Cell Creeping and Controlled Migration by Magnetic Carbon Nanotubes

• Main Authors: Ciofani G, Pensabene V, Raffa V, Vittorio O, Cuschieri A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2009-01-01
• Series: Nanoscale Research Letters
• Subjects: Cell creeping and migration; Carbon nanotubes; Magnetism
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11671-009-9463-y

<p>Abstract</p> <p>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&#8217;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 <it>F</it> _c &#8776; 10^&#8722;11 N), the cell &#8216;creeps&#8217; very slowly on the culture dish at a very low velocity (10&#8211;20 nm/s) but becomes detached from the substrate when this critical magnetic force is exceeded and then move towards the magnetic source.</p>