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New imaging probes to track cell fate: reporter genes in stem cell research

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Abstract

Cell fate is a concept used to describe the differentiation and development of a cell in its organismal context over time. It is important in the field of regenerative medicine, where stem cell therapy holds much promise but is limited by our ability to assess its efficacy, which is mainly due to the inability to monitor what happens to the cells upon engraftment to the damaged tissue. Currently, several imaging modalities can be used to track cells in the clinical setting; however, they do not satisfy many of the criteria necessary to accurately assess several aspects of cell fate. In recent years, reporter genes have become a popular option for tracking transplanted cells, via various imaging modalities in small mammalian animal models. This review article examines the reporter gene strategies used in imaging modalities such as MRI, SPECT/PET, Optoacoustic and Bioluminescence Imaging. Strengths and limitations of the use of reporter genes in each modality are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded in part through the NIH/NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA008748.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    Piotr Jurgielewicz

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Stefan Harmsen & Michael H. Bachmann

  3. Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903, USA

    Elizabeth Wei

  4. Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Richard Ting

  5. Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 300 East 66th Street, Suite 1511, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Omer Aras

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  1. Piotr Jurgielewicz
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Correspondence to Omer Aras.

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Jurgielewicz, P., Harmsen, S., Wei, E. et al. New imaging probes to track cell fate: reporter genes in stem cell research. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 74, 4455–4469 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-017-2584-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-017-2584-z

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