Safe, efficient, and reproducible gene therapy of the brain in the dog models of Sanfilippo and Hurler syndromes.

Recent trials in patients with neurodegenerative diseases documented the safety of gene therapy based on adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors deposited into the brain. Inborn errors of the metabolism are the most frequent causes of neurodegeneration in pre-adulthood. In Sanfilippo syndrome, a lysosomal storage disease in which heparan sulfate oligosaccharides accumulate, the onset of clinical manifestation is before 5 years.

Deep brain stimulation electrodes used for staged lesion within the basal ganglia: experimental studies for parameter validation. Laboratory investigation.

Object: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been shown to be an effective treatment for various types of movement disorders. High-frequency stimulation is applied to specific brain targets through an implanted quadripolar lead connected to a pulse generator. These leads can be used for creating lesions in the brain.

Gene therapy of the brain in the dog model of Hurler's syndrome.

Objective: A defect of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) interrupts the degradation of glycosaminoglycans in mucopolysaccharidosis type I, causing severe neurological manifestations in children with Hurler's syndrome. Delivery of the missing enzyme through stereotactic injection of adeno-associated virus vectors coding for IDUA prevents neuropathology in affected mice. We examined the efficacy and the safety of this approach in enzyme-deficient dogs.

Only physical aspects of quality of life are significantly improved by bilateral subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson's disease.

Background: The well known global improvement of quality of life (QoL) after bilateral high frequency chronic deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is in contrast to behavioral disturbances as observed after surgery. Indeed the impact of DBS on physical versus mental aspects of QoL in PD remains unknown.

Objective: To assess the influence of bilateral STN DBS on physical versus mental aspects of QoL in Parkinson's disease.

Fear recognition is impaired by subthalamic nucleus stimulation in Parkinson's disease.

Behavioural disturbances such as disorders of mood, apathy or indifference are often observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with chronic high frequency deep brain stimulation of subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS). Neuropsychological modifications causing these adverse events induced by STN DBS remain unknown, even if limbic disturbances are hypothesised. The limbic system supports neural circuits processing emotional information.

Motor and non motor effects during intraoperative subthalamic stimulation for Parkinson's disease.

Spatial distribution of the clinical effects induced by deep brain stimulation during the intraoperative investigation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for Parkinson's disease (PD) was analysed in 17 patients under local anesthesia. The stimulation parameters were 130 hertz, 100 micros, and voltage ranged from 0.05 to 5 volts.

[Ventriculo-ureteric shunt without associated nephrectomy for the treatment of hydrocephalus].

The authors report the case of a 51-year-old patient with hydrocephalus following posterior fossa surgery (cerebellar astrocytoma) treated by ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, then ventriculo-atrial shunt. After repeated valve revisions (diffuse peritoneal loculation, intracardiac thrombus responsible for dyspnoea and recurrent pulmonary embolism, shunt infections), another mode of shunting was required. The authors opted for ventriculo-ureteric shunt comprising ureteric reimplantation into a psoas bladder, without associated nephrectomy, which appears to constitute an alternative in the case of difficult surgical management of hydrocephalus or after failure of other modes of ventricular shunting.

Tissue detection of diphenylchlorin sensitizer (SIM01) by fluorescence and high-performance liquid chromatography.

Cancer is today a major problem of public health. Unfortunately, the current treatments remain still too often impotent or too heavy compared to the gross national product of many countries. The use of PDT in the treatment of the malignant tumours currently raises great hopes.

Staged lesions through implanted deep brain stimulating electrodes: a new surgical procedure for treating tremor or dyskinesias.

Thalamotomy and pallidotomy have been shown to have some efficacy for treating some movement disorders such as disabling tremor or parkinsonian levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LID). Compared to continuous deep brain stimulation (DBS), this surgical procedure has the disadvantage of irreversibility and a lack of adaptability. Making a lesion involves a risk of inducing permanent side effects, especially if the lesion is large, or of observing a resurgence of the symptoms if the lesion is too small.

Synthesis, and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of a diphenylchlorin sensitizer for photodynamic therapy.

This paper reports the synthesis of a new diphenylchlorin photosensitizer, 2,3-dihydro-5,15-di(3,5-dihydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (SIM01). The photodynamic properties, cell uptake and localization of SIM01 were compared with those of structurally related meso-tetra(hydroxyphenyl)chlorin (m-THPC). In vitro studies were conducted on rat glioma cells (C6) and human adenocarcinoma (HT-29), and in vivo studies on human colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29) and human prostate adenocarcinoma cells (PC3).

Hydroporphyrins as tumour photosensitizers: synthesis and photophysical studies of 2,3-dihydro-5,15-di(3,5-dihydroxyphenyl) porphyrin.

The synthesis and characterization of 2,3-dihydro-5,15-di(3,5-dihydroxyphenyl) porphyrin is reported. The phototoxicity on C6 cell lines and the pharmacokinetics are also reported as preliminary results showing a very high tumor to skin ratio and short retention time in tissues, and thus promising activity in photodynamic therapy.

Indirect detection of photosensitizer ex vivo.

Photodynamic therapy induces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within tissues exposed to laser light after administration of a sensitizer. In the context of continuing clinical and commercial development of chemicals with sensitizing properties, a minimally invasive assay is needed to determine the tissue kinetics of fluorescent or non-fluorescent photoreactive drugs. The level of ROS was determined ex vivo from 1 mm3 biopsy samples using 2'-7' dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA), a fluorescent probe which was converted into highly fluorescent dichlorofluorescein (DCF) in the presence of ROS.

