title: Magnetic resonance tracking of implanted adult and embryonic stem cells in injured brain and spinal cord.
abstract: Stem cells are a promising tool for treating brain and spinal cord injury. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a noninvasive method to study the fate of transplanted cells in vivo. We studied implanted rat bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) and mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) labeled with iron-oxide nanoparticles (Endorem) and human CD34+ cells labeled with magnetic MicroBeads (Miltenyi) in rats with a cortical or spinal cord lesion. Cells were grafted intracerebrally, contralaterally to a cortical photochemical lesion, or injected intravenously. During the first week post transplantation, transplanted cells migrated to the lesion. About 3% of MSCs and ESCs differentiated into neurons, while no MSCs, but 75% of ESCs differentiated into astrocytes. Labeled MSCs, ESCs, and CD34+ cells were visible in the lesion on MR images as a hypointensive signal, persisting for more than 50 days. In rats with a balloon-induced spinal cord compression lesion, intravenously injected MSCs migrated to the lesion, leading to a hypointensive MRI signal. In plantar and Basso-Beattie-Bresnehan (BBB) tests, grafted animals scored better than lesioned animals injected with saline solution. Histologic studies confirmed a decrease in lesion size. We also used 3-D polymer constructs seeded with MSCs to bridge a spinal cord lesion. Our studies demonstrate that grafted adult as well as embryonic stem cells labeled with iron-oxide nanoparticles migrate into a lesion site in brain as well as in spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine ASCR, Vídeská 1083, 140 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic. sykova@biomed.cas.cz
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Syková
authors.forename: Pavla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jendelová
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000378:metabolism; D003911:Dextrans; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010087:Oxides / Q000378:metabolism; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D020100:Hydrogels; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010087:Oxides; D011108:Polymers; D007501:Iron; C065507:ferumoxides; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide