Live imaging of NPCs
Noninvasive imaging of neuronal progenitor cells in the live human brain has been impossible because of the shortcomings of existing imaging methods, specifically the toxicity of PET and the low sensitivity associated with MRI. A new method based on a high-sensitivity form of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) could avoid both drawbacks and noninvasively detect endogenous CNS biomarkers in the human brain.
Scientists from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory reported in the Nov. 9, 2007 issue of Science 1 that 1H-MRS identified a 1.28-p.p.m. spectral peak that was significantly increased in neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) compared with the same peak in neurons and glial cells. Although the molecule or molecules corresponding to the 1.28-p.p.m. peak still must be characterized, initial data demonstrated the technology's ability to identify and track NPCs in rat and human brains...