Clinical hurdles for the transplantation of cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells: role of molecular imaging.
Over the past few years, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have gained popularity as a potentially ideal cell candidate for tissue regeneration. In particular, hESCs are capable of cardiac lineage-specific differentiation and confer improvement of cardiac function following transplantation into animal models. Although such data are encouraging, there remain significant hurdles before safe and successful translation of hESC-based treatment into clinical therapy, including the ability to assess cells following transplant. To this end, molecular imaging has proven a reliable methodology for tracking the long-term fate of transplanted cells. Imaging reporter genes that are introduced into the cells before transplantation enable non-invasive and longitudinal studies of cell viability, location and behaviour in vivo. Therefore, molecular imaging is expected to play an increasing role in characterizing the biology and physiology of hESC-derived cardiac cells in living subjects.
Swijnenburg
Rutger-Jan
RJ
Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
van der Bogt
Koen Ea
KE
Sheikh
Ahmad Y
AY
Cao
Feng
F
Wu
Joseph C
JC
D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D015335:Molecular Probes; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000637:transplantation*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
D015335:Molecular Probes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins