Detection of FeraTrack-labeled MSCs by in vivo MRI.

MSC were labeled with Fera Track for 4 h and injected in the vitreous body of the left eye after optic nerve crush. (A-L) Representative images of in vivo MRI at coronal (A,E,I), horizontal (B,F,J), and sagittal planes (C,G,K; at left eye level and D,H,L; at right eye level) at different survival times. Arrows indicate hypointense (black) spots corresponding to FeraTrack-labeled cells in the vitreous body of the left eye. Labeled cells were found at 2 (A-C), 14 (E-G) and 18 weeks (I-K) after optic nerve crush and cell transplantation. The right eye was injected with the washing solution of the cells; no signal was detected (D,H,L and right hemisphere of coronal and horizontal images). The lenses are circled with dashed lines; right (R) and left (L) hemispheres.