Abstract #3714

Silica-Coated Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Are More Durable for Labeling Mesenchymal Stem Cells than Poly(Ethylene Glycol)-Coated Counterparts: Pilot In-Vivo Assay Results

Yi-Xiang Wang¹, K. C. Leung², T. Quercy-Jouvet², H. H. Wang³, C. P. Chak², S. Lin³, D. F. Wang³, D. W. Au⁴, P. C. Leung⁵, K. P. Fung⁵

¹Department of Imaging & Interventional Radiology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong; ²Center of Novel Functional Molecules, Department of Chemistry, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; ³Department of Imaging & Interventional Radiology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; ⁴4Department of Biology & Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong; ⁵Institute of Chinese Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Silica has good biocompatility and hydrophilicity. When silica is coated outside the SPIO core, the silica shell may be able to act as a stabilizer, limiting the effect of intracellular enzymes and acids on the core particles. In this study, an attempt was made to compare the transfecting agent-free mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) labeling using SPIO with different coatings, with a view to study the durability and retainability of these SPIOs in MSCs. The preliminary results in this study suggest silica coating offers better protection to its SPIO core compared with biodegradable PEG coating when the nanomaterials are within MSCs.