MAGNETIC RESONANCE TRACKING OF MAGNETICALLY LABELED CELLS

摘要

The method of the present invention is to label living cells so as to render them detectable in MRI. The invention relates to the use of magnetic resonance (MR) sensitive agents to render treated living cells identifiable and distinguishable in MR Imaging (MRI). MR sensitive agents can be bound to a targeting compound such as a protein or antibody. The targeting compound reacts with living cells in a way that the MR sensitive agent is incorporated into the or onto the cell surface. The MR sensitive agents can also be coated with agents that render the magnetic resonance sensitive agent able to bind to or be internalized by cells. The treated cells of the invention can be applied to patient for any therapeutic, diagnostic, or experimental purpose. The invention also encompasses imaging the host with MRI to locate MR labeled cells, to track their migration or bio-distribution non-invasively, and to establish to survival characteristics of such cells.