PDT effects of m-THPC and ALA, phototoxicity and apoptosis.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the efficacy of an endogenous sensitizer (delta-aminolevulinic acid (or ALA) induced protoporphyrin IX (or PpIX)) and an exogenous sensitizer (meta(tetrahydroxyphenyl)chlorin or m-THPC) on two different cell lines, rat colon adenocarcinoma PROb cells and murine melanoma B16A45 (B16) cells, in apoptosis production. After sensitizer incubation, cells were irradiated with an argon dye laser. LD(50) with m-THPC was 2.

Effects of BAPTA-AM, Forskolin, DSF and Z.VAD.fmk on PDT-induced apoptosis and m-THPC phototoxicity on B16 cells.

As many types of cells exposed to photodynamic therapy (PDT) appear to undergo apoptosis, various apoptosis inhibitors have already been used in studies of PDT-induced apoptosis. Although these inhibitors decrease apoptosis, their real effect on the phototoxic efficacy of photosensitisers is unclear. The good phototoxicity of m-THPC was confirmed on murine melanoma B16-A45 cells.

Potential efficacy of a delta 5-aminolevulinic acid thermosetting gel formulation for use in photodynamic therapy of lesions of the gastrointestinal tract.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX may play a role in the treatment of dysplastic Barrett's oesophagus. An ALA thermosetting gel Pluronic F-127) was developed and evaluated in an in vivo mouse model for potential use in PDT of Barrett's mucosa. In vitro studies of the influence of Pluronic F-127 percentage on thermosetting gel temperature, followed by the influence of ALA concentration on thermosetting temperature and ALA-gel stability as a function of time or temperature were studied.

Use of alkaline Comet assay to assess DNA repair after m-THPC-PDT.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Photofrin has already been authorized for certain applications in Japan, the USA and France, and powerful second-generation sensitizers such as meta-(tetrahydroxyphenyl) chlorin (m-THPC) are now being considered for approval. Although sensitizers are likely to localize within the cytoplasm or the plasma membrane, nuclear membrane can be damaged at an early stage of photodynamic reaction, resulting in DNA lesions. Thus, it is of critical importance to assess the safety of m-THPC-PDT, which would be used mainly against early well-differentiated cancers.

Cellular distribution and phototoxicity of benzoporphyrin derivative and Photofrin.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) induces cell-membrane damage and alterations in cancer-cell adhesiveness, an important parameter in cancer metastasis. These alterations result from cell sensitivity to photosensitizers and the distribution of photosensitizers in cells. The efficacy of photosensitizers depends on their close proximity to targets and thus on their pharmacokinetics at the cellular level.

Heterogeneity of delta-aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX fluorescence in human glioma cells and leukemic lymphocytes.

Delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-PDT efficacy is particularly dependent on the quality of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX)-induced synthesis. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of cells from two human cancer types to synthesise PpIX after ALA administration. Biopsies of glioma cells have been obtained from patients with glioblastomas that have or have not been given ALA IV (ex vivo incubation).

In vitro fluorescence, toxicity and phototoxicity induced by delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) or ALA-esters.

Synthesis of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) derivatives is a promising way to improve the therapeutic properties of ALA, particularly cell uptake or homogeneity of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) synthesis. The fluorescence emission kinetics and phototoxic properties of ALA-n-pentyl ester (E1) and R,S-ALA-2-(hydroxymethyl) tetrahydrofuranyl ester (E2) were compared with those of ALA and assessed on C6 glioma cells. ALA (100 micrograms/mL), E1 and E2 (10 micrograms/mL) induced similar PpIX-fluorescence kinetics (maximum between 5 and 7 h incubation), fluorescence being limited to the cytoplasm.

Effects of photodynamic therapy on adhesion molecules and metastasis.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) induces among numerous cell targets membrane damage and alteration in cancer cell adhesiveness, an important parameter in cancer metastasis. We have previously shown that hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD)-PDT decreases cancer cell adhesiveness to endothelial cells in vitro and that it reduces the metastatic potential of cells injected into rats. The present study analyzes the influence of PDT in vivo on the metastatic potential of cancers cells and in vitro on the expression of molecules involved in adhesion and in the metastatic process.

Protoporphyrin IX fluorescence kinetics in C6 glioblastoma cells after delta-aminolevulinic acid incubation: effect of a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor.

PpIX synthesis after incubation with delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is highly variable from one cell to another within a single cell population and in human glioblastomas in vivo. To improve PpIX synthesis, we attempted to modify the PpIX synthesis pathway in a C6 glioma cell model. To perform this experiment we used confocal microspectrofluorometry to analyse the effects of a highly purified form of sulfentrazone (FP846) on the kinetics of PpIX synthesis after ALA administration to living C6 cells.

Delta-aminolevulinic acid-induced fluorescence in normal human lymphocytes.

Endogenously generated protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) from exogenous delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has the photodynamic capacity to inactive cancer cells of different origins. The aim of this study was to characterize the ability of normal lymphocytes to transform ALA into PpIX in order to appreciate through further studies changes in pathologic lymphocytes. We investigated in this study PpIX synthesis by normal human lymphocytes using a confocal laser microspectrofluorometer.