(C) University College London
ミニ磁石（赤）を搭載した
ヒトの細胞の顕微鏡像
（緑が細胞質，青が核）
血管の傷を修復する幹細胞を，傷の部分に集中的に送り込む新たな方法が動物実験で成功した。この方法では，鉄を含む微小な粒子に幹細胞を付着させ，体外から磁石で幹細胞を傷害部位に誘導する。粒子自体はすでにMRIで造影剤として臨床使用されているものが用いられた。ラットを使った実験では，血管の傷害部位に通常の5倍もの数の幹細胞を集めることができた。血管以外の臓器の治療や，抗体やウイルスを使った治療にも応用できるという。（吉田素子）
Microscopic(1) magnetic(2) particles(3) have been used to bring stem cells(4) to sites of cardiovascular(5) injury(6) in a new method designed to increase the capacity of cells(7) to repair damaged tissue(8), UCL scientists announced today.
The cross disciplinary(9) research, published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology(10): Cardiovascular Interventions(11), demonstrates a technique where endothelial progenitor cells(12) – a type of stem cell shown to be important in vascular(13) healing processes(14) – have been magnetically(15) tagged with(16) a tiny iron-containing(17) clinical agent(18), then successfully(19) targeted to(20) a site of arterial(21) injury using a magnet(22) positioned outside the body.
Following magnetic targeting, there was a five-fold(23) increase in cell localisation(24) at a site of vascular injury in rats(25). The team also demonstrated a six-fold increase in cell capture(26) in an in-vitro(27) flow system (where microscopic particles are suspended(28) in a stream of fluid(29) and examined to see how they behave).
Although magnetic fields(30) have been used to guide cellular(31) therapies(32), this is the first time cells have been targeted using a method directly applicable(33) to clinical practice. The technique uses an FDA (US Food and Drug Administration)(34) approved agent that is already used to monitor cells in humans using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) (35).
Dr Mark Lythgoe, UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical(36) Imaging(37), the senior author(38) of the study, said: “Because the material we used in this method is already FDA approved we could see this technology being applied in human clinical trials(39) within three to five years.
(1) 微小な (2) 磁性の (3) 粒子 (4) 幹細胞 (5) 心血管の (6) 損傷 (7) 細胞 (8) 組織 (9) 学際的な
(10) 心臓病学（The Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular interventionsは雑誌名）
(11) インターベンション (12) 内皮前駆細胞 (13) 血管の (14) 治癒過程 (15) 磁気的に
(16) ～を付けた (17) ～を含む (18) 臨床薬 (19) 成功裏に (20) ～を標的として狙いが定められる
(21) 動脈の (22) 磁石 (23) 5倍の (24) 局在化 (25) ラット (26) 捕獲 (27) 生体外の (28) 懸濁される
(29) 液体 (30) 磁場 (31) 細胞による (32) 治療 (33) 適用できる (34) FDA（米国食品医薬品局）
(35) MRI（磁気共鳴画像法） (36) 生物医学的 (37) 画像化 (38) 主席著者 (39) 臨床試験
