Magnetic Nanoparticles for Controlling Cellular Behaviors

Dr. Jae-Hyun Lee Post-doc, Lieber Group Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Harvard University, Cambridge

Hopeman 224

Magnetic nanoparticle less than 100 nm exhibits superparamagnetism of which magnetic moments and magnetic anisotropies can be tuned precisely by controlling their size, shape and structure. The tuned properties of magnetic nanoparticle have been used in varieties of bio-medical applications including magnetic resonance imaging, biosensors, cancer treatment, drug deliveries, etc., showing the optimized performances. In this talk, another applicability of magnetic nanoparticle as a switch of cellular metabolism will be discussed. Some cells have a membrane proteins that is especially responsive to mechanical forces for further transduction of intracellular signaling cascades. Due to its size regime similar to the membrane proteins, magnetic nanoparticle can target the single mechanosensitive proteins. The mechanical force exerted from the nanoparticle activates the signaling events which eventually determine the fate of cells: induction of angiogenesis or apoptosis in single cell level. Also the remotely controlled entrainment of auditory hair cell system has been successfully demonstrated by using the tuned properties of magnetic nanoparticles combined with electromagnetic probe.