International Journal on Magnetic Particle Imaging IJMPI
Vol. 12 No. 1 Suppl 1 (2026): Int J Mag Part Imag
https://doi.org/10.18416/IJMPI.2026.2603012

Proceedings Articles, ID 1027

MPI reveals MPI reveals injection route-dependent biodistribution of human mesenchymal stem cells in EAE mice

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Ali Shakeri-Zadeh (Johns Hopkins University), Kritika Sood (1The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 2Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA), Aline Thomas (1The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 2Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA), Chengyan Chu (3Program on Image-Guided Neurointerventions, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.), Piotr Walczak (3Program on Image-Guided Neurointerventions, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.), Jeff Bulte (1The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 2Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA)

Copyright (c) 2026 Ali Shakeri-Zadeh, Kritika Sood, Aline Thomas, Chengyan Chu, Piotr Walczak, Jeff Bulte

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) enables real-time and quantitative tracking of magnetically labeled therapeutic cells with remarkable sensitivity and no tissue background. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) possess potent immunomodulatory and regenerative effects in multiple sclerosis (MS), but their efficacy depends on precise delivery and homing to inflamed neural tissues. Using an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model for MS, we dynamically tracked ferucarbotran-labeled hMSCs following four sequential intravenous (IV) or intra-arterial (IA) injections. Minute-timescale MPI acquisitions revealed that IV-injected cells were retained predominantly in the pulmonary space with gradual redistribution to the spleen and liver, consistent with remote immunomodulatory activity via splenic engagement. In contrast, IA delivery achieved immediate cerebral accumulation with strong brain signal and concurrent splenic uptake. These findings demonstrate route-dependent biodistribution patterns and confirm the usefulness of MPI for longitudinal assessment of stem cell delivery.

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