BackgroundHypoxic niches in solid tumors harbor therapy-resistant cells. Hypoxia-activated prodrugs (HAPs) have been designed to overcome this resistance and, to date, have begun to show clinical efficacy. However, clinical HAPs activity could be improved. In this study, we sought to identify non-pharmacological methods to acutely exacerbate tumor hypoxia to increase TH-302 activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor models.ResultsThree human PDAC cell lines with varying sensitivity to TH-302 (Hs766t > MiaPaCa-2 > SU.86.86) were used to establish PDAC xenograft models. PDAC cells were metabolically profiled in vitro and in vivo using the Seahorse XF system and hyperpolarized 13C pyruvate MRI, respectively, in addition to quantitative immunohistochemistry. The effect of exogenous pyruvate on tumor oxygenation was determined using electroparamagnetic resonance (EPR) oxygen imaging. Hs766t and MiaPaCa-2 cells exhibited a glycolytic phenotype in comparison to TH-302 resistant line SU.86.86. Supporting this observation is a higher lactate/pyruvate ratio in Hs766t and MiaPaCa xenografts as observed during hyperpolarized pyruvate MRI studies in vivo. Coincidentally, response to exogenous pyruvate both in vitro (Seahorse oxygen consumption) and in vivo (EPR oxygen imaging) was greatest in Hs766t and MiaPaCa models, possibly due to a higher mitochondrial reserve capacity. Changes in oxygen consumption and in vivo hypoxic status to pyruvate were limited in the SU.86.86 model. Combination therapy of pyruvate plus TH-302 in vivo significantly decreased tumor growth and increased survival in the MiaPaCa model and improved survival in Hs766t tumors.ConclusionsUsing metabolic profiling, functional imaging, and computational modeling, we show improved TH-302 activity by transiently increasing tumor hypoxia metabolically with exogenous pyruvate. Additionally, this work identified a set of biomarkers that may be used clinically to predict which tumors will be most responsive to pyruvate + TH-302 combination therapy. The results of this study support the concept that acute increases in tumor hypoxia can be beneficial for improving the clinical efficacy of HAPs and can positively impact the future treatment of PDAC and other cancers.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40170-014-0026-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Nuclear hyperpolarization is a phenomenon that can be used to improve the sensitivity of magnetic resonance molecular sensors. However, such sensors typically suffer from short hyperpolarization lifetime. Herein we report that [15N, D14]trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA) has a remarkably long spin–lattice relaxation time (1128 s, 14.1 T, 30 °C, D2O) on its 15N nuclei and achieves a long retention of the hyperpolarized state. [15N, D14]TMPA-based hyperpolarized sensor for carboxylesterase allowed the highly sensitive analysis of enzymatic reaction by 15N NMR for over 40 min in phophate-buffered saline (H2O, pH 7.4, 37 °C).

Two anti-mycobacterial peptides with a lasso structure, named lariatins A and B, were separated by HP-20 and ODS column chromatographies and purified by HPLC from the culture broth of Rhodococcus jostii K01-B0171, which was isolated from soil aggregates collected in Yunnan, China. Lariains A and B showed growth inhibition against Mycobacterium smegmatis with MIC values of 3.13 and 6.25 m g/ml in agar dilution method, respectively. Furthermore, lariatin A inhibited the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with an MIC of 0.39 mg/ml in liquid microdilution method.Keywords lariatin A, lariatin B, lasso structure, antimycobacterial peptide, tuberculosis, Rhodococcus jostii, soil aggregates IntroductionOur research group has focused on discovery of antiinfectives from microbial metabolites [1ϳ3]. Tuberculosis (TB) is still the greatest single infectious cause of mortality in the world, together with HIV and malaria [4]. Moreover, the spread of the HIV promoted to increase the number of tuberculosis patients [5]. However, powerful anti-TB drugs with a new mechanism of action have not been developed in last over thirty years, and only 5 anti-TB drugs can be clinically used still now. Since isoniazid and ethambutol, first-line anti-TB drugs, show specific inhibition against Mycobacteria, we have screened for new agents from microbial metabolites having specific inhibition against Mycobacterium smegmatis among 16 test microorganisms including Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, fungi and yeasts. As a part of this program, we discovered novel

The γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) enzyme plays a central role in glutathione homeostasis. Direct detection of GGT activity could provide critical information for the diagnosis of several pathologies. We propose a new molecular probe, γ-Glu-[1-(13) C]Gly, for monitoring GGT activity in vivo by hyperpolarized (HP) (13) C magnetic resonance (MR). The properties of γ-Glu-[1-(13) C]Gly are suitable for in vivo HP (13) C metabolic analysis since the chemical shift between γ-Glu-[1-(13) C]Gly and its metabolic product, [1-(13) C]Gly, is large (4.3 ppm) and the T1 of both compounds is relatively long (30 s and 45 s, respectively, in H2 O at 9.4 T). We also demonstrate that γ-Glu-[1-(13) C]Gly is highly sensitive to in vivo modulation of GGT activity induced by the inhibitor acivicin.