title: Functional screening of intracardiac cell transplants using two-photon fluorescence microscopy.
abstract: Although the adult mammalian myocardium exhibits a limited ability to undergo regenerative growth, its intrinsic renewal rate is insufficient to compensate for myocyte loss during cardiac disease. Transplantation of donor cardiomyocytes or cardiomyogenic stem cells is considered a promising strategy for reconstitution of cardiac mass, provided the engrafted cells functionally integrate with host myocardium and actively contribute to its contractile force. The authors previously developed a two-photon fluorescence microscopy-based assay that allows in situ screening of donor cell function after intracardiac delivery of the cells. This report reviews the techniques of two-photon fluorescence microscopy and summarizes its application for quantifying the extent to which a variety of donor cell types stably and functionally couple with the recipient myocardium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Riley Heart Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Soonpaa
authors.forename: Loren J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Peng-Sheng
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Anthony B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Firulli
authors.forename: Weinian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shou
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D019737:Transplants
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium