Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Labeling hESCs and hMSCs with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Non-Invasive in vivo Tracking with MR Imaging
Published on: March 31, 2008
[MR R2*map for tracing superparamgnetic ironoxides labeled endothelial progenitor cells in vitro]
Qing-Guo Wang1, Fu-Hua Yan, Pen-Ju Xu
1Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Objectives:
To investigate the value of R2*map for quantitatively tracing superparamgnetic ironoxides (SPIO) labeled endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).
Methods:
The EPCs were isolated from Balb/c mice bone marrow and cultured in vitro. After 7 days, expression of acetylated low-density lipoprotein (acLDL) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 (UEA-1), two markers of EPCs, was observed by double staining using fluorescence microscope, the expression of stem cell antigen-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) was confirmed by flow cytometry. EPCs were labeled by incubating with 50 microg/ml SPIO and 6 microl/ml lipofectamine2000, SPIO labeled EPCs were observed under transmission electron microscope (TEM). Labeled and unlabeled EPCs were mixed with 10 g/L agarose and scanned using a 3.0T MR scanner, R2* map and R2 map images were obtained on workstation.
Result:
After 7 days of in vitro culture, most of the cells showed characteristics of EPCs. There was no morphological difference between SPIO labeled EPCs and unlabeled EPCs. R2* and R2 values exhibited a linear correlation with the number of labeled cells in the agarose gel. Compared to R2, R2* was a better indicator of the number of labeled cells.
Conclusion:
MR R2* map can be used to trace SPIO labeled EPCs quantitatively.
