Watch Real-Time Cell Therapy for 'Balggeut Sseokneun Heohyeoljeung' (Ischemia of the Toes)

Acquisition of Early Distribution Imaging of Vascular Differentiated Stem Cell Transplantation
Application in Cell Therapy Research for Vascular Regeneration

Schematic diagram of fluorescent labeling of vascular endothelial progenitor cells using bioorthogonal click chemistry and monitoring after transplantation in a hindlimb ischemia mouse model

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] A technology has been developed that allows real-time observation of how cell therapies for ischemic diseases, such as critical limb ischemia where the toes rot, work inside the human body. With the increase in ischemic disease patients due to changes in diet and obesity, diabetes, and hypertension caused by smoking and drinking, this technology is expected to accelerate the development of ischemic disease treatments.

Dr. Kwangmyeong Kim’s research team at the Teragnosis Research Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), together with Dr. Seonghwan Moon’s team at T&R Biofab Co., Ltd., developed a technology to track the initial distribution and migration of vascular endothelial progenitor cells after in vivo transplantation. Their related research results were recently published in the international journal Biomaterials on the 20th.

Observation of Ischemic Disease Cell Therapy Using Fluorescent Substances

Time-lapse in vivo migration images of transplanted vascular endothelial progenitor cells observed by FMT.

The research team bound fluorescent substances to the surface of vascular endothelial progenitor cells, making them identifiable through fluorescence molecular tomography. They then tracked the cells transplanted into the thigh of mice with critical limb ischemia for 28 days to observe the cells’ movement inside the body and monitored the process of blood flow restoration through laser measurements. This confirmed that vascular endothelial progenitor cells migrate to tissues affected by ischemic disease.

In particular, analysis of images taken shortly after cell therapy transplantation revealed two forms of injected cells. One was a condensed “round shape,” and the other was a widely spread “expanded shape.”

The team classified the experimental groups into these two forms and observed therapeutic efficacy. They found that the group with the “round shape,” which was well condensed at the initial transplantation site, showed better cell migration and therapeutic effects. From this, they concluded that forming the therapy in a condensed “round shape” at the early stage is important for better therapeutic efficacy.

Contribution to the Development of Ischemic Disease Treatments

This is the result of monitoring blood flow regeneration and limb necrosis in a hindlimb ischemia rat model after transplantation of vascular endothelial progenitor cells. Immediately after cell injection, the rats transplanted with vascular endothelial progenitor cells in a condensed form showed higher induction of blood flow regeneration and prevention of limb necrosis.

With this research result enabling real-time observation of the activity of vascular endothelial progenitor cells, which are stem cells that form new blood vessels, the development of ischemic disease treatments is expected to accelerate. Previously, even when vascular endothelial progenitor cells were transplanted for ischemic disease treatment, various variables such as survival of the transplanted cells and migration to the treatment site prevented their use as effective therapies.

Dr. Kwangmyeong Kim stated, “The technology to quickly and accurately monitor the shape and early in vivo changes of transplanted cell therapies allows early prediction of the therapeutic efficacy of transplanted vascular endothelial progenitor cells for ischemic disease.” He added, “It is expected to be utilized in the future development of cell therapies for ischemic disease treatment.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.