Abstract

Introduction: Stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) are intended to replace lost dopaminergic neurons. The basis of this treatment is to guide the migration of transplanted cells into the target tissue or injury site. The aim of this study is an evaluation of the homing of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) labeled adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) by an external magnetic field in a rat model of PD. Methods: ADSCs were obtained from perinephric regions of male adult rats and cultured in a DMEM medium. ADSC markers were assessed by immunostaining with CD90, CD105, CD49d, and CD45. The SPION was coated using poly-L-lysine hydrobromide and transfection was determined in rat ADSC using the GFP reporter gene. For this in vivo study, rats with PD were divided into five groups: a positive control group, a control group with PD (lesion with 6-HD injection), and three treatment groups: the PD/ADSC group (PD transplant with ADSCs transfected by BrdU), PD/ADSC/SPION group (PD transplant with ADSCs labeled with SPION and transfected by GFP), and the PD/ADSC/SPION/EM group (PD transplant with ADSCs labeled with SPION and transfected by GFP induced with external magnet). Results: ADSCs were immunoreactive to fat markers CD90 (90.73 +/- 1.7), CD105 (87.4 +/- 2.9) and CD49d (79.6 +/- 2.6), with negative immunostaining at the hematopoietic stem cell marker (CD45: 1.4 +/- 0.4). The efficiency of cells with SPION/PLL was about 96 of ADSC. The highest number of GFP-positive cells was in the ADSC/SPION/EM group (54.5 +/- 1.3), which was significantly different from that in ADSC/SPION group (30.83 +/- 3 and P<0.01). Conclusion: Transfection of ADSC by SPION/PLL is an appropriate protocol for cell therapy. External magnets can be used for the delivery and homing of transplanted stem cells in the target tissue.