MRI-based cell tracking can play a key role in clinical cell therapies and is most useful when the high-resolution and spatial discrimination capabilities of MRI are used for determining the precise locations of transplanted cells. Traditionally, iron oxide nanoparticles are used for magnetic cell labeling with detection of labeled cells via T2/T2*-weighted MRI, however, the dark contrast obscures the underlying anatomy, and making quantification of cell number difficult. Bright contrast methods have been sparingly used for MRI-based cell tracking employing Gd-chelates and Mn2+, accumulated intracellularly by disruptive (photoporation, transfection, etc) methods or by simple incubation, respectively. Further, 19F agents have been used for MRI-based cell tracking. Yet, MRI-based cell tracking has not made significant clinical impact, partly due to the complications of cell labeling and detection. Hepatic organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs) transport off-the-shelf, FDA-approved, hepatospecific Gd-based MRI contrast agents into cells that express the transporters, the intracellular accumulation of which cells causes signal enhancement on clinically familiar T1-weighted MRI. We show that OATP-expressing cells can be pre-labeled with Gd-EOB-DTPA prior to injection affording the use of clinically familiar T1-weighted MRI to robustly detect cell transplants. This straightforward approach to labeling and MRI detection may facilitate the incorporation of MRI-based cell tracking in clinical trials and cell therapies.