To assess the reparative ability of differentiated mesenchymal stem cells in a rat critical size bone repair defect model using high frequency co-registered photoacoustic/ultrasound imaging and micro computed tomography

摘要

Stem cell based treatments hold great potential and promise to address many unmet clinical needs. The importance of non-invasive imaging techniques to monitor transplanted stem cells qualitatively and quantitatively is crucial. The objective of this study was to create a critical size bone defect in the rat femur and then assess the ability of the differentiated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to repair the defect using high frequency co-registered photoacoustic(PA)/ultrasound(US) imaging and micro computed tomography (uCT) over an 8 week period. Combined PA and US imaging was performed using 256 elements, 21 MHz frequency linear-array transducer combined with multichannel collecting system. In vivo 3D PA and US images of the defect bone in the rat femur were acquired after 4 and 8 weeks of the surgery. 3D co-registered structural such as microvasculature and the functional images such as total concentration of haemoglobin (HbT) and the haemoglobin oxygen saturation (sO_2) were obtained using PA and US imaging. Bone formation was assessed after 4 and 8 weeks of the surgery by uCT. High frequency linear-array based co-registered PA/US imaging has been found promising in terms of non-invasiveness, sensitivity, adaptability, high spatial and temporal resolution at sufficient depths for the assessment of the reparative ability of MSCs in a rat critical size bone repair defect model.