The heart is a complex organ that has more than three dimensions since, unlike any other organ, it also displays rhythm and contractility. In addition, it is an asymmetric and anisotropic organ with JAK inhibitor variable anatomy. Furthermore, the infarcted myocardium is a hypoxic environment that is not favorable for cell survival. The use of nanotechnology brings new, exciting opportunities to address these challenges through stem cell research and development. Nanotechnology involves Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the development of materials and functional structures with at least one characteristic dimension measured in nanometers. Due to the size of their constituent particles, these materials can
be manipulated to exhibit new and enhanced physical, chemical, and biological properties, creating unique advantages when compared with both macroscopic Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical materials and molecular systems. Nanoscopic objects can be designed to optimize the balance of internal volume and external surface area, and many functionalities can be added to their surface and interior, making them ideal vessels for transport and tissue-selective targeting. The application of nanotechnology in stem cell research and development
has become a new interdisciplinary frontier in materials science and regenerative medicine. This review presents Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical several prospective applications of various nanoscale technologies applied to the field of stem cell therapy for the treatment of CVDs. Application of Nanoparticles in Imaging and Tracing of Stem Cells For the development of stem cell therapies, novel imaging techniques to study stem cell engraftment dynamics after cell delivery Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical are essential
to monitor the cells’ fate in a noninvasive and real-time fashion over a reasonably long observation period in both animal models and in clinical trials.10 11 Nyolczas et al. have reviewed the current results for tracking the fate of stem cells delivered to the heart.12 To date, imaging techniques including bioluminescence, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical magnetic resonance imaging much (MRI), contrast agents, near infrared fluorescence, radioactive substrates, and post-mortem histological analysis have been used to detect migration and homing of the transplanted cells.7 13–25 MRI Labeling There are several types of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) that are used to label stem cells, including superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), which are 50 nm to 200 nm in diameter, and ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles, approximately 35 nm in diameter. The major limitation of SPIONs for labeling mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is their low intracellular labeling efficiency. The MRI signal hypointensity caused by those particles does not reflect the actual cell count after several rounds of cell division due to particle dilution.