Detection and Quantification of Cells using Magnetic Particle Imaging and Magnetic Microspheres

Kierstin P. Melo, The University of Western Ontario

Abstract

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is an emerging imaging modality that specifically detects superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs). Our lab has shown that cell tracking with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has very high sensitivity, but low specificity and quantification of iron labeled cells is difficult. MPI cell tracking could overcome these limitations. A Momentum^TM MPI system was installed at Robarts in August 2019 and this is the first project to be completed using MPI. In Chapter 2 a series of in vitro experiments are reported which tested the repeatability and reproducibility of imaging SPIO labeled cell samples. There are no reports of the use of micron-sized iron oxide particles (MPIO) for cell tracking by MPI. Therefore, in Chapter 3, MPIO was evaluated for in vivo detection and quantification of cancer cells in the mouse brain by MPI. In Chapter 4, limitations of these studies and plans for future work are discussed.