Cellular and molecular imaging for stem cell tracking in neurological diseases

Abstract

Stem cells (SCs) are cells with strong proliferation ability, multilineage differentiation potential and self-renewal capacity. SC transplantation represents an important therapeutic advancement for the treatment strategy of neurological diseases, both in the preclinical experimental and clinical settings. Innovative and breakthrough SC labelling and tracking technologies are widely used to monitor the distribution and viability of transplanted cells non-invasively and longitudinally. Here we summarised the research progress of the main tracers, labelling methods and imaging technologies involved in current SC tracking technologies for various neurological diseases. Finally, the applications, challenges and unresolved problems of current SC tracing technologies were discussed.

Keywords: MRI; brain; technique.

Figure 1

Timeline for HPF labelling MSCs. When the cultured MSCs grow to 80%–90% density, heparin, protamine and ferulic acid are added in sequence and mixed for 5 min. After 2–4 hours of cocultivation, 10%–20% FBS was added and the culture was continued for 24 hours. After washing with PBS and heparin, the culture was continued for 15 min to obtain HPF nanocomplex. HPF, ferumoxytol–heparin–protamine; MSC, mesenchymalstem cell;FBS, fatal bovine serun; PBS, phosphate buffered solution.

Figure 2

HPF nanocomplex combined with MRI can track and monitor MSCs. (A). The images show HPF-labelled and unlabelled MscS in the tube in vitro by the T2*-weighted MRI. (B.) the images show HPF-labelled and unlabelled MscS in the brain striatum of rats on the third day after stereotactic injection by the T2*-weighted MRI. HPF, ferumoxytol–heparin–protamine; MSC, mesenchymalstem cell.