Radiation-induced exosomal miR-21 enhances tumor proliferation and invasiveness in breast cancer: implications for poor prognosis in radiotherapy patients.

Radiotherapy is widely used as an effective non-surgical strategy to control malignant tumors. However, recurrence is one of common causes of treatment failure even after the effective radiotherapy. In this study, we focused on the effects of radiation-induced exosomal miR-21 on the tumor microenvironment to investigate the causes of recurrence.

Selenium levels and their association with thyroid autoimmunity and severe preeclampsia in pregnancy: Insights from a prospective ideal breast milk cohort study.

Objective: This study aimed to assess selenium status in South Korean pregnant women and its impact on maternal thyroid function and pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: 'Ideal Breast Milk (IBM) Cohort Study' included 367 pregnant women out of 442 participants and categorized into three groups based on plasma selenium levels: deficient (< 70 μg/L), suboptimal (70-99 μg/L), and optimal (≥ 100 μg/L). During the second or third trimester, various blood parameters, including selenium, thyroid-stimulating hormone, free T4, free T3, and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody levels, were measured.

Overexpression of Both Human Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) and BRG1-Bromodomain Synergistically Enhances Radioiodine Sensitivity by Stabilizing p53 through NPM1 Expression.

Improved therapeutic strategies are required to minimize side effects associated with radioiodine gene therapy to avoid unnecessary damage to normal cells and radiation-induced secondary malignancies. We previously reported that codon-optimized sodium iodide symporter (oNIS) enhances absorption of I-131 and that the brahma-associated gene 1 bromodomain (BRG1-BRD) causes inefficient DNA damage repair after high-energy X-ray therapy. To increase the therapeutic effect without applying excessive radiation, we considered the combination of oNIS and BRG1-BRD as gene therapy for the most effective radioiodine treatment.

Glucose-Thymidine Ratio as a Metabolism Index Using F-FDG and F-FLT PET Uptake as a Potential Imaging Biomarker for Evaluating Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used in cancer immunotherapy, requiring effective methods for response monitoring. This study evaluated changes in F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) and F-fluorothymidine (FLT) uptake by tumors following ICI treatment as potential imaging biomarkers in mice. Tumor uptakes of F-FDG and F-FLT were measured and compared between the ICI treatment and control groups.

High intakes of iodine among women during pregnancy and the postpartum period has no adverse effect on thyroid function.

Purpose: Given the high consumption of seaweed soup by pregnant and lactating Korean women, concerns have been raised about excessive iodine intake. We evaluated the effects of maternal iodine intake on maternal thyroid function and birth outcomes. We also evaluated iodine intake via seaweed soup during late pregnancy and the early postpartum period.

Pattern of F-18 FDG Uptake in Colon Cancer after Bacterial Cancer Therapy Using Engineered : A Preliminary Study.

Purpose: Bacterial cancer therapy (BCT) research using engineered has increased in recent years. 2-Deoxy-2[F] fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) is widely used in cancer patients to detect cancer, monitor treatment responses, and predict prognoses. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate FDG uptake patterns in a mouse tumor model after BCT.

Effect of TSH stimulation protocols on adequacy of low-iodine diet for radioiodine administration.

Low-iodine diet (LID) is a crucial preparation for radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment or scan in thyroid cancer. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulation protocols and other clinical factors on LID adequacy. Thyroid cancer patients who underwent LID for RAI scan or treatment were retrospectively analyzed.

Efficacy and Safety of Human Serum Albumin-Cisplatin Complex in U87MG Xenograft Mouse Models.

Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II), CDDP) is a chemotherapeutic drug widely used against many solid tumors. A pharmacokinetics study found that CDDP can bind to human serum albumin (HSA), which is the most abundant plasma protein in serum. HSA has the advantage of being a nanocarrier and can accumulate in tumors by passive targeting and active targeting mediated by the secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC).

Identification of Lymphatic and Hematogenous Routes of Rapidly Labeled Radioactive and Fluorescent Exosomes through Highly Sensitive Multimodal Imaging.

