Imaging Gliomas with Nanoparticle-Labeled Stem Cells

OBJECTIVE: Gliomas are the most common neoplasm of the central nervous system (CNS); however, traditional imaging techniques do not show the boundaries of tumors well. Some researchers have found a new therapeutic mode to combine nanoparticles, which are nanosized particles with various properties for specific therapeutic purposes, and stem cells for tracing gliomas. This review provides an introduction of the basic understanding and clinical applications of the combination of stem cells and nanoparticles as a contrast agent for glioma imaging. DATA SOURCES: Studies published in English up to and including 2017 were extracted from the PubMed database with the selected key words of “stem cell,” “glioma,” “nanoparticles,” “MRI,” “nuclear imaging,” and “Fluorescence imaging.” STUDY SELECTION: The selection of studies focused on both preclinical studies and basic studies of tracking glioma with nanoparticle-labeled stem cells. RESULTS: Studies have demonstrated successful labeling of stem cells with multiple types of nanoparticles. These labeled stem cells efficiently migrated to gliomas of varies models and produced signals sensitively captured by different imaging modalities. CONCLUSION: The use of nanoparticle-labeled stem cells is a promising imaging platform for the tracking and treatment of gliomas.