Klara Stefflova

Photodynamic molecular beacon as an activatable photosensitizer based on protease-controlled singlet oxygen quenching and activation

Molecular beacons are FRET-based target-activatable probes. They offer control of fluorescence emission in response to specific cancer targets, thus are useful tools for in vivo cancer imaging. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cell-killing process by light activation of a photosensitizer (PS) in the presence of oxygen. The key cytotoxic agent is singlet oxygen (1O2). By combining these two principles (FRET and PDT), we have introduced a concept of photodynamic molecular beacons (PMB) for controlling the PSs ability to generate 1O2 and, ultimately, for controlling its PDT activity. The PMB comprises a disease-specific linker, a PS, and a 1O2 quencher, so that the PSs photoactivity is silenced until the linker interacts with a target molecule, such as a tumor-associated protease. Here, we report the full implementation of this concept by synthesizing a matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP7)-triggered PMB and achieving not only MMP7-triggered production of 1O2 in solution but also MMP7-mediated photodynamic cytotoxicity in cancer cells. Preliminary in vivo studies also reveal the MMP7-activated PDT efficacy of this PMB. This study validates the core principle of the PMB concept that selective PDT-induced cell death can be achieved by exerting precise control of the PSs ability to produce 1O2 by responding to specific cancer-associated biomarkers. Thus, PDT selectivity will no longer depend solely on how selectively the PS can be delivered to cancer cells. Rather, it will depend on how selective a biomarker is to cancer cells, and how selective the interaction of PMB is to this biomarker.

Photodynamic Molecular Beacon Triggered by Fibroblast Activation Protein on Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts for Diagnosis and Treatment of Epithelial Cancers

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a cell-surface serine protease highly expressed on cancer-associated fibroblasts of human epithelial carcinomas but not on normal fibroblasts, normal tissues, and cancer cells. We report herein a novel FAP-triggered photodynamic molecular beacon (FAP-PPB) comprising a fluorescent photosensitizer and a black hole quencher 3 linked by a peptide sequence (TSGPNQEQK) specific to FAP. FAP-PPB was effectively cleaved by both human FAP and murine FAP. By use of the HEK293 transfected cells (HEK-mFAP, FAP(+); HEK-vector, FAP(-)), systematic in vitro and in vivo experiments validated the FAP-specific activation of FAP-PPB in cancer cells and mouse xenografts, respectively. FAP-PPB was cleaved by FAP, allowing fluorescence restoration in FAP-expressing cells while leaving non-expressing FAP cells undetectable. Moreover, FAP-PPB showed FAP-specific photocytotoxicity toward HEK-mFAP cells whereas it was non-cytotoxic toward HEK-Vector cells. This study suggests that the FAP-PPB is a potentially useful tool for epithelial cancer detection and treatment.

Validation of Genome-Wide Prostate Cancer Associations in Men of African Descent

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous prostate cancer susceptibility alleles, but these loci have been identified primarily in men of European descent. There is limited information about the role of these loci in men of African descent. Methods: We identified 7,788 prostate cancer cases and controls with genotype data for 47 GWAS-identified loci. Results: We identified significant associations for SNP rs10486567 at JAZF1, rs10993994 at MSMB, rs12418451 and rs7931342 at 11q13, and rs5945572 and rs5945619 at NUDT10/11. These associations were in the same direction and of similar magnitude as those reported in men of European descent. Significance was attained at all reported prostate cancer susceptibility regions at chromosome 8q24, including associations reaching genome-wide significance in region 2. Conclusion: We have validated in men of African descent the associations at some, but not all, prostate cancer susceptibility loci originally identified in European descent populations. This may be due to the heterogeneity in genetic etiology or in the pattern of genetic variation across populations. Impact: The genetic etiology of prostate cancer in men of African descent differs from that of men of European descent. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(1); 23–32. ©2011 AACR.

A tumor mRNA-triggered photodynamic molecular beacon based on oligonucleotide hairpin control of singlet oxygen production

We report a new class of photodynamic molecular beacon (PMB) with tumor specific mRNA-triggered control of singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) production. The beacon contains a single-stranded oligonucleotide linker that forms a stem-loop structure (hairpin) in which the sequence is an antisense oligonucleotide (AS-ON) complementary to a target mRNA. The stem is formed by the annealing of two complementary arm sequences that are on either side of the loop sequence. A photosensitizer molecule (PS) is attached to the end of one arm and a quencher (Q) is similarly attached to the other end. The conformationally-restricted hairpin forces Q to efficiently silence the photoreactivity of PS. In the presence of target mRNA, the hairpin opens and the PS is no longer silenced. Upon irradiating with light, the PS then emits fluorescence and generates cytotoxic (1)O(2). To show proof of concept, we have synthesized a c-raf-1 mRNA-triggered PMB using pyropheophorbide (Pyro) as PS, carotenoid as Q and c-raf-1 mRNA-targeted AS-ON as the loop sequence. We show that the (1)O(2) production of Pyro is quenched in its native state by 15-fold and is restored 9-fold by the addition of the target RNA. Comparing this to our recently reported self-folding peptide linker-based PMB, the hairpin effect results in an enhanced (1)O(2) quenching efficiency that decreases the residual (1)O(2) production by over 3-fold, thus providing enhanced control of (1)O(2) production upon target-linker interactions. When incubated with c-raf-1 expressing MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, the PMB displayed efficient cellular uptake and subsequently effective PDT activation in targeted cells.

