Magnetic Nano-Actuation Platform for Remote and Controllable Mechanostimulation of Schwann Cells with Real-Time...

Mechanical forces critically regulate cellular behavior, yet many existing methods of mechanical stimulation rely on direct physical contact or artificially engineered extracellular environments, thereby limiting their flexibility in dynamic live-cell studies. Here, we present a magnetic nano-actuation platform for remote, non-contact, and controllable mechanostimulation of Schwann cells in vitro. This integrated setup enables remote magnetic stimulation and synchronized live-cell imaging in the same experimental session. This manuscript describes the preparation of fluorescent superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPIONs), optionally actin-targeting functionalized SPIONs (f-SPIONs), the construction and calibration of a microscope-compatible electromagnetic stimulation device, the estimation of magnetic forces at the single-particle and single-cell levels, and the integration of magnetic actuation with real-time confocal imaging. Schwann cells are highly mechanosensitive glial cells that play essential roles in the development, maintenance, and repair of peripheral nerves. Real-time monitoring of their responses to mechanical stimulation is crucial for understanding how mechanical forces influence cytoskeletal organization and cellular behavior. This platform provides a reproducible workflow for studying Schwann cell mechanobiology and may be adapted to other mechanically responsive cell types and multicellular systems.