Open AccessAn optical imaging method to monitor stem cell migration in a model of immune-mediated arthritis
Author(s) -
Elizabeth Sutton,
Sophie Boddington,
Alexander J. Nedopil,
Tobias D. Henning,
Stavros G. Demos,
Rick Baehner,
Barbara Sennino,
Ying Lu,
Heike E. Daldrup-Link
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.024403
Subject(s) - mesenchymal stem cell , biomedical engineering , fluorescence microscope , fluorescence , fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy , stem cell , cell , signal (programming language) , materials science , optical imaging , arthritis , pathology , optics , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , chemistry , biology , immunology , computer science , physics , biochemistry , programming language
The objective of this work is to establish an optical imaging technique that would enable monitoring of the integration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in arthritic joints. Our approach is based on first developing a labeling technique of MSC with the fluorescent dye DiD followed by tracking the cell migration kinetics from the spatial distribution of the DiD fluorescence in optical images (OI). The experimental approach involves first the in vitro OI of MSC labeled with DiD accompanied by fluorescence microscopy measurements to establish localization of the signal within the cells. Thereafter, DiD-labeled MSC were injected into polyarthritic, athymic rats and the signal localization within the experimental animals was monitored over several days. The experimental results indicate that DiD integrated into the cell membrane. DiD-labeled MSC localization in the arthritic ankle joints was observed with OI indicating that this method can be applied to monitor MSC in arthritic joints.