Lead Inventors:
Michael R. Rosen,
Richard B. Robinson,
Peter R. Brink,
Ira S. Cohen,
Glenn Gaudette, Amy B. Rosen
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Tracking and Labeling System Critical
Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) represent an attractive cell source for tissue repair and regeneration therapies because hMSCs can be efficiently expanded ex vivo and appear to be allogenically tolerated, making them an appropriate off-the-shelf treatment. But in order to demonstrate safety in vivo, large animal studies must be performed and cell location and fate after delivery must be characterized. Currently FDA approval of animal trials requires demonstration of location and fate of injected stem cells with single cell resolution. Existing cell labeling agents are inadequate and cannot track 100% of the delivered cells with single-cell resolution.
The invention addresses this need and permits robust and uniform labeling of hMSCs with little perturbation to the cells and no effects on viability or differentiation.
Labeling Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Quantum Dots for Uniform Tracking
The invention is a novel method for tracking stem cells delivered in vivo. The invention describes the formation of an incubation medium for labeling human mesenchymal stem cells with Quantum Dots (QDs) that emit light at 655nm. Human mesenchymal stem cells, hMSCs, are maintained in an undifferentiated state by incubation in a proprietary basal medium and negatively charged QDs are added for specific labeling of cells in a process of passive loading without any additional transfection reagent.
Applications:
• The technology can be used to label hMSCs before injecting them into organism in order to quantify delivery specificity and survival rate of implanted stem cells with single-cell resolution.
• Developed passive loading technique of labeling hMSCs with QDs has a potential to be generalized to other types of cell lines and can be used for variety of applications that require labeling of individual cells.
Advantages:
• Proposed labeling method does not require any additional tranfection reagents
• The method provides uniform labeling of hMSCs
• The method does not compromise viability of labeled cells
• Semiconductor Quantum Dots are artificial fluorophores that are considered to be one of the most efficient existing labeling reagents. They have high quantum yield, very specific narrow emission spectrum, and are resistant to photobleaching. These characteristics make them suitable for labeling tranfected cells with single-cell resolution.
Patent Status: Patent Pending (WO 2008/156512)
Licensing Status: Available for Licensing and Sponsored Research Support