Abstract
The success of cell therapy approaches is greatly dependent on the ability to precisely deliver and monitor transplanted stem cell grafts at treated sites. Iron oxide particles, traditionally used in vivo for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have been shown to also represent a safe and efficient in vitro labelling agent for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Here, stem cells were labelled with magnetic particles, and their resulting response to magnetic forces was studied using 2D and 3D models. Labelled cells exhibited magnetic responsiveness, which promoted localised retention and patterned cell seeding when exposed to magnet arrangements in vitro. Directed migration was observed in 2D culture when adherent cells were exposed to a magnetic field, and also when cells were seeded into a 3D gel. Finally, a model of cell injection into the rodent leg was used to test the enhanced localised retention of labelled stem cells when applying magnetic forces, using whole body imaging to confirm the potential use of magnetic particles in strategies seeking to better control cell distribution for in vivo cell delivery.
Highlights
Regenerative medicine aims to restore tissue function using the potential of stem cells to regenerate or replace damaged tissues
The presence of a magnet resulted in the patterned seeding of magnetic particles (MP)-labelled cells, which was not seen in the absence of magnet, or when unlabelled cells were exposed to a magnet
Use of MP-Labelled Cell Populations: Magnetic particles are widely used for magnetic resonance imaging, and have been used for magnetic cell labelling in this context [12,13,14,15]
Summary
Regenerative medicine aims to restore tissue function using the potential of stem cells to regenerate or replace damaged tissues. As a growing range of approaches becomes available to manipulate stem cells in vitro, the development of targeted cell delivery methods is increasingly important to ensure the efficiency of these regenerative approaches in vivo [2]. Iron oxide nanoparticles have been developed as contrast agents employed for advanced MRI imaging in vivo [4,5,6], and more recently as theranostics mediators, enabling the application of targeted hyperthermia for tumour treatment [7] Their cytocompatibility and capacity for efficient cellular uptake
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