Market Assessment of a novel magnetic resonance imaging platform for long-term In-vivo cell tracking

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This proposal seeks to fund a market assessment of a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) platform for sensitive and long-term tracking of therapeutic cells deep in the body. Therapeutic cells, such as stem cells, are used to repair damaged tissue and grow new ones. Currently, stem cells are used to treat patients with leukemia or other blood disorders. Many other tissue targets are under intense development worldwide but have not advanced into the clinic, including stem cell therapy to treat the brain and nervous system, heart, liver, kidneys, and skeletal muscle. While each organ has its own set of specific challenges and some are decades away from benefiting patients, a common hurdle is the current gap in our ability to monitor cells in the body. In preclinical animal studies, it is extremely difficult to optimize the ingredients for successful therapy without a way to look deep into the body and see if transplanted cells stay, grow, and contribute to new function. Eventually, in human stem cell transplant patients, it would be extremely valuable if we had a way to monitor the progress and success of therapy.The Cheng Lab has discovered a new mechanism for creating bright signal from cells, even human stem cells. This platform is based on MRI and offers the unique combination of high-sensitivity, long-term cell tracking, deep-tissue imaging, and non-invasiveness. Existing cell tracking technologies offer either high sensitivity or long-term tracking, not both, and may involve ionizing radiation. Briefly, our technology turns on the bright signal from stem cells at any time post-transplantation. Signal is generated only in cells that remain alive. In this way, one can determine and localize cell survival and their integration in new tissue. The group has filed a provisional patent and is working towards a PCT patent. The market assessment is the first step towards securing additional I2I funding that will be key in developing this cell tracking MRI platform into a research tool for a vast expanse of preclinical research.