Effective magnetic labeling of transplanted cells with HVJ-E for magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic labeling of transplanted cells permits us to monitor their localization non-invasively using MRI. Since most transfection agents for magnetic labeling have the same cationic charge as Fe(3+), the efficiency may be reduced. The hemagglutinating virus-envelope has no charge and utilizes membrane fusion activity to deliver internalized materials. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using the envelope to incorporate paramagnetic Fe(3+) particles into PC12 cells and astrocytes. The envelope effectively labeled both cells with Fe(3+), which showed significant decreases of signal intensity in T2-weighted MRI. Labeled cells transplanted into the rat striatum were clearly visualized by T2*-weighted MRI at a magnetic field of 2 T. The results indicate that the hemagglutinating virus-envelope is a powerful tool for magnetic labeling.