PLGA-Encapsulated Perfluorocarbon Nanoparticles for Simultaneous Visualization of Distinct Cell Populations by ¹⁹ F MRI

AIM: In vivo imaging using (19)F MRI is advantageous, due to its ability to quantify cell numbers, but is limited for a lack of suitable labels. Here, we formulate two stable and clinically applicable labels for tracking two populations of primary human dendritic cells (DCs) simultaneously. MATERIALS & METHODS: Plasmacytoid and myeloid DCs are able to take up sufficient nanoparticles (200 nm) for imaging (10(12 19)F's per cell), despite being relatively nonphagocytic. RESULTS: Clinically relevant numbers of labeled DCs could be imaged in about 10 min, even on a clinical scanner. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate the use of perfluorocarbon nanoparticles for simultaneous (19)F MRI of distinct cell populations in a clinical setting, without spectroscopic imaging.