Nanomagnetic actuation of receptor-mediated signal transduction.
Complex cell behaviours are triggered by chemical ligands that bind to membrane receptors and alter intracellular signal transduction. However, future biosensors, medical devices and other microtechnologies that incorporate living cells as system components will require actuation mechanisms that are much more rapid, robust, non-invasive and easily integrated with solid-state interfaces. Here we describe a magnetic nanotechnology that activates a biochemical signalling mechanism normally switched on by binding of multivalent chemical ligands. Superparamagnetic 30-nm beads, coated with monovalent ligands and bound to transmembrane receptors, magnetize when exposed to magnetic fields, and aggregate owing to bead-bead attraction in the plane of the membrane. Associated clustering of the bound receptors acts as a nanomagnetic cellular switch that directly transduces magnetic inputs into physiological cellular outputs, with rapid system responsiveness and non-invasive dynamic control. This technique may represent a new actuator mechanism for cell-based microtechnologies and man-machine interfaces.
Mannix
Robert J
RJ
Kumar
Sanjay
S
Cassiola
Flávia
F
Montoya-Zavala
Martín
M
Feinstein
Efraim
E
Prentiss
Mara
M
Ingber
Donald E
DE
D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects
D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D002118:Calcium