Exposure to Sulfur Hexafluoride Influences Viability in Cell Transplant Suspensions

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Ultrasonographic guidance is essential for precise cell transplantation.
• Ultrasound contrast agents enhance target delivery but may harm transplanted cells.
• The impact of contrast agents on cell viability and growth remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the in vitro effects of stabilized sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) microbubbles on cell viability and growth.
• To assess the differential responses of porcine fibroblasts and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to SF6 exposure.

Main Methods:

• Exposure of skin hCD55 porcine transgenic fibroblasts and hMSCs to varying SF6 concentrations (1.54 µM to 308 µM).
• Real-Time Cell Analyzer (RTCA) used for label-free, impedance-based monitoring of cell viability and growth over 50 hours.
• Data collection at 15-minute intervals to track dynamic cellular responses.

Main Results:

• Porcine fibroblasts exhibited significant growth alterations only at high SF6 concentrations.
• Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in growth with increasing SF6 concentration.
• Distinct cellular responses observed between the two cell lines upon SF6 exposure.

Conclusions:

• While SF6 microbubbles are safe for patients, their exposure to suspended stem cells can affect cell viability and growth.
• This impact may alter the effective cell dose in transplantation procedures, influencing therapeutic outcomes.
• Recommendations include specific cell lineage testing, method adjustments, and compensation for potential cell loss to improve procedural success rates and cost-effectiveness.