Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Carbon Nanotubes as Modulators
of Neuronal Growth
Reno C. Reyes and Vladimir Parpura
1
Introduction
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as one of the most promising nanomaterials
that can be used in neurosciences. Recently, the use of CNTs for modulation of neu-
ral cell growth has been an area of active research. CNTs, bare or functionalized with
various chemical groups and biologically relevant molecules, are compatible with
neuronal cell growth. Rather than reporting on the structure, properties and function-
alization of CNTs, that we have previously reviewed elsewhere [for detailed descrip-
tion, see (Bekyarova et al.
2005a
; Bekyarova et al.
2005b
)] in this chapter, we focus
our discussion on a subset of biological applications of both single-walled (SW) and
multi-walled (MW) CNTs: (1) as scaffolds/substrates for adhesion and growth of
neurons and (2) as water-dispersible agents to modulate neurite outgrowth. We begin
by presenting the evidence that bare CNTs can be used as permissive scaffolds. We,
then, discuss the use of functionalized CNTs, which can modulate neuronal growth
in a graded manner; positively charged CNT scaffolds permitted neurite outgrowth
of neurons in culture to a greater extent than when these cells were grown on zwit-
terionic or negatively charged CNTs. Additional physical properties, conductivity
R. C. Reyes
Department of Neurobiology, Center for Glial Biology in Medicine,
Atomic Force Microscopy and Nanotechnology Laboratories,
Civitan International Research Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University
of Alabama , Birmingham , AL , USA
Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco and Veterans Affairs
Medical Center , San Francisco , CA , USA
V. Parpura (
*
)
Department of Neurobiology, Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, Atomic Force Microscopy
and Nanotechnology Laboratories, Civitan International Research Center, Evelyn F. McKnight
Brain Institute, University of Alabama, Birmingham , AL , USA
e-mail: vlad@uab.edu
