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Biophysical response of living cells to boron nitride nanoparticles: uptake mechanism and bio-mechanical characterization

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Abstract

Boron nitride nanomaterials have attracted significant interest due to their superior chemical and physical properties. Despite these novel properties, investigation on the interaction between boron nitride nanoparticle (BN NP) and living systems has been limited. In this study, BN NP (100–250 nm) is assessed as a promising biomaterial for medical applications. The toxicity of BN NP is evaluated by assessing the cells behaviours both biologically (MTT assay, ROS detection etc.) and physically (atomic force microscopy). The uptake mechanism of BN NP is studied by analysing the alternations in cellular morphology based on cell imaging techniques. The results demonstrate in vitro cytocompatibility of BN NP with immense potential for use as an effective nanoparticle for various bio-medical applications.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by ARC Future Fellowship project (No. FT100100172), ARC Discovery Project: DP150100828 and QUT Postgraduate Research Award (QUTPRA). This work was performed in part at the central analytical and research facility (CARF) and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI, QUT). The authors gratefully acknowledge Mr. Arixin Bo for his assistance in XRD of BN NP. The authors also acknowledge Miss Saba Farnaghi for her help with ROS production study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Md. Alim Iftekhar Rasel, Tong Li, Trung Dung Nguyen, Sanjleena Singh & YuanTong Gu

  2. Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Yinghong Zhou & Yin Xiao

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  1. Md. Alim Iftekhar Rasel
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  2. Tong Li
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  3. Trung Dung Nguyen
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  4. Sanjleena Singh
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  7. YuanTong Gu
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Correspondence to YuanTong Gu.

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Rasel, M.A.I., Li, T., Nguyen, T.D. et al. Biophysical response of living cells to boron nitride nanoparticles: uptake mechanism and bio-mechanical characterization. J Nanopart Res 17, 441 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-015-3248-2

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