Promoter Reporter Systems for Imaging of Cells Transplanted into Post-infarcted Heart

Abstract

Recently, stem/progenitor cell therapies have been intensively pursued. An increasing body of evidence has shown the promising results with respect to transient recovery of cardiac function in a variety of animal models with the use of stem cells interventions. Unfortunately, it is still not possible to fully and functionally replace the irreversibly damaged heart tissue. Moreover, the optimal cell population for organ regeneration has not been yet identified. Prior to possible optimization strategy to find ideal cell candidates, we shall keep in mind that successful organ regeneration is a very complex process. Within such development, the administered cells require proper homing and a graft retention that would be next followed by the cell electromechanical coupling with recipient organ cardiomyocytes [1]. Recent advances in molecular imaging techniques opened many platforms that would allow tracking of transplanted cells and optimization of delivery protocols with their subsequent multimodal imaging [2].