advertisement
Abstract #81408 Published in IGR 20-3
Development of a stem cell tracking platform for ophthalmic applications using ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging
Kubelick KP; Snider EJ; Ethier CR; Emelianov STheranostics 2019; 9: 3812-3824
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Disease progression is associated with reduced cellularity in the trabecular meshwork (TM), a fluid drainage tissue in the anterior eye. A promising therapy seeks to deliver stem cells to the TM to regenerate the tissue and restore its function. However, like many stem cell-based regenerative therapies, preclinical development relies heavily on histology to evaluate outcomes. To expedite clinical translation, we are developing an ultrasound/photoacoustic (US/PA) imaging platform for longitudinal tracking of stem cells in the anterior eye. : Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were labeled with gold nanospheres and injected through the cornea into the anterior chamber of porcine eyes. Physiological pressure was imposed to mimic conditions. AuNS-labeled MSCs were injected through the cornea while single-wavelength US/PA images were acquired. At 5 hours post-injection, three-dimensional multi-wavelength US/PA datasets were acquired and spectroscopic analysis was used to detect AuNS-labeled MSCs. US/PA results were compared to fluorescent microscopy. : The US/PA imaging platform was able to provide real-time monitoring of the stem cell injection and distinguish AuNS-labeled MSCs from highly absorbing background tissues in the anterior segment. : Our US/PA imaging approach can inform preclinical studies of stem cell therapies for glaucoma treatment, motivating further development of this theranostic imaging tool for ophthalmic applications.
Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, 313 Ferst Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA.
Full articleClassification:
2.17 Stem cells (Part of: 2 Anatomical structures in glaucoma)
6.12 Ultrasonography and ultrasound biomicroscopy (Part of: 6 Clinical examination methods)