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Romero G, Park J, Koehler F, Pralle A, Anikeeva P. Modulating cell signalling in vivo with magnetic nanotransducers. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2022; 2:92. [PMID: 38111858 PMCID: PMC10727510 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00170-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Weak magnetic fields offer nearly lossless transmission of signals within biological tissue. Magnetic nanomaterials are capable of transducing magnetic fields into a range of biologically relevant signals in vitro and in vivo. These nanotransducers have recently enabled magnetic control of cellular processes, from neuronal firing and gene expression to programmed apoptosis. Effective implementation of magnetically controlled cellular signalling relies on careful tailoring of magnetic nanotransducers and magnetic fields to the responses of the intended molecular targets. This primer discusses the versatility of magnetic modulation modalities and offers practical guidelines for selection of appropriate materials and field parameters, with a particular focus on applications in neuroscience. With recent developments in magnetic instrumentation and nanoparticle chemistries, including those that are commercially available, magnetic approaches promise to empower research aimed at connecting molecular and cellular signalling to physiology and behaviour in untethered moving subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Romero
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jimin Park
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Florian Koehler
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Arnd Pralle
- Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Polina Anikeeva
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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