Home›Cell Biology›Tracking Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide-labeled Mesenchymal Stem Cells using MRI after Intranasal Delivery in a Traumatic Brain Injury Murine Model
Cell BiologyJoVE (Open Access)Citable · DOI
Tracking Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide-labeled Mesenchymal Stem Cells using MRI after Intranasal Delivery in a Traumatic Brain Injury Murine Model
DOI: 10.3791/60450-v
What you'll learn
✓Label mesenchymal stem cells with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for MRI tracking
✓Induce traumatic brain injury in mice using controlled cortical impact technique
✓Deliver labeled MSCs intranasally and monitor in vivo distribution by MRI
✓Quantify stem cell migration and retention in brain tissue post-delivery
Protocol
Presented here is a protocol for non-invasive mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) delivery and tracking in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are employed as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe for MSC labeling and non-invasive in vivo tracking following intranasal delivery using real-time MRI.
Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~3–4 days per animal (cell labeling 1 day, injury induction + recovery 1–2 days, intranasal delivery + imaging 1 day)
Model organism
Mouse (strain not specified, traumatic brain injury model)
Biosafety
BSL-1
Steps
1
Label mesenchymal stem cells with SPIO nanoparticles
Incubate cultured MSCs with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to enable MRI visualization. This labels cells for subsequent non-invasive tracking.
▶ 01:06
2
Induce traumatic brain injury via controlled cortical impact
Anesthetize mice and perform controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury to establish a reproducible TBI model. Allow recovery before cell delivery.
▶ 01:44
3
Deliver labeled MSCs intranasally to injured brain
Administer SPIO-labeled mesenchymal stem cells via intranasal route, a non-invasive delivery method allowing cells to access the central nervous system.
▶ 04:04
4
Acquire in vivo magnetic resonance imaging scans
Perform real-time MRI imaging to visualize and locate SPIO-labeled cells in the mouse brain post-delivery.
▶ 05:57
5
Track and quantify mesenchymal stem cell distribution
Analyze MRI images to identify labeled MSC locations, measure cell migration patterns, and quantify retention in brain regions of interest.