title: Quantum dots labelling allows detection of the homing of mesenchymal stem cells administered as immunomodulatory therapy in an experimental model of pancreatic islets transplantation.
abstract: Cell transplantation is considered a promising therapeutic approach in several pathologies but still needs innovative and non-invasive imaging technologies to be validated. The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) attracts major interest in clinical transplantation thanks to their regenerative properties, low immunogenicity and ability to regulate immune responses. In several animal models, MSCs are used in co-transplantation with pancreatic islets (PIs) for the treatment of type I diabetes, supporting graft survival and prolonging normal glycaemia levels. In this study we investigated the homing of systemically administered MSCs in a rat model of pancreatic portal vein transplantation. MSCs labelled with quantum dots (Qdots) were systemically injected by tail vein and monitored by optical fluorescence imaging. The fluorescence signal of the liver in animals co-transplanted with MSCs and PIs was significantly higher than in control animals in which MSCs alone were transplanted. By using magnetic labelling of PIs, the homing of PIs into liver was independently confirmed. These results demonstrate that MSCs injected in peripheral blood vessels preferentially accumulate into liver when PIs are transplanted in the same organ. Moreover, we prove that bimodal MRI-fluorescence imaging allows specific monitoring of the fate of two types of cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mannucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calderan
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antonini
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Biancamaria
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Longoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marzola
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boschi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D023421:Models, Animal; D061848:Optical Imaging; D045663:Quantum Dots; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D017208:Rats, Wistar
keywords: fluorescence imaging; magnetic resonance imaging; mesenchymal stem cells; pancreatic islets; quantum dots; transplantation