interaction between the receptor segment and the micelle. It is concluded that tertiary structure interactions brought about by the 1-31 segment play a key role in the stabilization of the membrane bound, biologically active conformation of the N-terminal extracellular tail of the CCKA receptor. Copyright  2003 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The low temperature (–100 °C) X-ray structure of the complex K2[Yb(DTPA)(H2O)] has been determined. The metal ion is at the center of a tricapped trigonal prism and is nine-coordinate, binding to the three nitrogens and five oxygens of the ligand and one water molecule. From the structure obtained, three well-defined hydration shells can be observed consisting of: i) one coordinated water molecule; ii) several water molecules in the outer coordination sphere of the YbIII ion and iii) one water molecule surprisingly close to the metal center and hydrogen-bonded to proximate carboxylate groups. A variable-field and temperature NMRD study of the corresponding Gd complex has been performed and the data interpreted by taking into account the presence of second-sphere water molecule(s). The results of the analysis are in excellent agreement with the X-ray structural data.

The cover picture shows a molecular model of the interaction between the new CCK8 analogue, Cycle29,34[Dpr29,Lys34]-CCK8 (shown as a CPK model) and the receptor fragment CCKA-R(1–47) (represented by a pink ribbon). The introduction of the cyclic constraint between the Dpr29 sidechain and the CCK8 C terminus (Lys34) decreases the flexibility of the molecule to stabilize the bioactive conformation of Cycle29,34[Dpr29,Lys34]-CCK8. The Trp30 and Met31 side chains are in favorable orientations for interaction with the CCKA receptor. Expansions of the aromatic/amide regions of the 1H NMR spectra of Cycle29,34[Dpr29,Lys34]-CCK8 in aqueous solution (top) and in presence of dodecylphosphocholine-d38 micelles (bottom) are shown in the inset. Further details can be found in the article by Morelli and co-workers on p. 1176 ff.

The cover picture shows the NMR structure of the SUPERMAN zinc finger domain, which is the first high-resolution structure of a classical zinc finger domain from a plant protein. The structure consists of a very well-defined ββα motif, typical of all the other Cys2–His2 zinc fingers so far structurally characterized. As a consequence, the QALGGH sequence, which is highly conserved in plant protein classical zinc finger domains, is located at the N terminus of the α helix. Interestingly, this domain region, in animal protein zinc fingers, is constituted of hypervariable residues deputed to the recognition of the DNA bases. Therefore, a peculiar DNA recognition code for the QALGGH zinc finger domain is proposed in the article by Fattorusso and co-workers on p. 171 ff.