Imaging of bacterial infection: Harnessing positron emission tomography and Cherenkov luminescence imaging with UBI-derived octapeptide.

Noninvasive imaging techniques for the early detection of infections are in high demand. In this study, we present the development of an infection imaging agent consisting of the antimicrobial peptide fragment UBI (31-38) conjugated to the chelator 1,4,7-triazacyclononane,1-glutaric acid-4,7-acetic acid (NODAGA), which allows for labeling with the positron emitter Ga-68. The preclinical evaluation of [ Ga]Ga-NODAGA-UBI (31-38) was conducted to investigate its potential for imaging bacterial infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Deoxyglucose-conjugated persistent luminescent nanoparticles for theragnostic application in fibrosarcoma tumor model.

Deoxyglucose conjugated nanoparticles with persistent luminescence have shown theragnostic potential. In this study, deoxyglucose-conjugated nano-particles with persistent luminescence properties were synthesized, and their theragnostic potential was evaluated in fibrosarcoma cancer cells and a tumor model. The uptake of nano-formulation was found to be higher in mouse fibrosarcoma (WEHI-164) cells cultured in a medium without glucose.

Tumorsphere assay provides a better in vitro method for cancer stem-like cells enrichment in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated in growth, metastasis, recurrence and chemo-/radio-resistance in several cancer types. Despite a plenty of literature about different in vitro techniques to enrich/isolate CSCs, their comparative characterization for stemness is not well established. In the present study, cells obtained following three in vitro assays [clonogenic assay, tumorsphere assay (TSA) and single cell assay (SCA)] were compared for their cancer stem-like cell characteristics in human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells.

Molecular Understanding of Growth Inhibitory Effect from Irradiated to Bystander Tumor Cells in Mouse Fibrosarcoma Tumor Model.

Even though bystander effects pertaining to radiation risk assessment has been extensively studied, the molecular players of radiation induced bystander effect (RIBE) in the context of cancer radiotherapy are poorly known. In this regard, the present study is aimed to investigate the effect of irradiated tumor cells on the bystander counterparts in mouse fibrosarcoma (WEHI 164 cells) tumor model. Mice co-implanted with WEHI 164 cells γ-irradiated with a lethal dose of 15 Gy and unirradiated (bystander) WEHI 164 cells showed inhibited tumor growth, which was measured in terms of tumor volume and Luc+WEHI 164 cells based bioluminescence in vivo imaging.