Oblique Polarized Reflectance Spectroscopy for Depth Sensitive Measurements in the Epithelial Tissue

Optical spectroscopy has shown potential as a tool for precancer detection by discriminating alterations in the optical properties within epithelial tissues. Identifying depth-dependent alterations associated with the progression of epithelial cancerous lesions can be especially challenging in the oral cavity due to the variable thickness of the epithelium and the presence of keratinization. Optical spectroscopy of epithelial tissue with improved depth resolution would greatly assist in the isolation of optical properties associated with cancer progression. Here, we report a fiber optic probe for oblique polarized reflectance spectroscopy (OPRS) that is capable of depth sensitive detection by combining the following three approaches: multiple beveled fibers, oblique collection geometry, and polarization gating. We analyze how probe design parameters are related to improvements in collection efficiency of scattered photons from superficial tissue layers and to increased depth discrimination within epithelium. We have demonstrated that obliquely-oriented collection fibers increase both depth selectivity and collection efficiency of scattering signal. Currently, we evaluate this technology in a clinical trial of patients presenting lesions suspicious for dysplasia or carcinoma in the oral cavity. We use depth sensitive spectroscopic data to develop automated algorithms for analysis of morphological and architectural changes in the context of the multilayer oral epithelial tissue. Our initial results show that OPRS has the potential to improve the detection and monitoring of epithelial precancers in the oral cavity.Biomedical Engineerin

3D optical sectioning with a new hyperspectral confocal fluorescence imaging system.

A novel hyperspectral fluorescence microscope for high-resolution 3D optical sectioning of cells and other structures has been designed, constructed, and used to investigate a number of different problems. We have significantly extended new multivariate curve resolution (MCR) data analysis methods to deconvolve the hyperspectral image data and to rapidly extract quantitative 3D concentration distribution maps of all emitting species. The imaging system has many advantages over current confocal imaging systems including simultaneous monitoring of numerous highly overlapped fluorophores, immunity to autofluorescence or impurity fluorescence, enhanced sensitivity, and dramatically improved accuracy, reliability, and dynamic range. Efficient data compression in the spectral dimension has allowed personal computers to perform quantitative analysis of hyperspectral images of large size without loss of image quality. We have also developed and tested software to perform analysis of time resolved hyperspectral images using trilinear multivariate analysis methods. The new imaging system is an enabling technology for numerous applications including (1) 3D composition mapping analysis of multicomponent processes occurring during host-pathogen interactions, (2) monitoring microfluidic processes, (3) imaging of molecular motors and (4) understanding photosynthetic processes in wild type and mutant Synechocystis cyanobacteria

Development and integration of Raman imaging capabilities to Sandia National Laboratories hyperspectral fluorescence imaging instrument.

Raman spectroscopic imaging is a powerful technique for visualizing chemical differences within a variety of samples based on the interaction of a substance's molecular vibrations with laser light. While Raman imaging can provide a unique view of samples such as residual stress within silicon devices, chemical degradation, material aging, and sample heterogeneity, the Raman scattering process is often weak and thus requires very sensitive collection optics and detectors. Many commercial instruments (including ones owned here at Sandia National Laboratories) generate Raman images by raster scanning a point focused laser beam across a sample--a process which can expose a sample to extreme levels of laser light and requires lengthy acquisition times. Our previous research efforts have led to the development of a state-of-the-art two-dimensional hyperspectral imager for fluorescence imaging applications such as microarray scanning. This report details the design, integration, and characterization of a line-scan Raman imaging module added to this efficient hyperspectral fluorescence microscope. The original hyperspectral fluorescence instrument serves as the framework for excitation and sample manipulation for the Raman imaging system, while a more appropriate axial transmissive Raman imaging spectrometer and detector are utilized for collection of the Raman scatter. The result is a unique and flexible dual-modality fluorescence and Raman imaging system capable of high-speed imaging at high spatial and spectral resolutions. Care was taken throughout the design and integration process not to hinder any of the fluorescence imaging capabilities. For example, an operator can switch between the fluorescence and Raman modalities without need for extensive optical realignment. The instrument performance has been characterized and sample data is presented

Adaptive spectral window sizes for extraction of diagnostic features from optical spectra

