Magnetic tagging of therapeutic cells for MRI

Abstract

Transplantation of stem cells or immune cells has shown promise for the treatment of several diseases. Monitoring magnetically labeled cells with MRI has furthered our understanding of cellular migration and the pathophysiology of diseases in experimental models. These studies should pave the way for guiding clinical trials using cell-based therapies. This review briefly describes the various methods used to label and track cells with MRI and the potential for such methods to translate to human applications. Copyright © 2009 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Inc.