Yi-Xiang Wang1, K. C. Leung2, T.
Quercy-Jouvet2, H. H. Wang3, C. P. Chak2,
1Department of Imaging
& Interventional Radiology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin,
NT, Hong Kong; 2Center of Novel Functional Molecules, Department
of Chemistry, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; 3Department
of Imaging & Interventional Radiology, the Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong; 44Department of Biology & Chemistry, City
University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong; 5Institute of Chinese
Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Silica has good biocompatility and hydrophilicity. When silica is coated outside the SPIO core, the silica shell may be able to act as a stabilizer, limiting the effect of intracellular enzymes and acids on the core particles. In this study, an attempt was made to compare the transfecting agent-free mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) labeling using SPIO with different coatings, with a view to study the durability and retainability of these SPIOs in MSCs. The preliminary results in this study suggest silica coating offers better protection to its SPIO core compared with biodegradable PEG coating when the nanomaterials are within MSCs.