Fluorine‐containing nanoemulsions for MRI cell tracking

Abstract

In this article we review the chemistry and nanoemulsion formulation of perfluorocarbons used for in vivo ¹⁹F MRI cell tracking. In this application, cells of interest are labeled in culture using a perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion. Labeled cells are introduced into a subject and tracked using ¹⁹F MRI or NMR spectroscopy. In the same imaging session, a high‐resolution, conventional (¹H) image can be used to place the ¹⁹F‐labeled cells into anatomical context. Perfluorocarbon‐based ¹⁹F cell tracking is a useful technology because of the high specificity for labeled cells, ability to quantify cell accumulations, and biocompatibility. This technology can be widely applied to studies of inflammation, cellular regenerative medicine, and immunotherapy. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging