Direct visualization of carbon nanotube degradation in primary cells by photothermal imaging.
Assessment of biodegradability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a critically important aspect that needs to be solved before their translation into new biomedical tools. CNT biodegradation has been shown both in vitro and in vivo, but we are limited by the number of analytical techniques that can be used to follow the entire process. Photothermal imaging (PhI) is an innovative technique that enables the quantitative detection of nanometer-sized absorptive objects. In this study, we demonstrate that PhI allows the observation of the degradation process of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) following their internalization by primary glial cells. The absence of interference from the biological matrix components, together with the possibility to combine PhI with other detection techniques (e.g. fluorescence, light or electron microscopy) validate the potential of this method to follow the fate and behavior of carbon nanostructures in a biological environment.
University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, 67000 Strasbourg, France. a.bianco@ibmc-cnrs.unistra.fr.
Julie
J
Russier
University of Bordeaux, LP2N, F-33405 Talence, France. laurent.cognet@u-bordeaux.fr and Institut d'Optique & CNRS, LP2N, F-33405 Talence, France.
Laura
L
Oudjedi
University of Bordeaux, LP2N, F-33405 Talence, France. laurent.cognet@u-bordeaux.fr and Institut d'Optique & CNRS, LP2N, F-33405 Talence, France.
Martin
M
Piponnier
Nanomedicine Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health and National Graphene Institute, University of Manchester, AV Hill Building, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
Cyrill
C
Bussy
Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Trieste, Trieste 34127, Italy and Carbon Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, CIC biomaGUNE, Paseo de Miramón 182, 20009 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain and Basque Fdn Sci, Ikerbasque, Bilbao 48013, Spain.
Maurizio
M
Prato
Nanomedicine Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health and National Graphene Institute, University of Manchester, AV Hill Building, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
Kostas
K
Kostarelos
University of Bordeaux, LP2N, F-33405 Talence, France. laurent.cognet@u-bordeaux.fr and Institut d'Optique & CNRS, LP2N, F-33405 Talence, France.
Brahim
B
Lounis
University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, 67000 Strasbourg, France. a.bianco@ibmc-cnrs.unistra.fr.
Alberto
A
Bianco
University of Bordeaux, LP2N, F-33405 Talence, France. laurent.cognet@u-bordeaux.fr and Institut d'Optique & CNRS, LP2N, F-33405 Talence, France.
Laurent
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3573-5387
L
Cognet