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Perfluorocarbon Labeling of Human Glial‐Restricted Progenitors for ¹⁹F Magnetic Resonance Imaging

This study demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating perfluorocarbon (PFC) into human glial‐restricted progenitors for in vivo ¹⁹F magnetic resonance imaging. Central to the use of PFC for clinical trials of transplantation into patients with diseases of the brain and spinal cord, including ALS, is the demonstration that PFCs do not significantly alter the glial identity of the Q‐Cell product. Finally, PFCs did not interfere with the capacity for differentiation into astrocytes either in vitro or following transplantation into the ventral horn of the mouse spinal cord and can be visualized in the brain using ¹⁹F MRI following transplantation. These studies form the foundation for future ¹⁹F MRI imaging studies using large animal and, eventually, human clinical trials.