Labeling stem cells with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: analysis of the labeling efficacy by microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging.

Stem cell therapy has emerged as a potential therapeutic option for cell death-related heart diseases. Application of non-invasive cell tracking approaches is necessary to determine tissue distribution and lifetime of stem cells following their injection and will likely provide knowledge about poorly understood stem cells mechanisms of tissue repair. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a potentially excellent tool for high-resolution visualization of the fate of cells after transplantation and for evaluation of therapeutic strategies.