title: Tracking of Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Fluorescence Endomicroscopy Imaging in Radiotherapy-Induced Lung Injury.
abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have potential for reducing inflammation and promoting organ repair. However, limitations in available techniques to track them and assess this potential for lung repair have hindered their applicability. In this work, we proposed, implemented and evaluated the use of fluorescence endomicroscopy as a novel imaging tool to track MSCs in vivo. MSCs were fluorescently labeled and injected into a rat model of radiation-induced lung injury via endotracheal (ET) or intravascular (IV) administration. Our results show that MSCs were visible in the lungs with fluorescence endomicroscopy. Moreover, we developed an automatic cell counting algorithm to quantify the number of detected cells in each condition. We observed a significantly higher number of detected cells in ET injection compared to IV and a slight increase in the mean number of detected cells in irradiated lungs compared to control, although the latter did not reach statistical significance. Fluorescence endomicroscopy imaging is a powerful new minimally invasive and translatable tool that can be used to track and quantify MSCs in the lungs and help assess their potential in organ repair.
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Biomedical Engineering, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada.|McGill University Health Center, Medical Physics, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada.
authors.forename: Jessica R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.affiliation: McGill University Health Center, Medical Physics, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada.
authors.forename: Norma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ybarra
authors.affiliation: Sherbrooke University, Intensive Care Unit and Pulmonology, Sherbrooke, J1H 5N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chagnon
authors.affiliation: McGill University Health Center, Medical Physics, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serban
authors.affiliation: McGill University Health Center, Medical Physics, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada.
authors.forename: Sangkyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: McGill University Health Center, Medical Physics, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seuntjens
authors.affiliation: Sherbrooke University, Intensive Care Unit and Pulmonology, Sherbrooke, J1H 5N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lesur
authors.affiliation: McGill University Health Center, Medical Physics, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada.|University of Michigan, Radiation Oncology, Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4943, USA.
authors.forename: Issam
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: El Naqa
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D015203:Reproducibility of Results