Utilization of Multiphoton Imaging For Real-Time Fate Determination of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in an Immunocompetent Mouse Model.

The clinical application of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) for the treatment of a variety of diseases is the focus of intense research. Despite large research efforts many questions regarding MSC biology in vivo remain unanswered. For instance, we do not know for certain whether MSCs exert their therapeutic effects directly within the target tissue or indirectly by influencing the polarization of other cell types, such as macrophages, which can then home to the target tissue microenvironment. To help address this issue, the application of intravital multiphoton microscopy allows for the determination of the dynamic action of intact MSCs versus endogenous host cells at the target tissue site in real time.