In vivo PET/CT in a human glioblastoma chicken chorioallantoic membrane model: A new tool for oncology and radiotracer development.

in Journal of Nuclear Medicine : Official Publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine (in press)

For many years the laboratory mouse has been used as the standard model for in vivo oncology research, particularly in the development of novel PET tracers, but the growth of tumors on chicken ... [more ▼]

For many years the laboratory mouse has been used as the standard model for in vivo oncology research, particularly in the development of novel PET tracers, but the growth of tumors on chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) provides a more rapid, low cost and ethically sustainable alternative. For the first time, we demonstrate the feasibility of in vivo PET and CT imaging in a U87 glioblastoma tumor model on chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), with the aim of applying this model for screening of novel PET tracers. Methods: U87 glioblastoma cells were implanted on the CAM at day 11 post-fertilization and imaged at day 18. A small animal imaging cell was used to maintain incubation and allow anesthesia using isoflurane. Radiotracers were injected directly into the exposed CAM vasculature. Sodium [18F]fluoride was used to validate the imaging protocol, demonstrating that image-degrading motion can be removed with anesthesia. Tumor glucose metabolism was imaged using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose and tumor protein synthesis was imaged using 2-[18F]fluoro-L-tyrosine. Anatomical images were obtained by contrast enhanced CT, facilitating clear delineation of the tumor, delineation of tracer uptake in tumor versus embryo and accurate volume measurements. Results: PET imaging of tumor glucose metabolism and protein synthesis was successfully demonstrated in the CAM U87 glioblastoma model. Catheterization of CAM blood vessels facilitated dynamic imaging of glucose metabolism with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose and demonstrated the ability to study PET tracer uptake over time in individual tumors, while CT imaging improved the accuracy of tumor volume measurements. Conclusion: In summary, we describe the novel application of PET/CT in the CAM tumor model, with optimization of typical imaging protocols. PET imaging in this valuable tumor model could prove particularly useful for rapid, high-throughput screening of novel radiotracers. [less ▲]

In Ovo PET Imaging Of A Human Colorectal Carcinoma Model In Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane

Poster (2012, October)

Aim. The objective of this study was to use in vivo PET/CT imaging as a validation tool for a novel human colorectal carcinoma model being developed in chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). For this ... [more ▼]

Aim. The objective of this study was to use in vivo PET/CT imaging as a validation tool for a novel human colorectal carcinoma model being developed in chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). For this initial pilot study a cell line modeling colon cancer was selected and imaged using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). <br />Materials and methods. A window was made in the shell of fertilized chicken eggs and 3x106 SW1222 human colorectal carcinoma cells were implanted at day 10 post-fertilization. On day 17 the shell window was enlarged to allow direct injection of FDG (12.2 ± 4.5 MBq/egg) into a CAM blood vessel. During injection the egg was warmed on a heating pad. A mixture of ketamine/medetomidine (50 :1 mg/ml, 0.2 ml/egg) was injected into the albumin in some eggs to assess the effect of anesthesia. After FDG injection the egg was returned to the incubator for a 45 min uptake period before imaging. Imaging was performed on a Siemens Focus 120 microPET with structural CT on a General Electric eXplore CT120. A Minerve cell system allowed reproducible positioning between modalities. PET data was acquired in list mode before histogramming into a single 10 min frame for reconstruction using a 3D maximum a posteriori (MAP) method with all corrections except scatter. A standard 100 µm (theoretical) image resolution protocol (70 kV, 50 mA, 32 ms, 220 views) was used to obtain structural CT data. Image coregistration was performed in PMOD version 3.3. In a separate egg, the influence of added contrast on the CT data was investigated by adding iodinated contrast agent (Iobitridol 35 mgI/ml) to the albumin. <br />Results. FDG uptake was clear in chick and tumor, with notably high uptake at the major joints. Tumors were identified by localization of FDG uptake on the surface of the CAM. A lack of soft tissue contrast between tumor, CAM and albumin made precise structural identification of the tumor difficult. Anesthesia was crucial to image quality in both PET and CT. CT contrast between the soft tissues of the chick and surrounding albumin/structures was improved by addition of contrast agent. <br />Conclusion. For the first time we demonstrate successful imaging of FDG uptake in a human colorectal carcinoma chicken CAM model in ovo. Methods to improve structural data are under investigation and will be used in further studies. With such improvement, this model could be of great value to PET oncology imaging. [less ▲]

