Fluorine MR technologies to study cellular therapies in vivo

• Applicants: Dr. Andreas Pohlmann; Dr. Sonia Waiczies
• Subject Area: Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology
• Term: from 2010 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 170047119

Cell therapies have been gaining momentum in medicine, especially in the treatment of cancer. The goal of cellular therapies is to promote regenerative processes or restore malfunctioning cells. Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells that mobilize between tissue and lymphatic organs. These cells protect the organism from danger signals, such as tumors, by triggering a specific immune response against danger. Some DCs are also responsible for the development and maintenance of immunological tolerance. Thus DCs have been studied for several years as therapeutic strategies in cancers as well as in autoimmune disease. Challenges pertaining to cell therapies in general include (i) identification of the best therapeutic cell type per disease condition, (ii) establishing the best application site and delivery method for each cell type and (ii) monitoring possible changes in cell function, especially in cell migration, following application. During the first funding period we investigated the feasibility of combined fluorine (19F) / proton (1H) magnetic resonance (MR) methods to study the migration of DCs in the living organism, with the overall goal to better understand and improve cell therapies in disease models. To achieve this, we developed the necessary 19F/1H MR methods and tools to study the tracking of DC in vivo. The aim of the current renewal project proposal is to use, optimize and develop upon the established MR technologies in order to increase signal sensitivity and further reduce the detection limit of the applied cells in order to simplify investigations of cell therapies in different disease models. We will focus on the glioma multiforme as brain tumor model and the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis as animal model of multiple sclerosis.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Major Instrumentation: 19F Kryospule (1/2)
• Instrumentation Group: 1742 NMR-Spektrometer für Imaging-Anwendungen (außer 3231)