Manganese-enhanced MRI in the evaluation of cell-based therapy for myocardial restoration

Three major hypotheses have been previously proposed: cardiac differentiation of transplanted cells (de novo myocardial regeneration), paracrine effect on existing myocardium (myocardial salvage) or recruitment of cardiac progenitor cells. Methods Thirteen Fox Chase SCID Beige mice were subjected to permanent left anterior descending (LAD) ligation to create the mouse myocardial infarction model. 2.5 x 10^5 reporter-gene transduced embryonic stem cells (ESC-RGs) containing firefly luciferase (fluc) were subsequently transplanted into the intra-infarct region in eleven mice.