• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.93-107
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Chronic periodontitis can lead to alveolar bone resorption and eventually tooth loss. Stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) are appropriate bone regeneration seed cells. To track the survival, migration, and differentiation of the transplanted SHED, we used super paramagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIO) Molday ION Rhodamine-B (MIRB) to label and monitor the transplanted cells while repairing periodontal bone defects. Methods and Results: We determined an appropriate dose of MIRB for labeling SHED by examining the growth and osteogenic differentiation of labeled SHED. Finally, SHED was labeled with 25 ㎍ Fe/ml MIRB before being transplanted into rats. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to track SHED survival and migration in vivo due to a low-intensity signal artifact caused by MIRB. HE and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that both MIRB-labeled and unlabeled SHED could promote periodontal bone regeneration. The colocalization of hNUC and MIRB demonstrated that SHED transplanted into rats could survive in vivo. Furthermore, some MIRB-positive cells expressed the osteoblast and osteocyte markers OCN and DMP1, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that SHED could secrete protein factors, such as IGF-1, OCN, ALP, IL-4, VEGF, and bFGF, which promote bone regeneration. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that the transplanted SHED was surrounded by a large number of host-derived Runx2- and Col II-positive cells that played important roles in the bone healing process. Conclusions: SHED could promote periodontal bone regeneration in rats, and the survival of SHED could be tracked in vivo by labeling them with MIRB. SHED are likely to promote bone healing through both direct differentiation and paracrine mechanisms.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.132-137
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• 2007

With the advance of stem cell transplantation research, in vivo cell tracking techniques have become increasingly important in recent years. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may provide a unique tool for non-invasive tracking of transplanted cells. Since the initial findings on the stem cell migration by MRI several years ago, there have been numerous studies using various animal models, notably in heart or brain disease models. In order to develop more reliable and clinically applicable methodologies, multiple aspects should be taken into consideration. In this review, we will summarize the current status and future perspectives of in vivo cell tracking technologies using MRI. In particular, use of different MR contrast agents and their detection methods using MRI will be described in much detail. In addition, various cell labeling methods to increase the sensitivity of signals will be extensively discussed. We will also review several key experiments, in which MRI techniques were utilized to detect the presence and/or migration of transplanted stem cells in various animal models. Finally, we will discuss the current problems and future directions of cell tracking methods using MRI.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.391-398
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• 2010

Objective : This study was designed to validate the cell trafficking efficiency of the in vivo bioluminescence image (BLI) study in the setting of transplantation of the luciferase expressing bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC), which were delivered at each different time after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in a mouse model. Methods : Transplanting donor BMSC were prepared by primary cell culture from transgenic mouse expressing luciferase (LUC). Transient focal infarcts were induced in 4-6-week-old male nude mice. The experiment mice were divided into five groups by the time of MSC transplantation : 1) sham-operation group, 2) 2-h group, 3) 1-day group, 4) 3-day group, and 5) 1-week group. BLI for detection of spatial distribution of transplanted MSC was performed by detecting emitted photons. Migration of the transplanted cells to the infarcted area was confirmed by histological examinations. Differences between groups were evaluated by paired t-test. Results : A focal spot of bioluminescence was observed at the injection site on the next day after transplantation by Signal intensity of bioluminescence. After 4 weeks, the mean signal intensities of 2-h, 1-day, 3-day, and 1-week group were $2.6{\times}10^7{\pm}7.4{\times}10^6$. $6.1{\times}10^6{\pm}1.2{\times}10^6$, $1.7{\times}10^6{\pm}4.4{\times}10^5$, and $8.9{\times}10^6{\pm}9.5{\times}10^5$, respectively. The 2-h group showed significantly higher signal intensity (p<0.01). The engrafted BMSC showed around the infarct border zones on immunohistochemical examination. The counts of LUC-positive cells revealed the highest number in the 2-h group, in agreement with the results of BLI experiments (p<0.01). Conclusion : In this study, the results suggested that the transplanted BMSC migrated to the infarct border zone in BLI study and the higher signal intensity of LUC-positive cells seen in 2 hrs after MSC transplantation in MCAO mouse model. In addition, noninvasive imaging in real time is an ideal method for tracking stem cell transplantation. This method can be widely applied to various research fields of cell transplantation therapy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.78-84
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• 2019

Cell therapeutic agents for treating degenerative brain diseases using neural stem cells are actively being developed. However, few systems have been developed to monitor in real time whether the transplanted neural stem cells are actually differentiated into neurons. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a technology capable of specifically monitoring neuronal differentiation in vivo. In this study, we established a system that expresses cell membrane-targeting red fluorescent protein under control of the Synapsin promoter in order to specifically monitor differentiation from neural stem cells into neurons. In order to overcome the weak expression level of the tissue-specific promoter system, the partial 5' UTR sequence of Creb was added for efficient expression of the cell surface-specific antigen. This system was able to track functional neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells transplanted in vivo, which will help improve stem cell therapies.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권9호
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• pp.650-655
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• 2014