Imaging Guided Proteomics Unveils Heterogeniety in Colorectal Carcinoma Liver Metastases – Implications for Targeted Therapies.

in Proceedings Giga Day 2012 (2012, May 04)

Rational selection of antigens for targeted therapy of liver metastases

Conference (2012, April 24)

The angiogenesis suppressor gene AKAP12 is under the epigenetic control of HDAC7 in endothelial cells.

Conference (2012, April 21)

Differential proteomic analysis of a human breast tumor and its matched bone metastasis identifies cell membrane and extracellular proteins associated with bone metastasis

in Journal of Proteome Research (2012)

The classical fate of metastasizing breast cancer cells is to seed and form secondary colonies in bones. The molecules closely associated with these processes are predominantly present at the cell surface ... [more ▼]

The classical fate of metastasizing breast cancer cells is to seed and form secondary colonies in bones. The molecules closely associated with these processes are predominantly present at the cell surface and in the extracellular space, establishing the first contacts with the target tissue. In this study, we had the rare opportunity to analyze a bone metastatic lesion and its corresponding breast primary tumor obtained simultaneously from the same patient. Using mass spectrometry, we undertook a proteomic study on cell surface and extracellular protein-enriched material. We provide a repertoire of significantly modulated proteins, some with yet unknown roles in the bone metastatic process as well as proteins notably involved in cancer cell invasiveness and in bone metabolism. The comparison of these clinical data with those previously obtained using a human osteotropic breast cancer cell line highlighted an overlapping group of proteins. Certain differentially expressed proteins are validated in the present study using immunohistochemistry on a retrospective collection of breast tumors and matched bone metastases. Our exclusive set of selected proteins supports the set-up of further investigations on both clinical samples and experimental bone metastasis models that will help to reveal the finely coordinated expression of proteins that favor the development of metastases in the bone microenvironment. [less ▲]

Sparc-like protein 1 is a new marker of human glioma progression.

in Journal of Proteome Research (2012), 11(10), 5011-21

High-grade gliomas (glioblastomas) are the most common and deadly brain tumors in adults, currently with no satisfactory treatment available. Apart from de novo glioblastoma, it is currently accepted that ... [more ▼]

High-grade gliomas (glioblastomas) are the most common and deadly brain tumors in adults, currently with no satisfactory treatment available. Apart from de novo glioblastoma, it is currently accepted that these malignancies mainly progress from lower grade glial tumors. However, the molecular entities governing the progression of gliomas are poorly understood. Extracellular and membrane proteins are key biomolecules found at the cell-to-cell communication interface and hence are a promising proteome subpopulation that could help understand the development of glioma. Accordingly, the current study aims at identifying new protein markers of human glioma progression. For this purpose, we used glial tumors generated orthotopically with T98G and U373 human glioma cells in nude mice. This setup allowed also to discriminate the protein origin, namely, human (tumor) or mouse (host). Extracellular and membrane proteins were selectively purified using biotinylation followed by streptavidin affinity chromatography. Isolated proteins were digested and then identified and quantified employing 2D-nano-HPLC-MS/MS analysis. A total of 23 and 27 up-regulated extracellular and membrane proteins were identified in the T98G and U373 models, respectively. Approximately two-thirds of these were predominantly produced by the tumor, whereas the remaining proteins appeared to be mainly overexpressed by the host tissue. Following extensive validation, we have focused our attention on sparc-like protein 1. This protein was further investigated using immunohistochemistry in a large collection of human glioma samples of different grades. The results showed that sparc-like protein 1 expression correlates with glioma grade, suggesting the possible role for this protein in the progression of this malignancy. [less ▲]

