In vivo tracking of human neural progenitor cells in the rat brain using bioluminescence imaging.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Stem cell therapies appear promising for treating certain neurodegenerative disorders and molecular imaging methods that track these cells in vivo could answer some key questions regarding their survival and migration. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI), which relies on luciferase expression in these cells, has been used for this purpose due to its high sensitivity.

New method

In this study, we employ BLI to track luciferase-expressing human neural progenitor cells (hNPC(Luc2)) in the rat striatum long-term.

Results

We show that hNPC(Luc2) are detectable in the rat striatum. Furthermore, we demonstrate that using this tracking method, surviving grafts can be detected in vivo for up to 12 weeks, while those that were rejected do not produce bioluminescence signal

SUBMITTER: Bernau K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5054746 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature