Cell response to magnetic glyconanoparticles: does the carbohydrate matter?

Magnetic nanoparticles have been used in therapeutic and diagnostic approaches in biomedicine for many years. For these applications, it is very important to investigate the nanoparticle-cell interactions. In this study we report a simple method for the preparation of gold-iron nanoparticles protected and functionalized with biologically relevant saccharides (maltose, lactose, and glucose). The nanoparticles were subsequently tested in vitro with a human fibroblast cell line to determine biocompatibility, and the cell-particle interactions, using fluorescence and scanning electron microscopies. Different cellular responses were obtained for each type of glyconanoparticle, demonstrating that the cells can recognize the saccharides on the nanoparticles.