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Permission to enter cell by shape: nanodisk vs nanosphere
Yi Zhang1, Samuel Tekobo, Ying Tu
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|July 31, 2012
Summary
Altering polystyrene nanoparticle shape from spheres to disks enhances cell surface binding and reduces cellular uptake. This shape change minimizes negative impacts on cell functions, making disk nanoparticles safer for biomedical imaging and cell separation.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Nanoparticles are widely used in biomedical applications.
- Nanoparticle shape influences interactions with cells.
- Understanding shape-dependent cellular interactions is crucial for safe nanomedicine development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of polystyrene nanoparticle shape (spheres vs. disks) on cell surface binding and uptake.
- To evaluate the effects of shape-transformed nanoparticles on key cellular functions.
- To assess the potential of disk-shaped nanoparticles as safer biomedical agents.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized and characterized three-dimensional spherical and two-dimensional disk-shaped polystyrene nanoparticles.
- Quantified nanoparticle binding and uptake by cells.
- Assessed cellular responses including reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression.
Main Results:
- Disk-shaped nanoparticles exhibited enhanced cell surface binding compared to nanospheres.
- Nanodisks showed significantly reduced cellular uptake relative to nanospheres.
- Lowered nanodisk uptake resulted in minimal perturbations to cellular ROS generation, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression.
Conclusions:
- Transforming polystyrene nanoparticles from spheres to disks improves cell surface targeting while reducing cellular uptake.
- Disk-shaped nanoparticles demonstrate a favorable safety profile, with minimal impact on cell function.
- These nanodisks represent a promising platform for developing advanced cell membrane-specific imaging agents and tools for applications like molecular imaging, tissue engineering, cell tracking, and stem cell separation.