Using molecular beacons for cancer imaging and treatment.

Molecular beacons are essentially all probes that illuminate particular cellular target or cells with similar characteristics. In this review we focus on those molecular beacons that use near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRF-I) to identify the unique cellular and metabolic markers characteristic of cancer. They employ various delivery and activation pathways, selectively or specifically targeting proliferating and immortal cancer cells. These beacons can either be used in an imaging step separate from therapy or they can intimately connect these two steps into a single process. Matching cancer therapy to NIRF-I is photodynamic therapy (PDT) that uses the light-triggered phototoxic properties of some porphyrin-based dyes. Guided by beacons restored fluorescence, the PDT laser could be focused on affected sites, killing the cancer cells using the enhanced photoactivity of the same beacon. Or vice versa-the restored fluorescence from the cleaved beacon could be used as an indication of the beacons own therapeutic success, imaging the post-PDT apoptotic cells.

Killer beacons for combined cancer imaging and therapy.

Precisely localizing therapeutic agents in neoplastic areas would greatly improve their efficacy for killing tumor cells and reduce their toxicity to normal cells. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment modality, and near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRF-I) is a sensitive and noninvasive approach for in vivo cancer detection. This review focuses on the current efforts to engineer single molecule constructs that allow these two modalities to be combined to achieve a high level of selectivity for cancer treatment. The primary component of these so called killer beacons is a fluorescent photosensitizer responsible for both imaging and therapy. By attaching other components, e.g. various DNA- or peptide-based linkers, quenchers or cancer cell-specific delivery vehicles, their primary diagnostic and therapeutic functions as well as their target specificity and pharmacological properties can be modulated. This modular design makes these agents customizable, offering the ability to assemble a few simple and often interchangeable functional modules into beacons with totally different functions. This review will summarize following three types of killer beacons: photodynamic molecular beacons, traceable beacons and beacons with built-in apoptosis sensor. Despite the rapid progress in killer beacon development, numerous challenges remain before these beacons can be translated into clinics, such as photobleaching, delivery efficiency and cancer-specificity. In this review we outline the basic principles of killer beacons, the current achievements and future directions, including possible cancer targets and different therapeutic applications.

Dissecting the Within-Africa Ancestry of Populations of African Descent in the Americas

Background The ancestry of African-descended Americans is known to be drawn from three distinct populations: African, European, and Native American. While many studies consider this continental admixture, few account for the genetically distinct sources of ancestry within Africa – the continent with the highest genetic variation. Here, we dissect the within-Africa genetic ancestry of various populations of the Americas self-identified as having primarily African ancestry using uniparentally inherited mitochondrial DNA. Methods and Principal Findings We first confirmed that our results obtained using uniparentally-derived group admixture estimates are correlated with the average autosomal-derived individual admixture estimates (hence are relevant to genomic ancestry) by assessing continental admixture using both types of markers (mtDNA and Y-chromosome vs. ancestry informative markers). We then focused on the within-Africa maternal ancestry, mining our comprehensive database of published mtDNA variation (∼5800 individuals from 143 African populations) that helped us thoroughly dissect the African mtDNA pool. Using this well-defined African mtDNA variation, we quantified the relative contributions of maternal genetic ancestry from multiple W/WC/SW/SE (West to South East) African populations to the different pools of todays African-descended Americans of North and South America and the Caribbean. Conclusions Our analysis revealed that both continental admixture and within-Africa admixture may be critical to achieving an adequate understanding of the ancestry of African-descended Americans. While continental ancestry reflects gender-specific admixture processes influenced by different socio-historical practices in the Americas, the within-Africa maternal ancestry reflects the diverse colonial histories of the slave trade. We have confirmed that there is a genetic thread connecting Africa and the Americas, where each colonial system supplied their colonies in the Americas with slaves from African colonies they controlled or that were available for them at the time. This historical connection is reflected in different relative contributions from populations of W/WC/SW/SE Africa to geographically distinct Africa-derived populations of the Americas, adding to the complexity of genomic ancestry in groups ostensibly united by the same demographic label.