There has been considerable interest in the clinical use of exosomes as delivery vehicles for treatments as well as for promising diagnostic biomarkers, but the physiological distribution of exosomes must be further elucidated to validate their efficacy and safety. Here, we aimed to develop novel methods to monitor exosome biodistribution in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET) and optical imaging. Exosomes were isolated from cultured mouse breast cancer cells and labeled for PET and optical imaging.

[F]CB251 PET/MR imaging probe targeting translocator protein (TSPO) independent of its Polymorphism in a Neuroinflammation Model.

The 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) has been proposed as a biomarker for the detection of neuroinflammation. Although various PET probes targeting TSPO have been developed, a highly selective probe for detecting TSPO is still needed because single nucleotide polymorphisms in the human TSPO gene greatly affect the binding affinity of TSPO ligands. Here, we describe the visualization of neuroinflammation with a multimodality imaging system using our recently developed TSPO-targeting radionuclide PET probe [F]CB251, which is less affected by TSPO polymorphisms.

Therapeutic efficacy of modified anti-miR21 in metastatic prostate cancer.

Despite improved therapeutic efficacy of the locked nucleic acid (LNA)- and peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-modified antisense microRNAs (anti-miRs), their wider application in clinical practice is still not thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to investigate the stability and therapeutic efficacy of the modified LNA- and PNA-type anti-miRs in a murine prostate cancer model under various treatment conditions. After verifying the anti-cancer potential of anti-miR21 by targeting tumor suppressor PTEN, the potential of the modified LNA- and PNA-type anti-miR21s was compared in vitro and in vivo.

Conjugation of arginylglycylaspartic acid to human serum albumin decreases the tumor-targeting effect of albumin by hindering its secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine-mediated accumulation in tumors.

Human serum albumin (HSA) accumulates in tumors by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, which is a passive targeting effect in tumors. A recent study showed that secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), an albumin-binding protein, mediates albumin accumulation in tumors. Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) is a peptide targeting integrin αβ, which is highly expressed during tumor angiogenesis.

Establishment of a [F]-FDG-PET/MRI Imaging Protocol for Gastric Cancer PDX as a Preclinical Research Tool.

Purpose: The utility of 18-fluordesoxyglucose positron emission tomography ([F]-FDG-PET) combined with computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in gastric cancer remains controversial and a rationale for patient selection is desired. This study aims to establish a preclinical patient-derived xenograft (PDX) based [F]-FDG-PET/MRI protocol for gastric cancer and compare different PDX models regarding tumor growth and FDG uptake.

Materials And Methods: Female BALB/c nu/nu mice were implanted orthotopically and subcutaneously with gastric cancer PDX.

Comprehensive gene expression analysis for exploring the association between glucose metabolism and differentiation of thyroid cancer.

Background: The principle of loss of iodine uptake and increased glucose metabolism according to dedifferentiation of thyroid cancer is clinically assessed by imaging. Though these biological properties are widely applied to appropriate iodine therapy, the understanding of the genomic background of this principle is still lacking. We investigated the association between glucose metabolism and differentiation in advanced thyroid cancer as well as papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine mediates active targeting of human serum albumin in U87MG xenograft mouse models.

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant plasma protein. The main reason for using HSA as a versatile tool for drug delivery is based on its ability to accumulate in tumors. However, the mechanism of albumin accumulation in tumors is not yet clear.

FDG PET/CT for the early prediction of RAI therapy response in patients with metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Background: In some patients with metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer, even if they had substantial of radioactive iodine (RAI) uptake, the RAI therapy response was poor. We investigated the usefulness of FDG PET/CT for the early prediction of RAI therapy response in the patients with metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Methods: The 54 metastatic DTC patients who underwent both RAI therapy scan and FDG PET/CT at the same period were enrolled in the study.

