Labeling Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Gold Nanocages for in vitro and in vivo Tracking by Two-Photon Microscopy and Photoacoustic Microscopy

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Yu Shrike Zhang, Georgia Institute of Technology; Yu Wang, Washington University in St. Louis; Lidai Wang, Washington University in St. Louis; Yucai Wang, Georgia Institute of Technology; Xin Cai, Washington University in St. Louis; Chi Zhang, Washington University in St. Louis; Lihong V. Wang, Washington University in St. Louis; Younan Xia, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2013-01-01
• Publisher: Ivyspring International Publisher
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © Ivyspring International Publisher.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.7150/thno.5369
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Theranostics
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 8
• Start Page: 532
• End Page: 543
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported in part by an NIH grant (R01 CA138527) and startup funds from Washington University in St. Louis (to Y.X.).; This work was also sponsored by NIH grants (R01 EB000712, R01 EB008085, R01 CA134539, U54 CA136398, R01 CA157277, and R01 CA159959, to L.V.W.).; Part of the research was performed at the Alafi Neuroimaging Laboratory of the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, which was supported by the NIH Neuroscience Blueprint Center Core Grant P30 NS057105.
• Keywords: Rats; High resolution; human mesenchymal stem cells; gold nanocages; X-ray microtomography; Brain; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Nanoparticles; stem cell therapy; U87 glioblastoma; Medicine, Research & Experimental; nanoparticles; blood vessels; Science & Technology; Quantum dots; Tomography; Research & Experimental Medicine
• Research Categories: Engineering, Biomedical; Biology, Cell; Biology, Microbiology

Abstract

Stem cell tracking is a highly important subject. Current techniques based on nanoparticle-labeling, such as magnetic resonance imaging, fluorescence microscopy, and micro-computed tomography, are plagued by limitations including relatively low sensitivity or penetration depth, involvement of ionizing irradiation, and potential cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles. Here we introduce a new class of contrast agents based on gold nanocages (AuNCs) with hollow interiors and porous walls to label human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) for both in vitro and in vivo tracking using two-photon microscopy and photoacoustic microscopy. As demonstrated by the viability assay, the AuNCs showed negligible cytotoxicity under a reasonable dose, and did not alter the differentiation potential of the hMSCs into desired lineages. We were able to image the cells labeled with AuNCs in vitro for at least 28 days in culture, as well as to track the cells that homed to the tumor region in nude mice in vivo.