Single cell live imaging in vivo to understand cell activity in the context of regenerative medicine

Cell-based therapies, such as stem-cell therapies and immunotherapies (e.g., CAR-T cells), have received considerable attention as novel therapeutics with potential to treat degenerative conditions and cancer, respectively. In several studies, cell therapies have been administered systemically in animal models and patients; however, there is a lack of understanding of the fate of the cells, and adverse effects are often under-reported in scientific literature. The most effective way to investigate cell fate in animal models is to monitor them longitudinally using multi-modal non-invasive imaging approaches. This project aims to use a suite of non-invasive imaging techniques to obtain real-time, quantitative, and long-term monitoring of the administered cells to understand their migration, distribution and differentiation in vivo. The project will utilise newly developed contrast agents to label human embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte precursors and track their dissemination in vivo to obtain a mechanistic understanding of cell properties.