Prognostic value of metabolic tumour volume on baseline F-FDG PET/CT in addition to NCCN-IPI in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: further stratification of the group with a high-risk NCCN-IPI.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of metabolic volumetric parameters as a quantitative index on pre-treatment F-FDG PET/CT in addition to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network International Prognostic Index (NCCN-IPI) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Methods: A total of 103 consecutive patients with DLBCL and baseline FDG PET/CT were retrospectively evaluated. Quantitative metabolic parameters, including total metabolic tumour volume (TMTV) using a standardized uptake value (SUV) of ≥2.

Glucose-6-phosphatase Expression-Mediated [F]FDG Efflux in Murine Inflammation and Cancer Models.

Purpose: 2-Deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-D-glucose ([F]FDG) accumulation in inflammatory lesions can confound the diagnosis of cancer. In this study, we investigated [F]FDG accumulation and efflux in relation to the genes and proteins involved in glucose metabolism in murine inflammation and cancer models.

Procedures: [F]FDG accumulation and [F]FDG efflux were measured in cancer cells (breast cancer, glioma, thyroid cancer, and hepatoma cells) and RAW 264.

Application of Quantitative Indexes of FDG PET to Treatment Response Evaluation in Indolent Lymphoma.

Purpose: Although F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is a standard imaging modality for response evaluation in FDG-avid lymphoma, there is a controversy using FDG PET in indolent lymphoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of quantitative indexes on FDG PET in response evaluation of the indolent lymphoma.

Methods: Fifty-seven indolent lymphoma patients who completed chemotherapy were retrospectively enrolled.

Recurrence of Melanoma After Initial Treatment: Diagnostic Performance of FDG PET in Posttreatment Surveillance.

Purpose: In malignant melanoma, recurrence is often observed in distant areas from the primary site. While FDG PET is a sensitive imaging for detecting malignant lesions, the role of FDG PET in posttreatment surveillance period has not been investigated sufficiently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of PET during posttreatment surveillance in melanoma.

Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) in the Management of Patients with Thyroid Carcinoma.

Although radioiodine has been applied in thyroid diseases including carcinoma for over 70 years, it was only in 1996 that the basic molecular mechanism of iodine uptake was identified. Iodide is actively transported into the thyroid via a membrane glycoprotein known as sodium iodide symporter (NIS). NIS mediates radioiodine uptake into thyroid normal and cancer cells.

Effects of Maternal Iodine Status during Pregnancy and Lactation on Maternal Thyroid Function and Offspring Growth and Development: A Prospective Study Protocol for the Ideal Breast Milk Cohort.

Background: Iodine is an intrinsic element of thyroid hormone, which is essential for childhood growth and development. The Ideal Breast Milk (IBM) cohort study aims to evaluate the effects of maternal iodine status during pregnancy and lactation on maternal thyroid function, offspring growth and development, and offspring thyroid function.

Methods: The IBM cohort study recruited pregnant women from Seoul National University Hospital between June 2016 and August 2017, followed by enrollment of their offspring after delivery.

Adenine Nucleotide Translocase 2 as an Enzyme Related to [F] FDG Accumulation in Various Cancers.

Purpose: Although glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and hexokinase 2 (HK2) are known as major proteins involved in the molecular mechanisms for accumulating 2-deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-D-glucose ([F]FDG) in cancer cells, sometimes, [F] FDG accumulation cannot be explained by the expression of these two proteins. We investigated the involvement of adenine nucleotide translocase 2 (ANT2), which catalyzes ADP/ATP exchange at the mitochondrial inner membrane, in [F] FDG accumulation.

Procedures: ANT2 expression was evaluated in various cancer cell lines and human cancer tissues (microarrays) using western blot and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, respectively.

Measurement of Ga-DOTATOC Uptake in the Thoracic Aorta and Its Correlation with Cardiovascular Risk.

Purpose: Ga-labeled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-,',″,‴-tetraacetic acid-d-Phe-Tyr-octreotide (Ga-DOTATOC) is taken up by activated macrophages, which accumulate in active inflammatory lesions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT for assessment of vulnerable plaque, by evaluating correlation between aortic uptake of Ga-DOTATOC and cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: Fifty patients with neuroendocrine tumors who underwent Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT were retrospectively enrolled.