Bright Polymer Dots Tracking Stem Cell Engraftment and Migration to Injured Mouse Liver

Stem cell therapy holds promise for treatment of intractable diseases and injured organs. For clinical translation, it is pivotal to understand the homing, engraftment, and differentiation processes of stem cells in a living body. Here we report near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent semiconductor polymer dots (Pdots) for bright labeling and tracking of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The Pdots exhibit narrow-band emission at 775 nm with a quantum yield of 22%, among the highest value for various NIR probes. The Pdots together with a cell penetrating peptide are able to track stem cells over two weeks without disturbing their multipotent properties, as confirmed by the analyses on cell proliferation, differentiation, stem-cell markers, and immunophenotyping. The in vivo cell tracking was demonstrated in a liver-resection mouse model, which indicated that the Pdot-labeled MSCs after tail-vein transplantation were initially trapped in lung, gradually migrated to the injured liver, and then proliferated into cell clusters. Liver-function analysis and histological examination revealed that the inflammation induced by liver resection was apparently decreased after stem cell transplantation. With the bright labeling, superior biocompatibility, and long-term tracking performance, the Pdot probes are promising for stem cell research and regenerative medicine.