Single-walled carbon nanotubes as supporting structures and stimulating materials for NG108-15 neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid culture cells

Scope and method of study. Understanding the nature of interfacing inorganic materials, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), with living cells is very crucial for the successful utilization of such man-made materials in biological and biomedical applications. The present study illustrates such a possible application where the mechanical and the electrical properties of SWNTs were utilized to design novel structures that were used as supporting platforms and stimulating substrates for NG108-15 hybrid neuronal cells. Composites of nanotubes were prepared using the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly following the surface modification of the nanotubes with positively charged amphiphilic polymer that served as dispersing and stabilizing agent of the nanotubes. The functionalization of the nanotubes was characterized using Raman and absorption spectroscopic in addition to high-resolution transmission electron and atomic force microscopic techniques. The feasibility of the modified nanotube structures, films or freestanding, as supporting and stimulating substrates for neuronal growth and differentiation was investigated. Scanning electron and confocal microscopic techniques were mainly used to characterize the growth of the cells on the nanotube structures. Electrical coupling between the cells and the modified nanotube composites was investigated using the whole cell patch clamp technique.; Findings and conclusions. The used polymer was seen to wrap around the nanotubes in a non-covalent attachment. Its presence on the nanotubes surface imparts a positive surface charge that facilitate the attachment of the cells to the formed nanotube structures. The LBL composites of the modified nanotubes were proven biocompatible to the NG108-15 cells growth and supported the long-term viability of these cells. Better cells differentiation was observed on the surface of the positively-charged nanotube films as compared to that on the surface of a negatively charged culture dish. Freestanding structures of nanotubes were also seen to support the differentiation of the cells and were seen to guide the elaboration and outgrowth of neurites. Furthermore, this study illustrates, for the first time, the possible electrical coupling between living cells and the modified nanotubes. External electrical stimulation via the nanotube LBL films was seen to activate electrical channels within the membrane of NG108-15 cells where outward currents activated through the membrane were detected.