Increased Understanding of Stem Cell Behavior in Neurodegenerative and Neuromuscular Disorders by Use of Noninvasive Cell Imaging

Abstract

Numerous neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders are associated with cell-specific depletion in the human body. This imbalance in tissue homeostasis is in healthy individuals repaired by the presence of endogenous stem cells that can replace the lost cell type. However, in most disorders, a genetic origin or limited presence or exhaustion of stem cells impairs correct cell replacement. During the last 30 years, methods to readily isolate and expand stem cells have been developed and this resulted in a major change in the regenerative medicine field as it generates sufficient amount of cells for human transplantation applications. Furthermore, stem cells have been shown to release cytokines with beneficial effects for several diseases. At present however, clinical stem cell transplantations studies are struggling to demonstrate clinical efficacy despite promising preclinical results. Therefore, to allow stem cell therapy to achieve its full potential, more insight in their in vivo behavior has to be achieved. Different methods to noninvasively monitor these cells have been developed and are discussed. In some cases, stem cell monitoring even reached the clinical setting. We anticipate that by further exploring these imaging possibilities and unraveling their in vivo behavior further improvement in stem cell transplantations will be achieved.

Optimizing Stem Cell Therapy after Ischemic Brain Injury

“…However, gene delivery may disrupt normal cell physiology. 173 Direct tracking via MRI provides advantages, such as morphology characterization, high spatial resolution, lack of radiation, and long-term stem cell monitoring. 174,175 MRI requires the use of a contrast agent to visualize cells, e.g., superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticle (SPION), which has been shown to allow in vivo retention of neural progenitor cell viability, phenotype, proliferation, and differentiation.…”

“…Since only surviving cells take up the reporter, viable cells can be clearly visualized. However, gene delivery may disrupt normal cell physiology [ 173 ].…”

Nanomaterials in Neural‐Stem‐Cell‐Mediated Regenerative Medicine: Imaging and Treatment of Neurological Diseases

“…The continuous developments of nanotechnology, molecular biology technology, and new imaging equipment, have significantly facilitated noninvasive in vivo tracing and imaging of transplanted stem cells in the last few years . The main imaging techniques in use today are MRI, bioluminescence imaging (BLI), fluorescence imaging (FI), positron emission tomography (PET), single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), computed tomography (CT), photoacoustic imaging (PAI), and ultrasound.…”

The human somatostatin receptor type 2 as an imaging and suicide reporter gene for pluripotent stem cell-derived therapy of myocardial infarction

“…Currently, tissue sampling is the golden standard to follow-up cell engraftment in the clinic, thereby limiting information on the behavior, localization and viability of the cells over time. Therefore, imaging methods have been developed to noninvasively monitor stem cell distribution 8 , 9 . Here, we have focused on reporter gene imaging as it allows long-term cell tracking and only visualizes viable cells 8 .…”

“…Therefore, imaging methods have been developed to noninvasively monitor stem cell distribution 8 , 9 . Here, we have focused on reporter gene imaging as it allows long-term cell tracking and only visualizes viable cells 8 .…”