Preclinical Study of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Labeled Hucmscs: Safety Analysis in Vitro and MRI Tracking in Vivo in Monkey Scarred Uteri

Abstract

Cesarean section has been increasingly used, stem cells have a potential to improve the repairing of scarred uteri, but its mechanism is still unclear. Cell labeling and tracking are becoming increasingly important in stem cell research. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of labeling human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hUCMSCs) with Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs), both in vitro and in vivo, with a particular focus on their application as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrast agents injected into the uterus. Monkeys were used as animal models because their structure is similar to that of humans. These results demonstrate that hUCMSCs could be effectively labeled with SPIONs without compromising cellular proliferation or differentiation potential. Furthermore, a minimal impact on cell surface marker expression and immunocytochemical staining for vimentin was observed. MR scanning was conducted both in vitro and in vivo, along with pathological staining, to confirm the effective labeling of SPIONs without causing cellular injury. This labeling persisted for more than 600 days, allowing for dynamic colonization.

Note:
Funding declaration: This work was funded by the Science and Technology Project in Key Areas of Foshan (Grant No.2020001005861), Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (Grant No. 2021A1515110802), Project of Foshan Science and Technology (2220001003887, 2220001004102), and Medical Research Project of Foshan Health Bureau (20220809A010543).

Conflict of Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Ethical Approval: This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Guangdong Landau Biotechnology Co. Ltd. (Guangzhou, China).

Keywords: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, Stem Cells, Magnetic resonance imaging, Monkey, Safety, Scarred uteri