Nanoparticle–Cell Interaction: A Cell Mechanics Perspective

Abstract

Progress in the field of nanoparticles has enabled the rapid development of multiple products and technologies; however, some nanoparticles can pose both a threat to the environment and human health. To enable their safe implementation, a comprehensive knowledge of nanoparticles and their biological interactions is needed. In vitro and in vivo toxicity tests have been considered the gold standard to evaluate nanoparticle safety, but it is becoming necessary to understand the impact of nanosystems on cell mechanics. Here, the interaction between particles and cells, from the point of view of cell mechanics (i.e., bionanomechanics), is highlighted and put in perspective. Specifically, the ability of intracellular and extracellular nanoparticles to impair cell adhesion, cytoskeletal organization, stiffness, and migration are discussed. Furthermore, the development of cutting-edge, nanotechnology-driven tools based on the use of particles allowing the determination of cell mechanics is emphasized. These include traction force microscopy, colloidal probe atomic force microscopy, optical tweezers, magnetic manipulation, and particle tracking microrheology.

Simultaneous Quantification and Visualization of Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterial Uptake at the Single Cell Level in an In Vitro Model of the Human Small Intestine

“…NM103 are prone to form larger aggregates than NM104 NMs within the cells. The large aggregates might impair the mechanical properties of cells …”

Force-Mediating Magnetic Nanoparticles to Engineer Neuronal Cell Function

“…The next step toward neurotherapeutics is to incorporate nanomagnetic force stimulation into neural tissue engineering, (Goldberg et al, 2007 ; Ito and Kamihira, 2011 ) into delivery mechanism of biopharmaceuticals across the blood brain barrier, (Thomsen et al, 2015 ) or into axon elongation strategies for repairing spinal cord injuries (Kilinc et al, 2016 ). The potential of adding magnetic force stimulation to tissue engineering lays in the properties of the nanoparticles to modulate cell mechanics (Septiadi et al, 2018 ) and to induce controlled forces within extracellular constructs to switch between different mechanical properties through turning on and off the magnetic field (Zhang et al, 2016 ). The latter approach is beneficial to squeeze drugs out from a scaffold for a controlled duration during mechanically-force triggered drug delivery (Zhang et al, 2016 ).…”

Application of Bayesian networks in determining nanoparticle-induced cellular outcomes using transcriptomics

“…disruption in vascular endothelial growth factor, sprouting or angiopoietins) depend strongly on NP, exposure dose and duration (Bartczak et al 2013;Mukherjee 2018); Cell adhesion and extracellular matrix responses (e.g. disrupted genes involved in cell-cell junction, morphology, movement, migration or structure) are determined by the exposure dose as also described in (Septiadi et al 2018), NP and tissue (Ahmad Khalili and Ahmad 2015;Engin et al 2017). Cell cycle and proliferation pathway responses (e.g.…”