We present an approach to adaptively adjust the spectral window sizes for optical spectra feature extraction. Previous studies extracted features from spectral windows of a fixed width. In our algorithm, piecewise linear regression is used to adaptively adjust the window sizes to find the maximum window size with reasonable linear fit with the spectrum. This adaptive windowing technique ensures the signal linearity in defined windows; hence, the adaptive windowing technique retains more diagnostic information while using fewer windows. This method was tested on a data set of diffuse reflectance spectra of oral mucosa lesions. Eight features were extracted from each window. We performed classifications using linear discriminant analysis with cross-validation. Using windowing techniques results in better classification performance than not using windowing. The area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve for windowing techniques was greater than a nonwindowing technique for both normal versus mild dysplasia (MD) plus severe high-grade dysplasia or carcinama (SD) (MD+SD) and benign versus MD+SD. Although adaptive and fixed-size windowing perform similarly, adaptive windowing utilizes significantly fewer windows than fixed-size windows (number of windows per spectrum: 8 versus 16). Because adaptive windows retain most diagnostic information while reducing the number of windows needed for feature extraction, our results suggest that it isolates unique diagnostic features in optical spectra

Selective targeting of MYC mRNA by stabilized antisense oligonucleotides.

MYC is a prolific proto-oncogene driving the malignant behaviors of numerous common cancers, yet potent and selective cell-permeable inhibitors of MYC remain elusive. In order to ultimately realize the goal of therapeutic MYC inhibition in cancer, we have initiated discovery chemistry efforts aimed at inhibiting MYC translation. Here we describe a series of conformationally stabilized synthetic antisense oligonucleotides designed to target MYC mRNA (MYCASOs). To support bioactivity, we designed and synthesized this focused library of MYCASOs incorporating locked nucleic acid (LNA) bases at the 5'- and 3'-ends, a phosphorothioate backbone, and internal DNA bases. Treatment of MYC-expressing cancer cells with MYCASOs leads to a potent decrease in MYC mRNA and protein levels. Cleaved MYC mRNA in MYCASO-treated cells is detected with a sensitive 5' Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE) assay. MYCASO treatment of cancer cell lines leads to significant inhibition of cellular proliferation while specifically perturbing MYC-driven gene expression signatures. In a MYC-induced model of hepatocellular carcinoma, MYCASO treatment decreases MYC protein levels within tumors, decreases tumor burden, and improves overall survival. MYCASOs represent a new chemical tool for in vitro and in vivo modulation of MYC activity, and promising therapeutic agents for MYC-addicted tumors

TGF-β in the microenvironment induces a physiologically occurring immune-suppressive senescent state

Summary: TGF-β induces senescence in embryonic tissues. Whether TGF-β in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) induces senescence in cancer and how the ensuing senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) remodels the cellular TME to influence immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) responses are unknown. We show that TGF-β induces a deeper senescent state under hypoxia than under normoxia; deep senescence correlates with the degree of E2F suppression and is marked by multinucleation, reduced reentry into proliferation, and a distinct 14-gene SASP. Suppressing TGF-β signaling in tumors in an immunocompetent mouse lung cancer model abrogates endogenous senescent cells and suppresses the 14-gene SASP and immune infiltration. Untreated human lung cancers with a high 14-gene SASP display immunosuppressive immune infiltration. In a lung cancer clinical trial of ICIs, elevated 14-gene SASP is associated with increased senescence, TGF-β and hypoxia signaling, and poor progression-free survival. Thus, TME-induced senescence may represent a naturally occurring state in cancer, contributing to an immune-suppressive phenotype associated with immune therapy resistance

Molecular signatures of circulating melanoma cells for monitoring early response to immune checkpoint therapy

A subset of patients with metastatic melanoma have sustained remissions following treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, analyses of pretreatment tumor biopsies for markers predictive of response, including PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) expression and mutational burden, are insufficiently precise to guide treatment selection, and clinical radiographic evidence of response on therapy may be delayed, leading to some patients receiving potentially ineffective but toxic therapy. Here, we developed a molecular signature of melanoma circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to quantify early tumor response using blood-based monitoring. A quantitative 19-gene digital RNA signature (CTC score) applied to microfluidically enriched CTCs robustly distinguishes melanoma cells, within a background of blood cells in reconstituted and in patient-derived (n = 42) blood specimens. In a prospective cohort of 49 patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, a decrease in CTC score within 7 weeks of therapy correlates with marked improvement in progression-free survival [hazard ratio (HR), 0.17; P = 0.008] and overall survival (HR, 0.12; P = 0.04). Thus, digital quantitation of melanoma CTC-derived transcripts enables serial noninvasive monitoring of tumor burden, supporting the rational application of immune checkpoint inhibition therapies