Rapid and efficient cell labeling with a MRI contrast agent by electroporation in the presence of protamine sulfate

• Published in: Nanomedicine (London, England) Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 305 - 315
• Main Authors: Wang, Lijun, Wang, Zhigang, Frank, Tim G, Brown, Stuart I, Chudek, Sandy A, Cuschieri, Alfred
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Future Medicine Ltd 01.04.2009
• Subjects: Cancer; Care and treatment; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Membrane Permeability; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Contrast media; Contrast Media - metabolism; Contrast Media - pharmacology; Dextrans; Electroporation; Ferrosoferric Oxide; Humans; Infection; Iron - chemistry; Iron - metabolism; Iron - pharmacology; magnetic cell labeling; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Magnetite Nanoparticles; MRI; Oxides - metabolism; Oxides - pharmacology; Polylysine - metabolism; Polylysine - pharmacology; protamine sulfate; Protamines - metabolism; Protamines - pharmacology; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; SPION; Staining and Labeling - methods; Sulfates; transfection
• ISSN: 1743-5889; 1748-6963
• DOI: 10.2217/nnm.09.6

To investigate various protocols for magnetic labeling of human cancer cells with ferumoxides with a view to developing an effective and fast technique for potential clinical use in MRI. Transfection methods utilizing poly- -lysine and protamine sulfate (PS), electroporation, and combination of PS with electroporation were evaluated in this study. Although transfection was more effective in terms of uptake rates (95-–100%) and intracellular iron concentrations (4.01-–7.34 pg/cell), all transfection agents required prolonged incubation. By contrast, electroporation yielded fast labeling but with a lower efficacy (68-–75%, 1.63-–2.59 pg/cell). The addition of PS to electroporation increased the labeling efficacy (80-–91%, 2.84-–4.16 pg/cell) and protected cell viability. This combined method also resulted in the best T *-shortening effect in the cellular MRI. The combined PS-–electroporation method provides a fast and efficient protocol for ferumoxide-based cellular imaging and therapeutic procedure.