在更广泛的设定条件下，研究人员注意到，这种利用磁场变换对细胞过程的控制方法也许可以应用于那些以通过表面膜受体的聚集来调节信号通路为基础的细胞功能。作者: small 时间: 2012-11-14 09:02
A magnetic switch for the control of cell death signalling in in vitro and in vivo systems
Nature Materials
(2012)
doi:10.1038/nmat3430
The regulation of cellular activities in a controlled manner is one of the most challenging issues in fields ranging from cell biology to biomedicine1, 2. Nanoparticles have the potential of becoming useful tools for controlling cell signalling pathways in a space and time selective fashion3, 4. Here, we have developed magnetic nanoparticles that turn on apoptosis cell signalling by using a magnetic field in a remote and non-invasive manner. The magnetic switch consists of zinc-doped iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles5 (Zn0.4Fe2.6O4), conjugated with a targeting antibody for death receptor 4 (DR4) of DLD-1 colon cancer cells. The magnetic switch, in its On mode when a magnetic field is applied to aggregate magnetic nanoparticle-bound DR4s, promotes apoptosis signalling pathways. We have also demonstrated that the magnetic switch is operable at the micrometre scale and that it can be applied in an in vivo system where apoptotic morphological changes of zebrafish are successfully induced.