Noninvasive Monitoring of Allogeneic Stem Cell Delivery with Dual-Modality Imaging-Visible Microcapsules in a Rabbit Model of Peripheral Arterial Disease

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Stem cell therapies, although promising for treating peripheral arterial disease (PAD), often suffer from low engraftment rates and the inability to confirm the delivery success and track cell distribution and engraftment. Stem cell microencapsulation combined with imaging contrast agents may provide a means to simultaneously enhance cell survival and enable cell tracking with noninvasive imaging. Here, we have evaluated a novel MRI- and X-ray-visible microcapsule formulation for allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) delivery and tracking in a large animal model. Bone marrow-derived MSCs from male New Zealand White rabbits were encapsulated using a modified cell encapsulation method to incorporate a dual-modality imaging contrast agent, perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB). PFOB microcapsules (PFOBCaps) were then transplanted into the medial thigh of normal or PAD female rabbits. In vitro MSC viability remained high (79 ± 5% at 4 weeks of postencapsulation), and as few as two and ten PFOBCaps could be detected in phantoms using clinical C-arm CT and 19 F MRI, respectively. Successful injections of PFOBCaps in the medial thigh of normal ( n = 15) and PAD ( n = 16) rabbits were demonstrated on C-arm CT at 1-14 days of postinjection. Using 19 F MRI, transplanted PFOBCaps were clearly identified as "hot spots" and showed one-to-one correspondence to the radiopacities on C-arm CT. Concord

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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