Functionalized Nanocellulose Drives Neural Stem Cells toward Neuronal Differentiation

Pandanaboina, S. C., RanguMagar, A. B., Sharma, K. D., Chhetri, B. P., Parnell, C. M., Xie, J. Y., Srivatsan, M., & Ghosh, A.

Functionalized Nanocellulose Drives Neural Stem Cells toward Neuronal Differentiation

2021

MDPI AG

Biotechnology
Medicine
Extracellular matrix
Nanocellulose
Neuronal differentiation
Rat fetal stem cells

English

Transplantation of differentiated and fully functional neurons may be a better therapeutic option for the cure of neurodegenerative disorders and brain injuries than direct grafting of neural stem cells (NSCs) that are potentially tumorigenic. However, the differentiation of NSCs into a large population of neurons has been a challenge. Nanomaterials have been widely used as substrates to manipulate cell behavior due to their nano-size, excellent physicochemical properties, ease of synthesis, and versatility in surface functionalization. Nanomaterial-based scaffolds and synthetic polymers have been fabricated with topology resembling the micro-environment of the extracellular matrix. Nanocellulose materials are gaining attention because of their availability, biocompatibility, biodegradability and bioactivity, and affordable cost. We evaluated the role of nanocellulose with different linkage and surface features in promoting neuronal differentiation. Nanocellulose coupled with lysine molecules (CNC–Lys) provided positive charges that helped the cells to attach. Embryonic rat NSCs were differentiated on the CNC–Lys surface for up to three weeks. By the end of the three weeks of in vitro culture, 87% of the cells had attached to the CNC–Lys surface and more than half of the NSCs had differentiated into functional neurons, expressing endogenous glutamate, generating electrical activity and action potentials recorded by the multi-electrode array.

Biomaterials, Volume 12, Issue 4, November 2021, page 64

Copyright © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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