Magnetic resonance imaging using heparin-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for cell tracking in vivo

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a tremendous modality for noninvasive cell tracking. To this end, superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO), one of the MRI contrast agents, should be labeled to the cells before transplantation. Currently, cellular labelling with SPIOs such as Feridex and Resovist is generally carried out through their engulfment into cytosol via endocytosis. However, the labelling efficacy via endocytosis is relatively low due to their non-specific random engulfment and degradation in the cytosol. To overcome these limitations, transfection agents such as poly-L-lysine and lipofectamine are complexed with SPIOs and treated to the cells. However, these strategies should be optimized due to the cytotoxicity of transfection agents themselves. Recently, there were developments of chemical conjugation of SPIOs onto cellular membrane. To this end, the surface of SPIOs was coated with heparin polysaccharide and chemically conjugated with collagen matrix layer of cell surface by using linker polymer, which was stably maintained in vivo. This new remedy can overcome the limitations of cell labelling via endocytosis. Collectively, these strategies could be applied for noninvasive imaging of MRI after cell transplantation in vivo.