Abstract #0663

High-Efficiency Targeting of Glial Precursor Cells to Inflammatory Brain Lesions using the VLA4-VCAM1 Cell Adhesion Pathway: Real-Time MR Monitoring of Instant Cell Engraftment

Inema Orukari^1,2, Mike Gorelik³, Joann Wang³, Shashikala Galpoththawela¹, Heechul Kim¹, Douglas A. Kerr⁴, Michael Levy⁵, Andre Levchenko³, Jeff Bulte¹, Piotr Walczak¹

¹Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; ² Cellular Imaging Section, Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineerin, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; ³Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; ⁴Biogen-IDEC, Cambridge, MA, USA; ⁵Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Stem cells offer hope for treatment of incurable neurological diseases. Efficient systemic delivery of stem cells to brain lesions is an important but still not achieved goal. We evaluated a novel intra-arterial method for targeted stem cell delivery based on genetic engineering of cells to express VLA-4 while performing real-time in vivo MRI monitoring of cell engraftment. Using a microfluidics cell adhesion assay, we demonstrated that VLA-4+ cells preferentially adhered to activated VCAM1+ endothelium. Using a rat model, SPIO-labeled, VLA-4+ cells efficiently homed to activated brain endothelium with MRI being an excellent method to monitor this process in real-time.