Gadolinium3+-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a potential magnetic resonance tracer for monitoring the migration of stem cells in vivo

And with tracking your doctor could tell if your stem cells have located in appropriate places. Which would make repeatable stroke rehab research possible.
http://www.dovepress.com/articles.php?article_id=11861
Abstract: We investigated the tracking potential of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe made of gadolinium-doped mesoporous silica MCM-41 (Gd₂O₃@MCM-41) nanoparticles for transplanted bone mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and neural stem cells (NSCs) in vivo. The nanoparticles, synthesized using a one-step synthetic method, possess hexagonal mesoporous structures with appropriate assembly of nanoscale Gd₂O₃ clusters. They show little cytotoxicity against proliferation and have a lower effect on the inherent differentiation potential of these labeled stem cells. The tracking of labeled NSCs in murine brains was dynamically determined with a clinical 3T MRI system for at least 14 days. The migration of labeled NSCs identified by MRI corresponded to the results of immunofluorescence imaging. Our study confirms that Gd₂O₃@MCM-41 particles can serve as an ideal vector for long-term MRI tracking of MSCs and NSCs in vivo.