Targeted, Stimuli-Responsive, and Theranostic F Magnetic Resonance Imaging Probes.

Unlike conventional H magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), F MRI features unambiguous detection of fluorine spins due to negligible background signals. Therefore, it is considered a promising noninvasive and selective imaging method for the diagnosis of cancers and other diseases. For F MRI, fluorine-rich molecules such as perfluorocarbons (PFC) have been formulated into nanoemulsions and used as its tracer agent.

Reducing severe hypoglycaemia in hospitalised patients with diabetes: Early outcomes of standardised reporting and management.

Background: Severe hypoglycaemic events (HGEs) in hospitalised patients are associated with poor outcomes and prolonged hospitalization. Systematic, coordinated care is required for acute management and prevention of HGEs; however, studies evaluating quality control efforts are scarce.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of system-based interventions to improve management response to HGEs.

In Vivo F MR Imaging Cell Tracking of Inflammatory Macrophages and Site-specific Development of Colitis-associated Dysplasia.

Purpose To investigate whether the magnitude of in vivo fluorine 19 (F) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging signal is associated with subsequent development of colitis-associated dysplasia after in situ fluorination of inflammatory macrophages in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Materials and Methods Experiments were approved by the institutional animal care and use committee. Mice in the experimental group (n = 10) were administered azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium to induce colitis-associated dysplasia.

Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Esophagitis in a Young Immunocompetent Adult.

Herpes simplex esophagitis (HSE) is commonly identified in immunosuppressed patients. It is rare among immunocompetent patients and almost all of the reported cases are due to HSV-1 infection. HSV-2 esophagitis is extremely rare.

Pulmonary Nocardiosis in a Multiple Myeloma Patient Treated with Proteasome Inhibitors.

Background: The use of proteasome inhibitors like Bortezomib to treat multiple myeloma has been associated with increased rates of opportunistic infections, including Nocardia, especially when lymphopenia is present. The prevalence or association of such infections with newer agents like Carfilzomib is not known.

Case Report: A 71-year-old man with multiple myeloma presented with a 6-week history of respiratory symptoms and cyclic fevers.

Fluorine-19 Labeling of Stromal Vascular Fraction Cells for Clinical Imaging Applications.

Unlabelled: Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells are used clinically for various therapeutic targets. The location and persistence of engrafted SVF cells are important parameters for determining treatment failure versus success. We used the GID SVF-1 platform and a clinical protocol to harvest and label SVF cells with the fluorinated ((19)F) agent CS-1000 as part of a first-in-human phase I trial (clinicaltrials.

Advances in using MRI probes and sensors for in vivo cell tracking as applied to regenerative medicine.

The field of molecular and cellular imaging allows molecules and cells to be visualized in vivo non-invasively. It has uses not only as a research tool but in clinical settings as well, for example in monitoring cell-based regenerative therapies, in which cells are transplanted to replace degenerating or damaged tissues, or to restore a physiological function. The success of such cell-based therapies depends on several critical issues, including the route and accuracy of cell transplantation, the fate of cells after transplantation, and the interaction of engrafted cells with the host microenvironment.

Label-free in vivo molecular imaging of underglycosylated mucin-1 expression in tumour cells.

Alterations in mucin expression and glycosylation are associated with cancer development. Underglycosylated mucin-1 (uMUC1) is overexpressed in most malignant adenocarcinomas of epithelial origin (for example, colon, breast and ovarian cancer). Its counterpart MUC1 is a large polymer rich in glycans containing multiple exchangeable OH protons, which is readily detectable by chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI.

Paradoxical decrease in the capture and lymph node delivery of cancer vaccine antigen induced by a TLR4 agonist as visualized by dual-mode imaging.

Traditionally, cell-mediated immune responses to vaccination in animal models are evaluated by invasive techniques such as biopsy and organ extraction. We show here that by combining two noninvasive imaging technologies, MRI and bioluminescence imaging (BLI), we can visualize both the afferent and efferent arms of cellular events following vaccination longitudinally. To this end, we evaluated the immune response elicited by a novel Toll-like receptor 4 agonist vaccine adjuvant, glucopyranosyl lipid A (GLA), using a whole-cell tumor vaccine.

Preclinical evidence that PD1 blockade cooperates with cancer vaccine TEGVAX to elicit regression of established tumors.

Biomarker studies have shown that expression of the T-cell coregulatory ligand PDL1 on tumor cells correlates with clinical responsiveness to the PD1 antibody nivolumab. Here, we report the findings of a preclinical cancer vaccine study demonstrating vaccine-dependent PDL1 upregulation in the tumor microenvironment. We formulated an IFNγ-inducing cancer vaccine called TEGVAX that combined GM-CSF and multiple Toll-like receptor agonists to increase the number of activated dendritic cells.

(19)F spin-lattice relaxation of perfluoropolyethers: Dependence on temperature and magnetic field strength (7.0-14.1T).

Fluorine ((19)F) MRI of perfluorocarbon-labeled cells has become a powerful technique to track the migration and accumulation of cells in living organisms. It is common to label cells for (19)F MRI with nanoemulsions of perfluoropolyethers that contain a large number of chemically equivalent fluorine atoms. Understanding the mechanisms of (19)F nuclear relaxation, and in particular the spin-lattice relaxation of these molecules, is critical to improving experimental sensitivity.

Assaying macrophage activity in a murine model of inflammatory bowel disease using fluorine-19 MRI.

Macrophages have an important role in the pathogenesis of most chronic inflammatory diseases. A means of non-invasively quantifying macrophage migration would contribute significantly towards our understanding of chronic inflammatory processes and aid the evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies. We describe the use of a perfluorocarbon tracer reagent and in vivo (19)F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify macrophage burden longitudinally.

In vivo observation of intracellular oximetry in perfluorocarbon-labeled glioma cells and chemotherapeutic response in the CNS using fluorine-19 MRI.

Preclinical development of therapeutic agents against cancer could greatly benefit from noninvasive markers of tumor killing. Potentially, the intracellular partial pressure of oxygen (pO(2) ) can be used as an early marker of antitumor efficacy. Here, the feasibility of measuring intracellular pO(2) of central nervous system glioma cells in vivo using (19) F magnetic resonance techniques is examined.

Inflammation driven by overexpression of the hypoglycosylated abnormal mucin 1 (MUC1) links inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis.

Objective: Pancreatitis occurs as an extraintestinal complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the cause is poorly understood. Mucin 1 (MUC1) is overexpressed in an abnormal, hypoglycosylated form on the colonic epithelium in human IBD where it contributes to inflammation. MUC1 is also expressed on pancreatic ductal epithelia.

Self-delivering nanoemulsions for dual fluorine-19 MRI and fluorescence detection.

We report the design, synthesis, and biological testing of highly stable, nontoxic perfluoropolyether (PFPE) nanoemulsions for dual 19F MRI-fluorescence detection. A linear PFPE polymer was covalently conjugated to common fluorescent dyes (FITC, Alexa647 and BODIPy-TR), mixed with pluronic F68 and linear polyethyleneimine (PEI), and emulsified by microfluidization. Prepared nanoemulsions (<200 nm) were readily taken up by both phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells in vitro after a short (approximately 3 h) co-incubation.