Imaging of cellular therapies

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Medical Imaging
• Immunotherapy

Background:

• Cellular therapies offer revolutionary potential for treating diseases like cancer and restoring organ function.
• Effective cell therapy requires real-time monitoring of cell parameters such as localization, quantity, and viability.
• In vivo imaging provides essential tools for optimizing and personalizing cell-based treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in in vivo imaging for clinical cell therapies.
• To evaluate the advantages and limitations of various imaging modalities for tracking immune cells, especially dendritic cells.
• To discuss both pre-transplant cell labeling and in situ targeting strategies.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of clinical trials utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear scintigraphy, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET) for cell tracking.
• Focus on imaging techniques applicable to clinical settings, excluding preclinical fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging.
• Analysis of cell labeling strategies, including pre-transplant labeling and in situ targeting.

Main Results:

• Clinical imaging modalities like MRI, SPECT, and PET are being used to monitor cell therapies.
• Different imaging techniques offer distinct advantages and disadvantages for assessing cell localization, numbers, and viability.
• Both pre-labeling and in situ targeting methods are viable strategies for tracking therapeutic cells.

Conclusions:

• In vivo imaging is indispensable for the clinical advancement of cell therapies.
• The choice of imaging modality depends on specific therapeutic goals and cell types, with a focus on immune cells.
• Future developments point towards multimodal imaging technologies for comprehensive cell tracking from preclinical research to clinical application.