Detection of cancer cells using SapC-DOPS nanovesicles

Molecular Cancer

Review

Nida Hussain¹  Harold W. Davis¹  Xiaoyang Qi² 

[1] Division of Hematology/Oncology, Translational Medicine Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Brain Tumor Center at UC Neuroscience Institute, 3512 Eden Avenue, 45267-0508, Cincinnati, OH, USA;Division of Hematology/Oncology, Translational Medicine Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Brain Tumor Center at UC Neuroscience Institute, 3512 Eden Avenue, 45267-0508, Cincinnati, OH, USA;Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA;

关键词: Phosphatidylserine;    Cancer;    Tumor imaging;    Contrast agents;    Saposin C;    SapC-DOPS;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12943-016-0519-1

 received in 2016-02-18, accepted in 2016-05-03,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Unlike normal cells, cancer cells express high levels of phosphatidylserine on the extracellular leaflet of their cell membrane. Exploiting this characteristic, our lab developed a therapeutic agent that consists of the fusogenic protein, saposin C (SapC) which is embedded in dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) vesicles. These nanovesicles selectively target cancer cells and induce apoptosis. Here we review the data supporting use of SapC-DOPS to locate tumors for surgical resection or for treatment. In addition, there is important evidence suggesting that SapC-DOPS may also prove to be an effective novel cancer therapeutic reagent. Given that SapC-DOPS is easily labeled with lipophilic dyes, it has been combined with the far-red fluorescent dye, CellVue Maroon (CVM), for tumor targeting studies. We also have used contrast agents incorporated in the SapC-DOPS nanovesicles for computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and review that data here. Administered intravenously, the fluorescently labeled SapC-DOPS traversed the blood–brain tumor barrier enabling identification of brain tumors. SapC-DOPS-CVM also detected a variety of other mouse tumors in vivo, rendering them observable by optical imaging using IVIS and multi-angle rotational optical imaging. Dye is detected within 30 min and remains within tumor for at least 7 days, whereas non-tumor tissues were unstained (some dye observed in the liver was transient, likely representing degradation products). Additionally, labeled SapC-DOPS ex vivo delineated tumors in human histological specimens. SapC-DOPS can also be labeled with contrast reagents for computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. In conclusion, labeled SapC-DOPS provides a convenient, specific, and nontoxic method for detecting tumors while concurrently offering a therapeutic benefit.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Davis et al. 2016