In vivo stem cell tracking using scintigraphy in a canine model of DMD

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 10681
• Main Authors: Barthélémy, Inès, Thibaud, Jean-Laurent, de Fornel, Pauline, Cassano, Marco, Punzón, Isabel, Mauduit, David, Vilquin, Jean-Thomas, Devauchelle, Patrick, Sampaolesi, Maurilio, Blot, Stéphane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 30-06-2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/61/2296; 692/699/375/374; Animal models; Animals; Apoptosis; Bioengineering; Cell death; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Cell fate; Cell Movement - physiology; Cell therapy; Cell Tracking - methods; Disease Models, Animal; Dogs; Duchenne's muscular dystrophy; Dystrophin - metabolism; Dystrophy; Female; Femoral artery; Humanities and Social Sciences; Imaging; Labeling; Life Sciences; Liver; Male; multidisciplinary; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Muscle, Skeletal - pathology; Muscular dystrophy; Muscular Dystrophy, Animal - metabolism; Muscular Dystrophy, Animal - pathology; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne - metabolism; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne - pathology; Radioactivity; Radionuclide Imaging - methods; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Scintigraphy; Stem cells; Stem Cells - metabolism; Stem Cells - pathology; Tissue Distribution - physiology
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66388-w

One of the main challenges in cell therapy for muscle diseases is to efficiently target the muscle. To address this issue and achieve better understanding of
in vivo
cell fate, we evaluated the relevance of a non-invasive cell tracking method in the Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy (GRMD) model, a well-recognised model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Mesoangioblasts were directly labelled with
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In-oxine, and injected through one of the femoral arteries. The scintigraphy images obtained provided the first quantitative mapping of the immediate biodistribution of mesoangioblasts in a large animal model of DMD. The results revealed that cells were trapped by the first capillary filters: the injected limb and the lung. During the days following injection, radioactivity was redistributed to the liver.
In vitro
studies, performed with the same cells prepared for injecting the animal, revealed prominent cell death and
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In release.
In vivo
, cell death resulted in
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In release into the vasculature that was taken up by the liver, resulting in a non-specific and non-cell-bound radioactive signal. Indirect labelling methods would be an attractive alternative to track cells on the mid- and long-term.