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into neural cells to treat nervous system diseases. Magnetic resonance is an ideal means for cell tracking through labeling cells with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO). However, no studies have described the neural differentiation ability of SPIO-labeled MSCs, which is the foundation for cell therapy and cell tracking in vivo. Our results showed that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) labeled in vitro with SPIO can be induced into neural-like cells without affecting the viability and labeling efficiency. The cellular uptake of SPIO was maintained after labeled BM-MSCs differentiated into neural-like cells, which were the basis for transplanted cells that can be dynamically and non-invasively tracked in vivo by MRI. Moreover, the SPIO-labeled induced neural-like cells showed neural cell morphology and expressed related markers such as NSE, MAP-2. Furthermore, whole-cell patch clamp recording demonstrated that these neural-like cells exhibited electrophysiological properties of neurons. More importantly, there was no significant difference in the cellular viability and $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ between the induced labeled and unlabeled neural-like cells. In this study, we show for the first time that SPIO-labeled MSCs retained their differentiation capacity and could differentiate into neural-like cells with high cell viability and a good cellular state in vitro.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2011년도 제40회 동계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.1-1
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• 2011

We developed a new generalized synthetic procedure, called as "heat-up process," to produce uniform-sized nanocrystals of many transition metals and oxides without a size selection process. We were able to synthesize uniform magnetite nanocrystals as much as 1 kilogram-scale from the thermolysis of Fe-oleate complex. Clever combination of different nanoscale materials will lead to the development of multifunctional nano-biomedical platforms for simultaneous targeted delivery, fast diagnosis, and efficient therapy. In this presentation, I would like to present some of our group's recent results on the designed fabrication of multifunctional nanostructured materials based on uniform-sized magnetite nanoparticles and their medical applications. Uniform ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles of <3 nm were synthesized by thermal decomposition of iron-oleate complex in the presence of oleyl alcohol. These ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles exhibited good T1 contrast effect. In in vivo T1 weighted blood pool magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), iron oxide nanoparticles showed longer circulation time than commercial gadolinium complex, enabling high resolution imaging. We used 80 nm-sized ferrimagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals for T2 MRI contrast agent for tracking transplanted pancreatic islet cells and single-cell MR imaging. We reported on the fabrication of monodisperse magnetite nanoparticles immobilized with uniform pore-sized mesoporous silica spheres for simultaneous MRI, fluorescence imaging, and drug delivery. We synthesized hollow magnetite nanocapsules and used them for both the MRI contrast agent and magnetic guided drug delivery vehicle.

• 대한핵의학회지
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.294-299
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• 2004

목적 : 현재 생체 내로 이식된 세포를 추적하는데 여러 가지 리포터 유전자들이 이용되고 있다. 이 연구에서는 사람 나트륨 옥소 공동 수송체 (hNIS)와 도파민 2 수용체($D_2R$)를 이중 리포터 유전자로 사용하여 각각을 비교하였다. 대상 및 방법: hNIS와 $D_2R$의 발현이 동시에 이루어지도록 하기 위해서 IRES (Internal ribosome entry site)로 연결된 재조합 플라스미드(pIRES-hNIS/D_2R)를 제조하였다. $pIRES-hNIS/D_2R$를 사람의 간암세포주인 SK-Hep1에 lipofactamine을 이용하여 형질을 도입시킨 후, 항생제(G418)를 농도별로 처리하여 2주간 선별하였다(HEP-ND). hNIS와 $D_2R$발현 유무와 발현 정도를 알아보기 위하여 각 유전자에 특이적인 프라이머를 이용하여 RT-PCR을 수행하였다. 각 형질 도입세포군에서, hNIS의 활성은 $^{125}I$ 섭취율을 이용하여 측정하고 $D_2R$의 활성은 $[^3H]spiperone$을 리간드로 이용하여 수용체 결합 정도를 측정하였다. 결과: 선별된 HEP-ND세포에서 hNIS와 $D_2R$의 발현을 RT-PCR로 확인하였을 때 IRES로 연결된 hNIS와 $D_2R$의 발현 정도는 서로 비슷하였다. HEP-ND세포의 $^{125}I$ 섭취율은 대조군인 SK-Hep1세포에 배해 30-40배 증가되었고, $KClO_4$에 의해 $^{125}I$ 섭취가 저해되었다. $D_2R$의 발현 정도를 측정할 수 있는 수용체 결합 분석법을 통해G418 농도별로 나눈 두 종류의 세포주에서, $[^3H]spiperone$을 이용한 해리상수 ($K_d$)와 최대결합 부위농도 ($B_{max}$)는 각각 2.92 nM, 745.25 fmol/mg protein과 8.91nM, 1323 fmole/mg protein이었다. hNIS와 $D_2R$발현의 상관관계에서는 높은 상관관계를 나타내었다. 결론: 이 연구에서 hNIS와 $D_2R$가 이입된 세포주에서 이중 유전자, 감마 영상 리포터 시스템을 개발하였으며, $D_2R$와 HNIS 유전자를 이중 핵 영상 시스템으로서 서로 상호보완적으로 이용할 수 있을 것으로 기대하고 있다.