Cell Creeping and Controlled Migration by Magnetic Carbon Nanotubes

V. Raffa, O. Vittorio, G. Ciofani, V. Pensabene, A. Cuschieri

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    19 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are tubular nanostructures that exhibit magnetic properties due to the metal catalyst impurities entrapped at their extremities during fabrication. When mammalian cells are cultured in a CNT-containing medium, the nanotubes interact with the cells, as a result of which, on exposure to a magnetic field, they are able to move cells towards the magnetic source. In the present paper, we report on a model that describes the dynamics of this mammalian cell movement in a magnetic field consequent on CNT attachment. The model is based on Bell's theory of unbinding dynamics of receptor-ligand bonds modified and validated by experimental data of the movement dynamics of mammalian cells cultured with nanotubes and exposed to a magnetic field, generated by a permanent magnet, in the vicinity of the cell culture wells. We demonstrate that when the applied magnetic force is below a critical value (about F (c) a parts per thousand 10(-11) N), the cell 'creeps' very slowly on the culture dish at a very low velocity (10-20 nm/s) but becomes detached from the substrate when this critical magnetic force is exceeded and then move towards the magnetic source.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)257-262
    Number of pages6
    JournalNanoscale Research Letters
    Volume5
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2010

    Keywords

    • Cell creeping and migration
    • Carbon nanotubes
    • Magnetism
    • ADHESION
    • DELIVERY
    • NANOPARTICLES
    • DESTRUCTION
    • DISPERSION

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Cell Creeping and Controlled Migration by Magnetic Carbon Nanotubes'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this