ABSTRACT
Every time we start to read about new technologies or new sciences, we can ‡nd something relevant from ancient mythologies of different civilizations. It seems that human beings live in a closed historical cycle; at least our thinking or ideas remain unchangeable in history, and in this long story, science just helps us to bring ideas and imagination to practical realities and applications. A hero who never dies, and after any injury his body regenerates the lesion, is a classic example to think about the regenerative potential of stem cells. In ancient Iranian mythology, Esfandiyar was such a heroic character; he would recover from his wounds after every encounter with his enemies [Ferdowsi, Shahnameh, 977 A.D]. Nowadays we live in a faster world, where there are more accidents that lead to loss of organs or functions, and anyone can aspire to have this power to regenerate lost
CONTENTS
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 11 2.2 Cell Tracking Agents ......................................................................................................... 14 2.3 Fluorescence ....................................................................................................................... 15 2.4 Quantum Dots .................................................................................................................... 17 2.5 Synthesis, Solubilization, and Bioconjugation ............................................................... 19 2.6 Extracellular and Intracellular Targeting ....................................................................... 20 2.7 In Vivo Application of Quantum Dots ...........................................................................22 2.8 Cellular Fate Tracking in Developmental Biology ........................................................23 2.9 Cell Tracking in Stem Cell Therapy ................................................................................ 24 2.10 Using Quantum Dots as Optical Contrast Agents ........................................................25 2.11 Tumor Targeting and Imaging .........................................................................................25 2.12 Lymph Node and Vascular Mapping ............................................................................. 26 2.13 Bimodal Molecular Imaging Probes ...............................................................................28 2.14 Cytotoxicity ......................................................................................................................... 29 2.15 Magnetic Resonance Imaging .......................................................................................... 31 2.16 Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles ..................................................................................34 2.17 SPIO Applications in Cell Tracking ................................................................................. 37 2.18 Limitations .......................................................................................................................... 39 References ....................................................................................................................................... 39
organs or acquire normal function again. Perhaps it is here that modern stem cell technology follows the ancient mythology, and in few years we may see yet another miracle of the application of scienti‡c knowledge.
