Gaining Mechanistic Insights into Cell Therapy Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract

Cell therapy remains a promising approach to treat neurological disorders with evidence of clinical efficacy emerging. However, the mechanisms underlying recovery and the conditions to achieve therapeutic success are poorly understood. Uncovering putative mechanisms and their interaction is essential to progress cell therapy from an interesting and promising possibility to a robust and consistent treatment that can be used to treat large cohorts of patients. Although there is a heavy focus on stem cell biology, relatively little effort has been dedicated to understanding the in vivo mechanisms that underlie efficacy. In vivo imaging and the development of appropriate biomarkers will be essential to gain a better mechanistic understanding of cell therapy in the treatment of neurological disease. The availability of magnetic resonance imaging in a clinical setting and its use in animal models allow for its use as a unique platform for mechanistic studies of cell therapy in a translational context.