tracking transplanted cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells using nuclear medicine imaging.

INTRODUCTION

Transplantation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) is a promising treatment for heart failure. Information on long-term cell engraftment after transplantation is clinically important. However, clinically applicable evaluation methods have not yet been established.

METHODS

In this study, to noninvasively assess transplanted cell engraftment, human , which encodes a sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) that transports radioactive tracers such as I, F-tetrafluoroborate (TFB), and Tc-pertechnetate (TcO), was transduced into human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and nuclear medicine imaging was used to track engrafted human iPSC-CMs.

RESULTS

To evaluate the pluripotency of NIS-expressing human iPSCs, they were subcutaneously transplanted into immunodeficient rats. Teratomas were detected by TcO single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging. NIS expression and the uptake ability of I were maintained in purified human iPSC-CMs. NIS-expressing human iPSC-CMs transplanted into immunodeficient rats could be detected over time using TcO SPECT/CT imaging. Unexpectedly, NIS expression affected cell proliferation of human iPSCs and iPSC-derived cells.

DISCUSSION

Such functionally designed iPSC-CMs have potential clinical applications as a noninvasive method of grafted cell evaluation, but further studies are needed to determine the effects of NIS transduction on cellular characteristics and functions.