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Our research focus is on applying imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), to develop noninvasive methods for in vivo tracking of transplanted cells labeled with superparamagnetic contrast agents and/or transfected reporter genes. To achieve this goal, a multidisciplinary approach has been in place that brings people together from various professional backgrounds in combining molecular and cellular biology, biophysics and radiology, as well as clinical medicine expertise. Techniques central to all ongoing projects in the laboratory involve isolation of hematopoietic progenitor cells from cord blood, in vitro cell labeling with various superparamagnetic agents or transfection with viral vectors, and in vivo tracking by MRI and/or other imaging modalities. Establishing these techniques enables development of various animal models such as brain tumor, breast cancer, melanoma, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, where labeled transplanted cells are used as tools for studying tumor pathology and related angiogenesis, or as therapeutic vehicles for delivery of virally transfected genes. In addition to in vivo studies, part of our laboratory's research involves studying in vitro, iron labeling efficacy, and its possible effects on the physiology of various cell types.
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Developing an accurate and straightforward method for measuring intracellular iron was an extremely important research step, since the method became an integral part of the majority of ongoing laboratory experiments. Data presented in our paper enabled dose standardization for a successful intracellular labeling and more importantly, an accurate interpretation of the in vivo acquired data via different imaging techniques. One of the techniques used by molecular imaging laboratories is MRI, and many groups, including ours, have used it to show the accumulation of labeled cells in target organs. However, one of the most important questions was how to quantify the observed cell accumulation. Since MRI densities exhibited linear correlation with iron concentration, this correlation can be used to calculate the number of in vivo accumulated cells. Therefore, an accurate but straightforward method for measuring small amounts of intracellular iron may prove to be a valuable tool that can be routinely used in many molecular imaging laboratories.
See “Measurement of quantity of iron in magnetically labeled cells: comparison among different UV/VIS spectrometric methods” on page 627.