The angiogenesis suppressor gene AKAP12 is under the epigenetic control of HDAC7 in endothelial cells.

in Angiogenesis (2012)

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a family of 18 enzymes that deacetylate lysine residues of both histone and nonhistone proteins and to a large extent govern the process of angiogenesis. Previous studies ... [more ▼]

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a family of 18 enzymes that deacetylate lysine residues of both histone and nonhistone proteins and to a large extent govern the process of angiogenesis. Previous studies have shown that specific inhibition of HDAC7 blocks angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood and hence preclude any meaningful development of suitable therapeutic modalities. The goal of the present study was to further the understanding of HDAC7 epigenetic control of angiogenesis in human endothelial cells using the proteomic approach. The underlying problem was approached through siRNA-mediated gene-expression silencing of HDAC7 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). To this end, HUVEC proteins were extracted and proteomically analyzed. The emphasis was placed on up-regulated proteins, as these may represent potential direct epigenetic targets of HDAC7. Among several proteins, A-kinase anchor protein 12 (AKAP12) was the most reproducibly up-regulated protein following HDAC7 depletion. This overexpression of AKAP12 was responsible for the inhibition of migration and tube formation in HDAC7-depleted HUVEC. Mechanistically, H3 histones associated with AKAP12 promoter were acetylated following the removal of HDAC7, leading to an increase in its mRNA and protein levels. AKAP12 is responsible for protein kinase C mediated phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Phosphorylated STAT3 increasingly binds to the chromatin and AKAP12 promoter and is necessary for maintaining the elevated levels of AKAP12 following HDAC7 knockdown. We demonstrated for the first time that AKAP12 tumor/angiogenesis suppressor gene is an epigenetic target of HDAC7, whose elevated levels lead to a negative regulation of HUVEC migration and inhibit formation of tube-like structures. [less ▲]

Galectin-1 in Melanoma Biology and Related Neo-Angiogenesis Processes.

in Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2012)

Aggressiveness of advanced melanomas relates in part to their marked propensity to develop neoangiogenesis and metastases. Among its numerous pro-cancer roles, galectin (gal)-1 expressed and/or secreted ... [more ▼]

Aggressiveness of advanced melanomas relates in part to their marked propensity to develop neoangiogenesis and metastases. Among its numerous pro-cancer roles, galectin (gal)-1 expressed and/or secreted by both cancer and endothelial cells stimulates proliferation and angiogenesis. This study first shows that gal-1 is more highly expressed at both mRNA and protein levels than its congeners in melanomas and particularly in advanced lesions. The roles of gal-1 were further investigated in vivo in the highly proliferating and vascularized pseudometastatic B16F10 mouse melanoma model using stable knockdown B16F10 cells and wild-type versus gal-1 knockout mice, and then in vitro in B16F10 tumoral and lung microvascular cells. Gal-1 depletion in the B16F10 tumor cells but not in the tumor-bearing mice significantly increased melanoma-bearing mice survival. Tumor-derived gal-1 thus seems to have more critical roles than the host-derived one. In fact, gal-1 displays distinct effects on the H-Ras-dependent p53/p21 pathways: in primary lung microvessel endothelial cells, gal-1 seems to be involved in the maintenance of senescent status through the induction of both p53 and p21 while it stimulates B16F10 cancer cell proliferation through a p53/p21 decrease. Altogether, these data point to gal-1 as a potential target to combat melanomas.Journal of Investigative Dermatology advance online publication, 24 May 2012; doi:10.1038/jid.2012.142. [less ▲]

Development of a new chick chorioallantoic membrane model for human pancreas adenocarcinoma

Conference (2012)