Cell-Based Therapies: Ferromagnetic Versus Superparamagnetic Cell Targeting

Stem-cell-based therapies rely on the transplantation of stem cells or stem-cell-derived organotypic cells into injured tissues in order to improve or restore tissue function that has been impaired by various diseases. The potential of induced pluripotent stem cells has created many applications in...

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Main Authors: Tasneem Halhouli, Lisa Münchhalfen, Sarkawt Hamad, Larissa Schmitz-Ullrich, Frank Nitsche, Felix Gaedke, Astrid Schauss, Linlin Zhang, Quoc-Khanh Pham, Gang Bao, Kurt Paul Pfannkuche
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Bioengineering
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/6/657
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author Tasneem Halhouli
Lisa Münchhalfen
Sarkawt Hamad
Larissa Schmitz-Ullrich
Frank Nitsche
Felix Gaedke
Astrid Schauss
Linlin Zhang
Quoc-Khanh Pham
Gang Bao
Kurt Paul Pfannkuche
author_facet Tasneem Halhouli
Lisa Münchhalfen
Sarkawt Hamad
Larissa Schmitz-Ullrich
Frank Nitsche
Felix Gaedke
Astrid Schauss
Linlin Zhang
Quoc-Khanh Pham
Gang Bao
Kurt Paul Pfannkuche
author_sort Tasneem Halhouli
collection DOAJ
description Stem-cell-based therapies rely on the transplantation of stem cells or stem-cell-derived organotypic cells into injured tissues in order to improve or restore tissue function that has been impaired by various diseases. The potential of induced pluripotent stem cells has created many applications in the field of cell therapy, for example. Some applications, for example, those in cardiac cell therapy, suffer from low or very low efficiencies of cell engraftment. Therefore, magnetic cell targeting can be discussed as a method for capturing superparamagnetic nanoparticle-labelled cells in the tissue. Here, we employ superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for the intracellular magnetic loading of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In addition, we test a novel strategy of labelling MSCs with ferromagnetic particles. The adhesion assays demonstrate a faster adhesion kinetic of SPIONs-loaded MSC spheroids when a magnetic field was applied, resulting in >50% spheroid adhesion after 30 min. Clustering of cells inside the magnetic field is a second potential mechanism of magnetic cell retention and >80% of cells were found to be aggregated in clusters when placed in a magnetic field for 10 min. SPIONs-loaded and ferromagnetic-particle-loaded cells performed equally in the cell clustering assay. In conclusion, the clustering of SPION-labelled cells explains the observation that magnetic targeting reaches maximal efficiency in vivo after only 10 min of magnetic field application. This has significant implications for magnetic-targeting-assisted stem cell and cell replacement therapies.
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publishDate 2025-06-01
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spelling doaj-art-91a6b2ffd8474cc1b32fcb3e1c40a8812025-08-20T03:27:13ZengMDPI AGBioengineering2306-53542025-06-0112665710.3390/bioengineering12060657Cell-Based Therapies: Ferromagnetic Versus Superparamagnetic Cell TargetingTasneem Halhouli0Lisa Münchhalfen1Sarkawt Hamad2Larissa Schmitz-Ullrich3Frank Nitsche4Felix Gaedke5Astrid Schauss6Linlin Zhang7Quoc-Khanh Pham8Gang Bao9Kurt Paul Pfannkuche10Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, GermanyCenter for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, GermanyCenter for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, GermanyCenter for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, GermanyInstitute for Zoology, General Ecology, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, GermanyExcellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Imaging Facility, 50931 Cologne, GermanyExcellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Imaging Facility, 50931 Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USACenter for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, GermanyStem-cell-based therapies rely on the transplantation of stem cells or stem-cell-derived organotypic cells into injured tissues in order to improve or restore tissue function that has been impaired by various diseases. The potential of induced pluripotent stem cells has created many applications in the field of cell therapy, for example. Some applications, for example, those in cardiac cell therapy, suffer from low or very low efficiencies of cell engraftment. Therefore, magnetic cell targeting can be discussed as a method for capturing superparamagnetic nanoparticle-labelled cells in the tissue. Here, we employ superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for the intracellular magnetic loading of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In addition, we test a novel strategy of labelling MSCs with ferromagnetic particles. The adhesion assays demonstrate a faster adhesion kinetic of SPIONs-loaded MSC spheroids when a magnetic field was applied, resulting in >50% spheroid adhesion after 30 min. Clustering of cells inside the magnetic field is a second potential mechanism of magnetic cell retention and >80% of cells were found to be aggregated in clusters when placed in a magnetic field for 10 min. SPIONs-loaded and ferromagnetic-particle-loaded cells performed equally in the cell clustering assay. In conclusion, the clustering of SPION-labelled cells explains the observation that magnetic targeting reaches maximal efficiency in vivo after only 10 min of magnetic field application. This has significant implications for magnetic-targeting-assisted stem cell and cell replacement therapies.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/6/657superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs)ferromagnetic particlesmurine MSCs
spellingShingle Tasneem Halhouli
Lisa Münchhalfen
Sarkawt Hamad
Larissa Schmitz-Ullrich
Frank Nitsche
Felix Gaedke
Astrid Schauss
Linlin Zhang
Quoc-Khanh Pham
Gang Bao
Kurt Paul Pfannkuche
Cell-Based Therapies: Ferromagnetic Versus Superparamagnetic Cell Targeting
Bioengineering
superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs)
ferromagnetic particles
murine MSCs
title Cell-Based Therapies: Ferromagnetic Versus Superparamagnetic Cell Targeting
title_full Cell-Based Therapies: Ferromagnetic Versus Superparamagnetic Cell Targeting
title_fullStr Cell-Based Therapies: Ferromagnetic Versus Superparamagnetic Cell Targeting
title_full_unstemmed Cell-Based Therapies: Ferromagnetic Versus Superparamagnetic Cell Targeting
title_short Cell-Based Therapies: Ferromagnetic Versus Superparamagnetic Cell Targeting
title_sort cell based therapies ferromagnetic versus superparamagnetic cell targeting
topic superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs)
ferromagnetic particles
murine MSCs
url https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/6/657
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