What question did this study set out to answer?

To develop a novel approach for quantifying autophagy using a pH-sensitive probe on high throughput imaging platforms.

April 5, 2026

Abstract 7643: A novel pH-sensitive probe to quantify autophagy on high throughput/content imaging platforms

Key Points

To develop a novel approach for quantifying autophagy using a pH-sensitive probe on high throughput imaging platforms.
Utilized the CalRexin:pHrodo Red probe on the Operetta high content screening platform.
Induced autophagy in HeLa cells and mutants using rapamycin and other compounds.
Inhibited autophagy with various pharmacological agents.
Analyzed pixel co-localization with confocal microscopy and Fiji software.
CalRexin:pHrodo Red showed significant overlap with markers of early and late endosomes and autolysosomes.
The probe collects in low pH environments, indicating successful autophagy monitoring.
Potential for use in large-scale chemical screening for autophagy-modulating drugs.

Abstract

Abstract Autophagy is deregulated in various pathological conditions including cardiovascular, neurological, neoplastic, autoimmune and degenerative disorders. However, clinically relevant pharmacological modulators of autophagy remain elusive, calling for the development of novel screening approaches, amenable to high throughput/content applications. Cellular responses were imaged with the novel CalRexinTM:pHrodoTM Red (CalRexinTM, Apop Biosciences Pty Ltd) reagent on the Operetta high content screening platform. Human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells, and mutants RB1CC1-/- (FIP200) and ATG5-/- were induced for autophagy with rapamycin, torin-1 and serum deprivation and inhibited with 3-methyladenine, MRT68921, chloroquine and bafilomycin A1. The co-localisation with pixel definition between CalRexinTM:pHrodoTM Red and markers of early and late endosomes and autolysosomes was studied with high resolution confocal microscopy and Fiji software. Pixel co-localization analysis demonstrated significant overlap between CalRexinTM:pHrodoTM Red and markers of early and late endosomes, as well as LysoTrackerTM, a marker of autolysosomes.CalRexinTM:pHrodoTM Red is accumulated via the endosome-amphisome-autolysosome (low pH ∼4.5) pathway, thus connecting to canonical autophagy and yielding a bright fluorescent signal. CalRexinTM:pHrodoTM Red provides a novel approach for imaging autophagy on high throughput/content platforms and is adaptable for screening large chemical libraries for the identification of novel autophagy-modulators as potential drugs for treatment of chronic diseases. Citation Format: Giuseppe D. Ciccotosto, Lorenzo Lorenzo, David L. Hare, Peter J. Wookey. A novel pH-sensitive probe to quantify autophagy on high throughput/content imaging platforms abstract. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 7643.

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Abstract 7643: A novel pH-sensitive probe to quantify autophagy on high throughput/content imaging platforms

Key Points

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