T Cell Labeling and Tracking by MRI in Mouse Brain During Viral Infection

Tatjana Atanasijevic¹, Jasmin Herz¹, Dorian McGavern¹, Alan P. Koretsky¹

Viral infection of the central nervous system (CNS) is a common cause of inflammatory disease. Anti-viral T cells recruited from the periphery play a critical role in fighting CNS viral infections. The ability to track single T cells in the brain with MRI would help pre-clinical studies and open novel diagnostic possibilities. Here it is demonstrated that T cells can be labeled with MPIOs in short incubation times and sorted for cells that have internalized particles. These cells can be re-introduced into LCMV-infected mice and detected by MRI opening the possibility of tracking single T cells migrating in the brain.