Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Life Science Department, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy;
ACS Chem Neurosci. 2012 Aug 15;3(8):611-8. doi: 10.1021/cn300048q. Epub 2012 May 22.
In the past decade, nanotechnology applications to the nervous system have often involved the study and the use of novel nanomaterials to improve the diagnosis and therapy of neurological diseases. In the field of nanomedicine, carbon nanotubes are evaluated as promising materials for diverse therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Besides, carbon nanotubes are increasingly employed in basic neuroscience approaches, and they have been used in the design of neuronal interfaces or in that of scaffolds promoting neuronal growth in vitro. Ultimately, carbon nanotubes are thought to hold the potential for the development of innovative neurological implants. In this framework, it is particularly relevant to document the impact of interfacing such materials with nerve cells. Carbon nanotubes were shown, when modified with biologically active compounds or functionalized in order to alter their charge, to affect neurite outgrowth and branching. Notably, purified carbon nanotubes used as scaffolds can promote the formation of nanotube-neuron hybrid networks, able per se to affect neuron integrative abilities, network connectivity, and synaptic plasticity. We focus this review on our work over several years directed to investigate the ability of carbon nanotube platforms in providing a new tool for nongenetic manipulations of neuronal performance and network signaling.
在过去的十年中，纳米技术在神经系统中的应用通常涉及研究和使用新型纳米材料，以改善神经疾病的诊断和治疗。在纳米医学领域，碳纳米管被评估为具有广泛治疗和诊断应用的有前途的材料。此外，碳纳米管越来越多地应用于基础神经科学方法，并且已被用于设计促进体外神经元生长的神经元接口或支架。最终，碳纳米管被认为具有开发创新神经植入物的潜力。在这种背景下，记录这些材料与神经细胞相互作用的影响尤为重要。已经表明，当用生物活性化合物修饰或功能化以改变其电荷时，碳纳米管会影响神经突的生长和分支。值得注意的是，用作支架的纯化碳纳米管可以促进形成纳米管-神经元混合网络，本身就能够影响神经元的整合能力、网络连接性和突触可塑性。我们专注于我们多年来的工作，旨在研究碳纳米管平台在提供新的非遗传手段来操纵神经元性能和网络信号方面的能力。
