Abstract
Magnetic ferrite nanoparticles (MNPs) are nano-sized magnets that distort the local magnetic field and alter the T2 and T2* of the water protons in the surrounding water molecules. This property renders MNPs a favorable negative MR contrast agent for biomedical applications. Silica coating and polyethylene glycolation confers additional stability and biocompatibility to the MNPs. Organic dyes incorporated into the silica shell enable the detection of MNP fluorescence by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) in adult bone marrow can differentiate into cardiomyocytes. The mMSCs recruited in the region of myocardial infarction can express muscle-specific markers and increase the regional wall motion. Using MRI, we tracked the fate of MNP-labeled mMSCs injected into the infarcted myocardium. The mMSCs were effectively labeled with polyethylene-glycolated MNPs, as confirmed by CLSM. The MNP-labeled mMSCs were injected around and into the infarcted myocardium of C57/BL6 mice. Using MR, we successfully tracked the MNP-labeled mMSCs in the hearts of mice at 7 d after inducing myocardial infarction. The localization of MNPs in the myocardium was validated by the in vivo and ex vivo MR images.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S12-S14 |
| Journal | Current Applied Physics |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 1 SUPPL. |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2009 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We wish to acknowledge the financial supports provided by the KBSI Grant (T27041) to KSH and by the Catholic Institute of Cell Therapy Basic Science Programs Foundation established in 2006.
Keywords
- MRI
- Myocardial infarction
- Nanoparticles
- Stem cell