CONTEXT: Neural stem cells (NSCs), transplanted into the brains of mice with a condition similar to multiple sclerosis have proved effective in repairing damage caused by the disease within a day of injection. Although previous studies have shown the effectiveness of NSCs for similar treatment, this research demonstrated that the therapeutic potential of NSCs could be preserved after magnetic labeling (infusing the cells with iron particles). Dr. Letterio Polliti, a clinical neuroradiology assistant at Ospedale San Raffaele, and Dr. Giuseppe Scotti, chair of neuroradiology at the University and Scientific Institute San Raffaele, both in Milan, Italy, monitored stem cells in vivo and noninvasively with MRI.
RESULTS: Polliti and Scotti injected NSCs labeled with a superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agent into the brains of healthy mice to confirm that labeled cells could be detected by in vivo MRI. Six mice were injected with MOG35-55 (myelin/oligodendrocyte glycoprotein) to develop experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE, an animal model of MS). Nineteen days after immunization, the researchers transplanted labeled NSCs into the mice and acquired T2-weighted spin-echo and gradient-echo sequences over the course of 30 days. One day after transplantation, they detected magnetically labeled cells inside the demyelinating lesions. NSCs increased the number of glial cells, which produce myelin, and the symptoms in the mice improved.
IMAGE: Brain MR image of an EAE mouse reveals phases of the disease and treatment: in the acute phase of EAE (top), with a demyelinating lesion in the olfactory bulb (middle), and after intravenous injection of labeled stems that appear as a darkened area in the circle (bottom).
IMPLICATIONS: "Cell therapies are becoming a promising treatment for heretofore untreatable CNS disorders, including multiple sclerosis," Polliti said in a news conference at the 2004 RSNA meeting. "The development of an MRI-based method to track labeled cells in vivo thus represents an important tool to follow transplanted cells noninvasively and a crucial step toward the application of this therapy in humans."
Leading Breast Radiologists Discuss the USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations
May 17th 2024In recognition of National Women’s Health Week, Dana Bonaminio, MD, Amy Patel, MD, and Stacy Smith-Foley, MD, shared their thoughts and perspectives on the recently updated breast cancer screening recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
Multicenter CT Study Shows Benefits of Emerging Diagnostic Model for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
May 15th 2024Combining clinical and CT features, adjunctive use of a classification and regression tree (CART) diagnostic model demonstrated AUCs for detecting clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) that were 15 to 22 percent higher than unassisted radiologist assessments.
CT Study: AI Algorithm Comparable to Radiologists in Differentiating Small Renal Masses
May 14th 2024An emerging deep learning algorithm had a lower AUC and sensitivity than urological radiologists for differentiating between small renal masses on computed tomography (CT) scans but had a 21 percent higher sensitivity rate than non-urological radiologists, according to new research.