| 1. |
- Cheng, Qing, et al.
(author)
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Preclinical PET imaging of EGFR levels : pairing a targeting with a non-targeting Sel-tagged Affibody-based tracer to estimate the specific uptake
- 2016
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In: EJNMMI Research. - : Springer. - 2191-219X. ; 6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Though overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in several forms of cancer is considered to be an important prognostic biomarker related to poor prognosis, clear correlations between biomarker assays and patient management have been difficult to establish. Here, we utilize a targeting directly followed by a non-targeting tracer-based positron emission tomography (PET) method to examine some of the aspects of determining specific EGFR binding in tumors. Methods: The EGFR-binding Affibody molecule Z(EGFR:2377) and its size-matched non-binding control Z(Taq:3638) were recombinantly fused with a C-terminal selenocysteine-containing Sel-tag (Z(EGFR:2377)-ST and Z(Taq:3638)-ST). The proteins were site-specifically labeled with DyLight488 for flow cytometry and ex vivo tissue analyses or with C-11 for in vivo PET studies. Kinetic scans with the C-11-labeled proteins were performed in healthy mice and in mice bearing xenografts from human FaDu (squamous cell carcinoma) and A431 (epidermoid carcinoma) cell lines. Changes in tracer uptake in A431 xenografts over time were also monitored, followed by ex vivo proximity ligation assays (PLA) of EGFR expressions. Results: Flow cytometry and ex vivo tissue analyses confirmed EGFR targeting by ZE(GFR:2377)-ST-DyLight488. [Methyl-C-11]-labeled Z(EGFR:2377)-ST-CH3 and Z(Taq:3638)-ST-CH3 showed similar distributions in vivo, except for notably higher concentrations of the former in particularly the liver and the blood. [Methyl-C-11]-Z(EGFR:2377)-ST-CH3 successfully visualized FaDu and A431 xenografts with moderate and high EGFR expression levels, respectively. However, in FaDu tumors, the non-specific uptake was large and sometimes equally large, illustrating the importance of proper controls. In the A431 group observed longitudinally, non-specific uptake remained at same level over the observation period. Specific uptake increased with tumor size, but changes varied widely over time in individual tumors. Total (membranous and cytoplasmic) EGFR in excised sections increased with tumor growth. There was no positive correlation between total EGFR and specific tracer uptake, which, since Z(EGFR:2377) binds extracellularly and is slowly internalized, indicates a discordance between available membranous and total EGFR expression levels. Conclusions: Same-day in vivo dual tracer imaging enabled by the Sel-tag technology and C-11-labeling provides a method to non-invasively monitor membrane-localized EGFR as well as factors affecting non-specific uptake of the PET ligand.
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| 2. |
- Olsen, Jessica M., et al.
(author)
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β3-Adrenergically induced glucose uptake in brown adipose tissue is independent of UCP1 presence or activity : Mediation through the mTOR pathway
- 2017
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In: Molecular Metabolism. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-8778. ; 6:6, s. 611-619
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ObjectiveToday, the presence and activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans is generally equated with the induced accumulation of [2-18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose([18F]FDG) in adipose tissues, as investigated by positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. In reality, PET-FDG is currently the only method available for in vivoquantification of BAT activity in adult humans. The underlying assumption is that the glucose uptake reflects the thermogenic activity of the tissue.MethodsTo examine this basic assumption, we here followed [18F]FDG uptake by PET and by tissue [3H]-2-deoxy-d-glucose uptake in wildtype and UCP1(−/−) mice, i.e. in mice that do or do not possess the unique thermogenic and calorie-consuming ability of BAT.ResultsUnexpectedly, we found that β3-adrenergically induced (by CL-316,243) glucose uptake was UCP1-independent. Thus, whereas PET-FDG scans adequately reflect glucose uptake, this acute glucose uptake is not secondary to thermogenesis but is governed by an independent cellular signalling, here demonstrated to be mediated via the previously described KU-0063794-sensitive mTOR pathway.ConclusionsThus, PET-FDG scans do not exclusively reveal active BAT deposits but rather any tissue possessing an adrenergically-mediated glucose uptake pathway. In contrast, we found that the marked glucose uptake-ameliorating effect of prolonged β3-adrenergictreatment was UCP1 dependent. Thus, therapeutically, UCP1 activity is required for any anti-diabetic effect of BAT activation.
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| 3. |
- Stafford, William C., et al.
(author)
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Irreversible inhibition of cytosolic thioredoxin reductase 1 as a mechanistic basis for anticancer therapy
- 2018
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In: Science Translational Medicine. - : AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE. - 1946-6234 .- 1946-6242. ; 10:428
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cancer cells adapt to their inherently increased oxidative stress through activation of the glutathione (GSH) and thioredoxin (TXN) systems. Inhibition of both of these systems effectively kills cancer cells, but such broad inhibition of antioxidant activity also kills normal cells, which is highly unwanted in a clinical setting. We therefore evaluated targeting of the TXN pathway alone and, more specifically, selective inhibition of the cytosolic selenocysteine-containing enzyme TXN reductase 1 (TXNRD1). TXNRD1 inhibitors were discovered in a large screening effort and displayed increased specificity compared to pan-TXNRD inhibitors, such as auranofin, that also inhibit the mitochondrial enzyme TXNRD2 and additional targets. For our lead compounds, TXNRD1 inhibition correlated with cancer cell cytotoxicity, and inhibitor-triggered conversion of TXNRD1 from an antioxidant to a pro-oxidant enzyme correlated with corresponding increases in cellular production of H2O2. In mice, the most specific TXNRD1 inhibitor, here described as TXNRD1 inhibitor 1 (TRi-1), impaired growth and viability of human tumor xenografts and syngeneic mouse tumors while having little mitochondrial toxicity and being better tolerated than auranofin. These results display the therapeutic anticancer potential of irreversibly targeting cytosolic TXNRD1 using small molecules and present potent and selective TXNRD1 inhibitors. Given the pronounced up-regulation of TXNRD1 in several metastatic malignancies, it seems worthwhile to further explore the potential benefit of specific irreversible TXNRD1 inhibitors for anticancer therapy.
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