Giuseppe Ferrauto1,
Pierangela Giustetto1, Daniela Delli Castelli1, Marta
Ruzza1, Francesca Garello1, Silvio Aime1,
Enzo Terreno1
1Molecular
Biotechnology & Health Sciences, Molecular Imaging Center, Torino, Italy
The development of innovative strategies for labeling cells with Gd-based MRI agents is an important topic. It has been demonstrated that the ability of a labeling agent to generate a contrast when internalized into a cell is significantly higher if it is localized in the cytosol. Ultrasound stimulation can permeabilize cell membranes, allowing the passage of molecules from the external solution to cytosol. The purpose of this work was to design a proper experimental set-up for optimizing the cell labeling procedure via sonoporation. Furthermore the study was aimed at evaluating the effect of the presence of liposomes on labeling efficiency.