Abstract #1831
Hot spot imaging of microcapsules: An initial assessment of detection with fluorine and magnetization transfer imaging
Barnett B, Gilad A, Ruiz-Cabello J, Kraitchman D, Arepally A, Bulte J, van Zijl P, McMahon M
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
The hallmark of microencapsulation technology is its ability to create a permeability barrier between graft tissue and host immune system. Immuno-isolation of cells encapsulated in alginate-PLL-alginate capsules has proven effective in treating a number of human diseases in small-scale clinical trials. For further advancement in the clinic, a means of imaging microcapsules post-transplantation in order to assess biodistribution and functionality is needed. To this end, we present two techniques to image microcapsules. The first utilizes fluorine imaging to detect capsules loaded with a PFPE agent. The second utilizes magnetization transfer imaging to detect the PLL inherent in APA microcapsules.