Targeted photodynamic therapy agent with a built-in apoptosis sensor for in vivo near-infrared imaging of tumor apoptosis triggered by its photosensitization in situ.

Imaging apoptotic cells or tissues after cancer therapy in situ would be a very useful tool for assessing proper treatment conditions and therapeutic outcome. By combining therapeutic and imaging functions, we have designed a multifunctional, membrane-permeable, and cancer-specific agent that triggers and images apoptosis in targeted cells. We chose photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an appropriate cancer treatment modality and caspase 3 as an apoptosis-specific imaging target. This targeted photodynamic therapy agent with a built-in apoptosis sensor (TaBIAS) induces photodamage only to target cells and simultaneously identifies those that are apoptotic by its near-infrared fluorescence. It contains a fluorescent photosensitizer used as an anticancer drug and a cancer-associated folate receptor homing molecule connected to a caspase 3 cleavable peptide linker that has a fluorescence quencher on the opposing site. We demonstrated that PDT-triggered cleavage of the peptide linker by caspase 3, one of the key executioner caspases, results in a detectable increase in fluorescence in folate receptor–overexpressing cancer cells and tumors. The presence of apoptosis was confirmed in vitro by flow cytometry and ex vivo by Apoptag assay, supporting the ability of TaBIAS to specifically induce and image apoptosis in situ.

Evaluation of Group Genetic Ancestry of Populations from Philadelphia and Dakar in the Context of Sex-Biased Admixture in the Americas

Background Population history can be reflected in group genetic ancestry, where genomic variation captured by the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome (NRY) can separate female- and male-specific admixture processes. Genetic ancestry may influence genetic association studies due to differences in individual admixture within recently admixed populations like African Americans. Principal Findings We evaluated the genetic ancestry of Senegalese as well as European Americans and African Americans from Philadelphia. Senegalese mtDNA consisted of ∼12% U haplotypes (U6 and U5b1b haplotypes, common in North Africa) while the NRY haplotypes belonged solely to haplogroup E. In Philadelphia, we observed varying degrees of admixture. While African Americans have 9–10% mtDNAs and ∼31% NRYs of European origin, these results are not mirrored in the mtDNA/NRY pools of European Americans: they have less than 7% mtDNAs and less than 2% NRYs from non-European sources. Additionally, there is <2% Native American contribution to Philadelphian African American ancestry and the admixture from combined mtDNA/NRY estimates is consistent with the admixture derived from autosomal genetic data. To further dissect these estimates, we have analyzed our samples in the context of different demographic groups in the Americas. Conclusions We found that sex-biased admixture in African-derived populations is present throughout the Americas, with continual influence of European males, while Native American females contribute mainly to populations of the Caribbean and South America. The high non-European female contribution to the pool of European-derived populations is consistently characteristic of Iberian colonization. These data suggest that genomic data correlate well with historical records of colonization in the Americas.

In vivo Detection of Phospholipase C by Enzyme-Activated Near-infrared Probes

In this article, the characterization of the first near-infrared (NIR) phospholipase-activated molecular beacon is reported, and its utility for in vivo cancer imaging is demonstrated. The probe consists of three elements: a phospholipid (PL) backbone to which the NIR fluorophore, pyropheophorbide a (Pyro), and the NIR Black Hole Quencher 3 (BHQ) were conjugated. Because of the close proximity of BHQ to Pyro, the Pyro-PtdEtn-BHQ probe is self-quenched until enzyme hydrolysis releases the fluorophore. The Pyro-PtdEtn-BHQ probe is highly specific to one isoform of phospholipase C, phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC), responsible for catabolizing phosphatidylcholine directly to phosphocholine. Incubation of Pyro-PtdEtn-BHQ in vitro with PC-PLC demonstrated a 150-fold increase in fluorescence that could be inhibited by the specific PC-PLC inhibitor tricyclodecan-9-yl xanthogenate (D609) with an IC(50) of 34 ± 8 μM. Since elevations in phosphocholine have been consistently observed by magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a wide array of cancer cells and solid tumors, we assessed the utility of Pyro-PtdEtn-BHQ as a probe for targeted tumor imaging. Injection of Pyro-PtdEtn-BHQ into mice bearing DU145 human prostate tumor xenografts followed by in vivo NIR imaging resulted in a 4-fold increase in tumor radiance over background and a 2 fold increase in the tumor/muscle ratio. Tumor fluorescence enhancement was inhibited with the administration of D609. The ability to image PC-PLC activity in vivo provides a unique and sensitive method of monitoring one of the critical phospholipase signaling pathways activated in cancer, as well as the phospholipase activities that are altered in response to cancer treatment.