title: Microelectromechanical System-Based Sensing Arrays for Comparative in Vitro Nanotoxicity Assessment at Single Cell and Small Cell-Population Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy.
abstract: The traditional in vitro nanotoxicity assessment approaches are conducted on a monolayer of cell culture. However, to study a cell response without interference from the neighbor cells, a single cell study is necessary; especially in cases of neuronal, cancerous, and stem cells, wherein an individual cell's fate is often not explained by the whole cell population. Nonetheless, a single cell does not mimic the actual in vivo environment and lacks important information regarding cell communication with its microenvironment. Both a single cell and a cell population provide important and complementary information about cells' behaviors. In this research, we explored nanotoxicity assessment on a single cell and a small cell population using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device. We demonstrated a controlled capture of PC12 cells in different-sized microwells (to capture a different number of cells) using a combined method of surface functionalization and dielectrophoresis. The present approach provides a rapid nanotoxicity response as compared to other conventional approaches. This is the first study, to our knowledge, which demonstrates a comparative response of a single cell and small cell colonies on the same MEMS platform, when exposed to metaloxide nanoparticles. We demonstrated that the microenvironment of a cell is also accountable for cells' behaviors and their responses to nanomaterials. The results of this experimental study open up a new hypothesis to be tested for identifying the role of cell communication in spreading toxicity in a cell population.
authors: Nanobioengineering/Bioelectronics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University , 10555 West Flagler Street, Miami, Florida 33174, United States.
authors: Pratikkumar
authors: P
authors: Shah
authors: Nanobioengineering/Bioelectronics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University , 10555 West Flagler Street, Miami, Florida 33174, United States.
authors: Xuena
authors: X
authors: Zhu
authors: Research Center for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 100083, P. R. China.
authors: Xueji
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Physics, Florida International University , Miami, Florida 33199, United States.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: He
authors: Nanobioengineering/Bioelectronics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University , 10555 West Flagler Street, Miami, Florida 33174, United States.
authors: Chen-zhong
authors: CZ
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D058266:Dielectric Spectroscopy; D004566:Electrodes; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D017971:Tin Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D017971:Tin Compounds; C009495:titanium dioxide; C109984:indium tin oxide; D003300:Copper; D014025:Titanium; C030973:cupric oxide
keywords: MEMS; cell-communication; impedance spectroscopy; nanotoxicity; single cell