title: MRI assessment of blood outgrowth endothelial cell homing using cationic magnetoliposomes.
abstract: The use of contrast material to stimulate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of migrating cells has become an important area of research. In the present study, cationic magnetoliposomes (MLs) were used to magnetically label human blood outgrowth endothelial cells (BOECs) and follow their homing by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The biodistribution and functional integration capacity of BOECs, which have shown extensive promise as gene delivery vehicles, have thus far only rarely been investigated. MLs were avidly internalized by BOECs giving clear MRI contrast in phantom studies and the magnetic labeling did not affect cell proliferation, viability, morphology or homeostasis and elicited only minor reactive oxygen species levels. Intravenous injection of labeled BOECs was compared with injection of free MLs and unlabeled BOECs, resulting in homing of BOECs toward the liver and spleen, which was confirmed by histology. The MLs used offer great potential for cellular tracking studies by MRI when low levels of widely distributed cells are present. In particular, the use of these MLs will allow to evaluate the efficacy of new methods to enhance BOEC homing and integration to optimize their use as efficient vehicles for gene therapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of BioNanoColloids, KULeuven Campus Kortrijk, IRC, Etienne Sabbelaan 53, Kortrijk B8500, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stefaan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Soenen
authors.forename: Simon F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: De Meyer
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dresselaers
authors.forename: Greetje
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vande Velde
authors.forename: Inge M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Pareyn
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Braeckmans
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Cuyper
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Himmelreich
authors.forename: Karen I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Vanhoorelbeke
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002412:Cations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008280:Magnetics; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000032:analysis; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D003287:Contrast Media; D008081:Liposomes; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species