Cellular uptake of protein-bound magnetic nanoparticles in pulsed magnetic field

J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2010 Dec;10(12):7965-70. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2010.3019.

Abstract

A method for fast delivery of proteins conjugated to superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) into mammalian cells by applying a strong magnetic field in pulses was proposed. Firstly, SPION were prepared from an alkaline solution of divalent and trivalent iron ions and covalently bound with protein through the activation of N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC). After fluorescently labelling, the protein-nanoparticle conjugate was mixed with mammalian cell line and exposed to a pulsed magnetic field for short durations of few milliseconds. Results suggested that superparamagnetic nanoparticles were able to carry proteins into living cells immediately. Cellular internalization of the fluorescently labelled protein-nanoparticle conjugate was proved by the observation of cell fluorescence in a fluorescent microscopy, as well as cell analysis by a flow cytometer. We found that the cellular uptake was accomplished dominantly by the process of bombardment of magnetic nanoparticles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Endocytosis*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Fluorescein / chemistry
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Nanoconjugates / chemistry*
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Proteins / pharmacokinetics*
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / chemistry
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / pharmacokinetics
  • Spectrophotometry, Atomic

Substances

  • Magnetite Nanoparticles
  • Nanoconjugates
  • Proteins
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine
  • Fluorescein