Labeling and Imaging of Stem Cells - Promises and Concerns.

For experimental and clinical applications of stem cells cell labeling and tracking is interesting to evaluate cell distribution and homing. Tracking of cells after transplantation can be performed for monitoring the delivery and faith of the graft. Furthermore, imaging techniques are part of the evaluation of the functional effects of cellular therapy in the organism of the host. Therefore, systematic investigations on the development and clinical evaluation of imaging techniques and their possible biological impact on stem cells is an emerging topic of today's applied stem cell research. This article refers to different labeling techniques of stem cells highlighting their promises for clinical use and discussing their possible risks.