Chief, Diagnostic Radiology at NIH to Speak at 3rd Imaging in Drug Development Conference March 2008

Monrovia, CA, January 09, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Joseph Frank, Chief, Experimental Neuroimaging Section, Laboratory of Diagnostic Radiology at NIH will speak at GTCbio’s 3rd Imaging in Drug Development conference on March 17-18, 2008 in San Diego.

Dr. Frank will present on using MRI to monitor cellular therapy.

Magnetic labeling of cells provides the ability to monitor the temporal spatial migration of stem cells and other mammalian cells using in vivo MRI. Various methods have been used to magnetically label cells using FDA approved dextran coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles complexed to FDA approved transfection agents allowing for efficient and effective uptake of the contrast agent by stem cells. A variety of different approaches have been used to label stem cells with SPIO nanoparticles with no toxicity, alterations in viability, proliferation, production of reactive oxygen species, increase rates of apoptosis or ability to differentiate. Both experimental and clinically used paramagnetic (gadolinium) and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles have been used to label stem cells, progenitor cells, immune cells and cancer cell lines for cellular MRI studies (1,2,3). Larger micron sized iron oxide commercially available particles or beads (MPIO) are also being used to label cells for cellular MRI studies in experimental models (4). Labeled cells have been implanted under stereotactic guidance intracerebrally or intraventricularly into contralateral hemisphere to pathology (i.e., stroke, brain tumor) demonstrating the ability of the labeled cells to migrate out of the ventricle or across the corpus callosum being tracked by MRI. Magnetically labeled stem cells and progenitor cells have been directly implanted into the spinal cord adjacent to the area of induced trauma or pathology. Intravenous and intracardiac injection of labeled cells has also been used although larger numbers of labeled cells are usually injected because of the initial homing of cells in to other organs such as lung, liver spleen and bone marrow prior to the migration to target tissue. Dendritic cells labeled with SPIO can provide the capability to track cells used for immunotherapy (5). Neuronal cells labeled with ferumoxides could be track by MRI following implantation into damaged cortex and white matter for several weeks in a patient suffering from traumatic brain injury (6). Potential applications of using magnetically labeled stem cells and MRI should allow for the development of novel experimental and clinical treatment trials providing a non-invasive approach that can be used to optimize cellular based therapies to determine when to give cells, how often to give cells and potentially the number and combination
of cells that will that can be used.

The 3rd Imaging in Pre-clinical & Clinical Drug Development conference features presentations on novel imaging methods and technology, imaging in drug development and therapy, imaging applications in CNS, imaging applications in oncology and imaging applications in the cardiovascular system. For more information, visit www.gtcbio.com.

About GTCbio

GTCbio organizes conferences specifically for the biomedical and biopharmaceutical industries. Our goal is to facilitate the exchange of biopharmaceutical and biomedical intelligence between industry leaders, academic and government organizations, and the financial community.

GTCbio is a subsidiary of Global Technology Community, LLC, a privately held company founded in 2002.

Contact: GTCBIO (626) 256-6405, (626) 256-6460 fax, customerservices@gtcbio.com

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