Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Biostructure and Bioimaging Institute, National Research Council, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: quarante@unina.it.
References: Not available.
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocolloids in MRI studies of neuroinflammation
Abstract
Iron oxide (IO)
nanocolloids are being increasingly used to image cellular contribution
to neuroinflammation using MRI, as these particles are capable of
labeling circulating cells with phagocytic activity, allowing to assess
cell trafficking from the blood to neuroinflammation sites. The use of
IOs relies on the natural phagocytic properties of immune cells,
allowing their labeling either in vitro or directly in vivo, following
intravenous injection. Despite concerns on the specificity of the latter
approach, the widespread availability and relatively low cost of these
techniques, coupled to a sensitivity that allows to reach single cell
detection, have promoted their use in several preclinical and clinical
studies. In this review, we discuss the results of currently available
preclinical and clinical IO-enhanced MRI studies of immune cell
trafficking in neuroinflammation, examining the specificity of the
existing findings, in view of the different possible mechanisms
underlying IO accumulation in the brain. From this standpoint, we assess
the implications of the temporal and spatial differences in the
enhancement pattern of IOs, compared to gadolinium-based contrast
agents, a clinically established MRI marker blood-brain barrier
breakdown. While concerns on the specificity of cell labeling obtained
using the in-vivo labeling approach still need to be fully addressed,
these techniques have indeed proved able to provide additional
information on neuroinflammatory phenomena, as compared to conventional
Gadolinium-enhanced MRI.
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocolloids in MRI studies of neuroinflammation
No results.
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocolloids in MRI studies of neuroinflammation