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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Labeling Stem Cells with Fluorescent Dyes for non-invasive Detection with Optical Imaging
Published on: April 2, 2008
Labeling Stem Cells with a New Hybrid Bismuth/Carbon Nanotube Contrast Agent for X-Ray Imaging
Mayra Hernández-Rivera1, Stephen Y Cho1, Sakineh E Moghaddam1
1Department of Chemistry MS-60, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
Abstract:
The poor retention and survival of cells after transplantation to solid tissue represent a major obstacle for the effectiveness of stem cell-based therapies. The ability to track stem cells in vivo can lead to a better understanding of the biodistribution of transplanted cells, in addition to improving the analysis of stem cell therapies' outcomes. Here, we described the use of a carbon nanotube-based contrast agent (CA) for X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging as an intracellular CA to label bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Porcine MSCs were labeled without observed cytotoxicity. The CA consists of a hybrid material containing ultra-short single-walled carbon nanotubes (20-80 nm in length, US-tubes) and Bi(III) oxo-salicylate clusters which contain four Bi3+ ions per cluster (Bi4C). The CA is thus abbreviated as Bi4C@US-tubes.
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