Advanced imaging approaches for regenerative medicine: Emerging technologies for monitoring stem cell fate in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

The future of regenerative medicine relies on our ability to control stem cell fate in order to produce functional tissues. Stem cells are the preferred cell source for tissue engineering endeavors and regenerative medicine therapies due to their high potency and capacity for expansion. However, their potency also makes them very difficult to control, as they are in a constant state of flux. Therefore, in order to advance research in regenerative medicine, it is necessary to be able to monitor cell state and phenotype both in vitro and in vivo. This review will detail the imaging technologies currently in use to monitor stem cell phenotype, migration, and differentiation. In addition to providing examples of the most recent work in this area, we will also discuss the future of imaging technologies for regenerative medicine, and how current imaging modalities might be utilized to image specific cell functionality in order to track stem cell fate. The research area of imaging stem cells is progressing toward identifying mature and differentiating cells not only by phenotypic markers, but also by visualizing cell function. Many of the cutting-edge modalities detailed in this review have the potential to be harnessed toward this goal.

A dual-mode nanoparticle based on natural biomaterials for photoacoustic and magnetic resonance imaging of bone mesenchymal stem cellsin vivo

“…17 Currently, MRI is not only a prevalent tool for tracking noninvasive cells in vivo but also a common diagnostic tool for medical imaging in the clinical setting. 8,20,21 MRI has highspatial resolution (up to 100 mm) and is capable of long-term cell tracking (up to 6 weeks). 22,23 However, the clinical application of stem cell imaging is limited by its intrinsic deciencies, including relative low sensitivity, long imaging duration, and the contraindications aer the implantation of metal devices.…”

Thérapies cellulaires des cardiopathies

“…Lors de leur conception, il ne faut cependant pas négliger le côté pratique de leur utilisation, pour le médecin qui sera amené à les mettre en place. Des techniques d'imagerie cellulaire ont été développées, ou mises à profit, pour suivre le destin de ces cellules que l'on voudrait promises à un engagement cardiaque [33]. Prises dans un état de flux permanent, il faut pouvoir en suivre l'état, le phénotype, l'activité, la migration, la différenciation ou la fonction in vitro et in vivo.…”

“…Prises dans un état de flux permanent, il faut pouvoir en suivre l'état, le phénotype, l'activité, la migration, la différenciation ou la fonction in vitro et in vivo. Ces méthodes sont souvent complémentaires, directes ou indirectes, soit pour leurs hautes résolutions mises en oeuvre dans les caractérisations in vitro (microscopie confocale, à deux photons, à super-résolution, analyse de seconde harmonique, spectroscopie Raman, imagerie photo-acoustique…), soit pour leurs capacités d'investigations de tissus épais mises en oeuvre pour le suivi dans l'animal vivant (imagerie bioluminescente, imagerie par résonance magnétique ou tomographie par émission de positons, microscopie multimodale, tomographie à cohérence optique…) [33].…”

Updates in molecular imaging techniques

“…Non-invasive in vivo imaging techniques including optical imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) have been used to monitor tissue growth for obtaining longitudinal and quantitative tissue regeneration information in the same animal. Therefore, a strategy for the right combination of molecular imaging techniques and targeted contrast agents has been further applied for diagnosis and therapy of various diseases [1][2][3].…”