title: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles regulate smooth muscle cell phenotype.
abstract: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) are used for an increasing range of biomedical applications, from imaging to mechanical actuation of cells and tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the loading of smooth muscle cells (SMC) with SPION and to explore what effect this has on the phenotype of the cells. Adherent human SMC were loaded with ∼17 pg of unconjugated, negatively charged, 50 nm SPION. Clusters of the internalized SPION particles were held in discrete cytoplasmic vesicles. Internalized SPION did not cause any change in cell morphology, proliferation, metabolic activity, or staining pattern of actin and calponin, two of the muscle contractile proteins involved in force generation. However, internalized SPION inhibited the increased gene expression of actin and calponin normally observed when cells are incubated under differentiation conditions. The observed change in the control of gene expression of muscle contractile apparatus by SPION has not previously been described. This finding could offer novel approaches for regulating the phenotype of SMC and warrants further investigation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2412-2419, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Applied Biomedical Engineering Group, Division of Medicine, University College London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Angelopoulos
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Southern
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Quentin A
authors.initials: QA
authors.lastname: Pankhurst
authors.affiliation: Applied Biomedical Engineering Group, Division of Medicine, University College London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Day
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000032:analysis* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles
keywords: SPION; biomaterials; muscle; regenerative medicine