Stem Cell Tracking Technologies for Neurological Regenerative Medicine Purposes

Figure 2

Comparison of imaging techniques for transplanted therapeutic neural stem cells (NSCs). (a) Monitoring of magnetic nanoparticle-labelled NSCs in rat brain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI was performed 2 days, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after cell transplantation [7]. (b) Single photo emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of mouse brain after intracerebral delivery of NSCs loaded with ¹¹¹In. SPECT was performed immediately, 1 day and 2 days after cell transplantation [28]. (c) 9-(4-[¹⁸F]fluoro-3hydroxymethylbutyl) guanine ([¹⁸F]FHBG)-labeled embryonic stem cell-derived neural stem cells (NSCs) viewed through positron emission tomography (PET) can be seen localizing in the striatal region of the forebrain [6]. (d) Luciferase photon emission detected through bioluminescence imaging (BLI) 1 week to 8 weeks after transplanting of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) [41].

(a) MRI

(b) SPECT

(c) PET

(d) BLI