Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34793563›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Investigating CXCR4 expression of tumor cells and the vascular compartment: A multimodal approach.

Marta Braga, Chee Hau Leow, Javier Hernandez Gil, Jin H Teh, Laurence Carroll, Nicholas J Long, Meng-Xing Tang, Eric O Aboagye

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 51% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Molecular Ultrasound Imaging.Recent results in cancer research. Fortschritte der Krebsforschung. Progres dans les recherches sur le cancer · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Marta BragaDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-2673-776X
Chee Hau LeowDepartment of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Javier Hernandez GilDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Jin H TehDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Laurence CarrollDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Nicholas J LongDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Meng-Xing TangDepartment of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Eric O AboagyeDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-2276-6771
Imperial College London · GB

Funding

Cancer Research UK 22353Cancer Research UK C53470/A22353
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is G protein-coupled receptor that upon binding to its cognate ligand, can lead to tumor progression. Several CXCR4-targeted therapies are currently under investigation, and with it comes the need for imaging agents capable of accurate depiction of CXCR4 for therapeutic stratification and monitoring. PET agents enjoy the most success, but more cost-effective and radiation-free approaches such as ultrasound (US) imaging could represent an attractive alternative. In this work, we developed a targeted microbubble (MB) for imaging of vascular CXCR4 expression in cancer. A CXCR4-targeted MB was developed through incorporation of the T140 peptide into the MB shell. Binding properties of the T140-MB and control, non-targeted MB (NT-MB) were evaluated in MDA-MB-231 cells where CXCR4 expression was knocked-down (via shRNA) through optical imaging, and in the lymphoma tumor models U2932 and SuDHL8 (high and low CXCR4 expression, respectively) by US imaging. PET imaging of [18F]MCFB, a tumor-penetrating CXCR4-targeted small molecule, was used to provide whole-tumor CXCR4 readouts. CXCR4 expression and microvessel density were performed by immunohistochemistry analysis and western blot. T140-MB were formed with similar properties to NT-MB and accumulated sensitively and specifically in cells according to their CXCR4 expression. In NOD SCID mice, T140-MB persisted longer in tumors than NT-MB, indicative of target interaction, but showed no difference between U2932 and SuDHL8. In contrast, PET imaging with [18F]MCFB showed a marked difference in tumor uptake at 40-60 min post-injection between the two tumor models (p<0.05). Ex vivo analysis revealed that the large differences in CXCR4 expression between the two models are not reflected in the vascular compartment, where the MB are restricted; in fact, microvessel density and CXCR4 expression in the vasculature was comparable between U2932 and SuDHL8 tumors. In conclusion, we successfully developed a T140-MB that can be used for imaging CXCR4 expression in the tumor vasculature.

Indexed as

AnimalsCell Line, TumorFemaleGene ExpressionHep G2 CellsHumansLymphomaMiceMice, Inbred NODMice, SCIDReceptors, CXCR4CXCR4 protein, humanReceptors, CXCR4

Identifiers

PMID34793563
PMCPMC8601444
OpenAlexW3214603344

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.