Nanoparticles increase the effectiveness of stem cell therapy

Ars Technica : Cardiac stem cell therapy is a treatment for heart-related diseasesâmdash;the leading cause of death in the industrialized world. Implantation of the stem cells is currently a process of trial and error involving inserting them via a catheter into the heart’s coronary artery then using expensive and slow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to determine if the cells have reached the damaged tissues. Jesse Jokerst of Stanford University and his colleagues have developed a silica nanoparticle that they embed in the stem cells prior to their implantation. The nanoparticles are easily detected by ultrasound, which allows for real-time tracking of the stem cells. Coupling the use of ultrasound detection with targeted injections makes the stem cell therapy process much simpler and faster than the current technique. Jokerst’s team also added fluorescent dye and small amounts of gadolinium to the nanoparticles, which allowed them to track the location and effectiveness of the stem cells for up to two weeks via MRI.