Labeling of human neural precursor cells using ferromagnetic nanoparticles.
Fetal human neural precursor cells (NPCs) are unique with respect to their capacity to proliferate and to preserve their potential to differentiate into neurons and glia. Human mesencephalic neural precursor cells (hmNPCs) provide a source for dopaminergic neurons. Preclinical and clinical research will benefit from reliable in vivo tracking of transplanted cells. Here, we investigate the potency of very small superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (VSOPs) to label hmNPCs, the effect of VSOPs on survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hmNPCs, and the sensitivity of 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect labeled cells in living rats following transplantation. When incubated with VSOPs at 1.5 mM, >95% of hmNPCs incorporated VSOPs without detectable impact on cell viability (>90%) or proliferative capacity, as measured by the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and cell cycle distribution. Labeled hmNPCs differentiate into neurons (>30%) and glia with no detectable difference compared to nonlabeled cells. Following transplantation into rat striata, marked paramagnetic signal changes were detected for as long as three months postsurgery using MRI, corresponding to the histologically-identified graft. Our data indicate that hmNPCs can be labeled with VSOPs without impairment of viability, proliferation, or multipotency. Labeled, transplanted cells are detectable in vivo using 1.5T MRI.
Focke
Almut
A
Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. almut.focke@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Schwarz
Sigrid
S
Foerschler
Annette
A
Scheibe
Johanna
J
Milosevic
Javorina
J
Zimmer
Claus
C
Schwarz
Johannes
J
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003287:Contrast Media; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D053758:Nanoparticles; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
D003287:Contrast Media; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide