Non-invasive Imaging of the In Situ Restoration of Brain Tissue

摘要再生医学正逐渐将干细胞和生物材料应用于组织工程中，以修复受损组织。大脑组织工程的发展一直很缓慢，主要是由于大脑的可及性和能够无创地监测正在进行的过程。然而，非侵入性成像，如MRI，提供了关于大脑损伤部位和程度的信息，为组织工程提供了图像引导的材料注射。然而，在监测植入细胞和非侵入性生物材料方面进展甚微。一个主要的挑战是在不影响检测的情况下，无创地可视化这些不同的成分，或者潜在地可视化脑损伤。重大发展

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Non-invasive Imaging of the In Situ Restoration of Brain Tissue Abstract Regenerative medicine is gradually merging the use of stem cells and biomaterials into tissue engineering to repair damaged tissues. Developments in tissue engineering of the brain have been slow, mostly due to accessibility of the brain and being able to monitor the ongoing process non-invasively. However, non-invasive imaging, such as MRI, provides information as to the site and extent of damage in the brain, affording image- guided injection of material for tissue engineering. However, little progress has been achieved in monitoring implanted cells, as well as biomaterial non-invasively. One major challenge is to visualize these different components non-invasively without the detection of one affecting the detection of the other, or potentially the visualization of brain damage. A significant development of non-invasive imaging is therefore needed to facilitate our ability to monitor the evolution of i situ tissue engineering inside the brain. Specifically, we here aim to: 1) develop magnetic resonance imaging-based paramagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer (PARA-CEST) to distinguish human neural stem cells (NSCs) and human endothelial cells (ECs) and 2) establish a CEST based imaging of a de-cellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) bioscaffold without interfering with our ability to detect a stroke-induced lesion cavity. These studies will provide the framework to monitor in situ tissue engineering for stroke.