Altering Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Surface Properties Induce Cortical Neuron Cytotoxicity

Author

Christopher J. Rivet
Yuan Yuan
Diana Andra Borca-Tasciuc
Ryan J. Gilbert, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow

Abstract

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, with diameters in the range of a few tens of nanometers, display the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and are envisioned as diagnostic and therapeutic tools in neuro-medicine. However, despite the numerous applications being explored, insufficient information is available on their potential toxic effect on neurons. While iron oxide has been shown to pose a decreased risk of toxicity, surface functionalization, often employed for targeted delivery, can significantly alter the biological response. This aspect is addressed in the present study, which investigates the response of primary cortical neurons to iron oxide nanoparticles with coatings frequently used in biomedical applications: amino silane, dextran, and Poly dimethylamine. Prior to administering the particles to neuronal cultures, each particle type was thoroughly characterized to assess the (1) size of individual nanoparticles, (2) concentration of the particles in solution, and (3) agglomeration size and morphology. Culture results show that Poly dimethylamine functionalized nanoparticles induce cell death at all concentrations tested by swift and complete removal of the plasma membrane. Amino silane coated particles affected metabolic activity only at higher concentrations while leaving the membrane intact, and dextran-coated nanoparticles partially altered viability at higher concentrations. These findings suggest that nanoparticle characterization and primary cell-based cytotoxicity evaluation should be completed prior to applying nanomaterials to the nervous system. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Recommended Citation

C. J. Rivet et al., "Altering Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Surface Properties Induce Cortical Neuron Cytotoxicity," Chemical Research in Toxicology, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 153 - 161, American Chemical Society, Jan 2012.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1021/tx200369s

Department(s)

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Comments

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Grant R15HD061096

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

1520-5010; 0893-228X

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2025 American Chemical Society, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

13 Jan 2012

PubMed ID

22111864