Iron-Oxide Labeling and Outcome of Transplanted Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Infarcted Myocardium

Abstract

At 4 weeks after transplantation of SPIO-labeled MSCs, the transplanted cells are not present in the scar and the enhanced MRI signals arise from cardiac macrophages that engulfed the SPIO nanoparticles. However, both labeled and unlabeled cells attenuate left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction after myocardial infarction.