| 초록 |
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely explored for cell therapies. After systemic delivery, most of MSCs are entrapped in lung, resulting in the delivery of MSCs to the undesired site and the low efficacy of cell therapy. We exploited hyaluronic acid (HA) for liver target-specific systemic delivery of genetically engineered MSCs (eMSCs). We conjugated N-terminal group of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) to aldehyde-modified HA for the surface modification of eMSCs. Successful synthesis of HA-WGA conjugate was confirmed by gel permeation chromatography, circular dichroism, and ELISA/Bradford assay. Cytotoxicity of HA-WGA conjugate and incorporation of HA-WGA conjugate into cellular membrane of eMSCs were assessed by MTT assay and confocal microscopy. After surface modification of eMSCs with HA-WGA conjugate, liver target-specific delivery of eMSCs/HA-WGA conjugates was investigated via ex vivo bioimaging with an IVIS® imaging system and a fluorescence microscope. |
