New approach could improve SC tracking

Lara Bogart, PhD, uses
a photothermal microscope
to examine live stem cells
Credit: University of Liverpool

Researchers say they have developed a better method for tracking stem cells after transplantation and determining what happens to the cells after they have been in the body for a significant period of time.

Currently, scientists track stem cells by first labeling them with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) prior to transplantation.

Then, MRI scans are used to image these particles and show whether the stem cells have reached their intended target.

Unfortunately, conditions within the body’s cells can lead to the degradation of SPIONs and reduce the ability of MRI scans to pick up on their signal in the long-term.

“If we can’t monitor stem cells effectively, it can have serious implications for patient health,” said lead study author Lara Bogart, PhD, of the University of Liverpool in the UK.

“Studies have already shown that, if cells migrate to the circulatory system, beyond their target organ or tissue site, then it can cause inflammation in the body.”

With the goal of preventing such effects, Dr Bogart and her colleagues tested a new method for imaging SPIONs. The group used photothermal microscopy to follow the cellular uptake of SPIONs by direct imaging of the iron oxide core.

They found that this technique offered high sensitivity and resolution, which allowed for precise identification with even low levels of SPIONs. And the method had minimal impact on the function of the transplanted cells.

“Labeling stem cells is hugely valuable to tracking their movements in the body, but we need to know more about how the particles used interact with stem cells,” Dr Bogart said.

“Using new imaging systems, we can work out [SPIONs’] precise location in the cell and how they behave over time. We hope to use this information to improve understanding of the MRI signal that tracks SPIONs once stem cells have been transplanted.”

Dr Bogart and her colleagues described this research in a paper published in ACS Nano.

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