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Neuroregenerative and Neuroprotective Strategies Based on Smart Nanomaterials
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Neuroregenerative and Neuroprotective Strategies Based on Smart Nanomaterials

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2021) | Viewed by 12369

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Vittoria Raffa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
Interests: nanomedicine; molecular biology; neuroscience

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the nerve regeneration process a large number of biological events, including axonal outgrowth, spatial organization of different cell types, cell–cell interactions, and cell–matrix interactions, need to be re-assembled. Recent advances in nanomedicine have opened up exciting perspectives for the treatment of nerve injuries that seemed inconceivable only a few years ago. Nanomaterials can be used to finely modulate nerve regeneration by localization of therapeutic factors or depletion of detrimental molecules; for physical guidance of the nerve regeneration process; to promote axon outgrowth by altering intracellular signaling cascades or perturbing intrinsic neural electric activity. This open-access Special Issue will bring together original research and review articles to highlight new discoveries, approaches, and technical developments in the field of nanomedicine for promoting axon outgrowth, nerve regeneration, and neuroprotection. The goal of the Special Issue is to summarize and enlarge the knowledge in nanomedicine-driven strategies for the treatment of injuries and diseases affecting the peripheral (PNS) and the central nervous system (CNS).

Topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Nanomaterials for altering neural signaling pathways
  • Nanomaterials to promote axon outgrowth
  • Nanomaterials to finely regulate the biodistribution and bioavailability of therapeutic factors at the injury site and, eventually, also the depletion of detrimental molecules (in regeneration and neuroprotection strategies)
  • Nanomaterials in neurological implants for boosting the neuronal network activity
  • Nanomaterials for physical guidance of the nerve regeneration process
  • Nanomaterials to modulate intrinsic neural electric activity by altering cell polarization and depolarization

Prof. Vittoria Raffa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Nanomaterials
  • Axon outgrowth
  • Neural regeneration
  • Neuroprotection
  • Neural diseases

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4909 KiB  
Article
Induction of Axonal Outgrowth in Mouse Hippocampal Neurons via Bacterial Magnetosomes
by Sara De Vincentiis, Alessandro Falconieri, Frank Mickoleit, Valentina Cappello, Dirk Schüler and Vittoria Raffa
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(8), 4126; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22084126 - 16 Apr 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2838
Abstract
Magnetosomes are membrane-enclosed iron oxide crystals biosynthesized by magnetotactic bacteria. As the biomineralization of bacterial magnetosomes can be genetically controlled, they have become promising nanomaterials for bionanotechnological applications. In the present paper, we explore a novel application of magnetosomes as nanotool for manipulating [...] Read more.
Magnetosomes are membrane-enclosed iron oxide crystals biosynthesized by magnetotactic bacteria. As the biomineralization of bacterial magnetosomes can be genetically controlled, they have become promising nanomaterials for bionanotechnological applications. In the present paper, we explore a novel application of magnetosomes as nanotool for manipulating axonal outgrowth via stretch-growth (SG). SG refers to the process of stimulation of axonal outgrowth through the application of mechanical forces. Thanks to their superior magnetic properties, magnetosomes have been used to magnetize mouse hippocampal neurons in order to stretch axons under the application of magnetic fields. We found that magnetosomes are avidly internalized by cells. They adhere to the cell membrane, are quickly internalized, and slowly degrade after a few days from the internalization process. Our data show that bacterial magnetosomes are more efficient than synthetic iron oxide nanoparticles in stimulating axonal outgrowth via SG. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroregenerative and Neuroprotective Strategies Based on Smart Nanomaterials)
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20 pages, 2983 KiB  
Article
Parallelized Manipulation of Adherent Living Cells by Magnetic Nanoparticles-Mediated Forces
by Maud Bongaerts, Koceila Aizel, Emilie Secret, Audric Jan, Tasmin Nahar, Fabian Raudzus, Sebastian Neumann, Neil Telling, Rolf Heumann, Jean-Michel Siaugue, Christine Ménager, Jérôme Fresnais, Catherine Villard, Alicia El Haj, Jacob Piehler, Monte A. Gates and Mathieu Coppey
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(18), 6560; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21186560 - 8 Sep 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4783
Abstract
The remote actuation of cellular processes such as migration or neuronal outgrowth is a challenge for future therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine. Among the different methods that have been proposed, the use of magnetic nanoparticles appears to be promising, since magnetic fields can [...] Read more.
The remote actuation of cellular processes such as migration or neuronal outgrowth is a challenge for future therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine. Among the different methods that have been proposed, the use of magnetic nanoparticles appears to be promising, since magnetic fields can act at a distance without interactions with the surrounding biological system. To control biological processes at a subcellular spatial resolution, magnetic nanoparticles can be used either to induce biochemical reactions locally or to apply forces on different elements of the cell. Here, we show that cell migration and neurite outgrowth can be directed by the forces produced by a switchable parallelized array of micro-magnetic pillars, following the passive uptake of nanoparticles. Using live cell imaging, we first demonstrate that adherent cell migration can be biased toward magnetic pillars and that cells can be reversibly trapped onto these pillars. Second, using differentiated neuronal cells we were able to induce events of neurite outgrowth in the direction of the pillars without impending cell viability. Our results show that the range of forces applied needs to be adapted precisely to the cellular process under consideration. We propose that cellular actuation is the result of the force on the plasma membrane caused by magnetically filled endo-compartments, which exert a pulling force on the cell periphery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroregenerative and Neuroprotective Strategies Based on Smart Nanomaterials)
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Review

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27 pages, 1780 KiB  
Review
Manipulation of Axonal Outgrowth via Exogenous Low Forces
by Sara De Vincentiis, Alessandro Falconieri, Vincenzo Scribano, Samuele Ghignoli and Vittoria Raffa
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(21), 8009; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21218009 - 28 Oct 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4284
Abstract
Neurons are mechanosensitive cells. The role of mechanical force in the process of neurite initiation, elongation and sprouting; nerve fasciculation; and neuron maturation continues to attract considerable interest among scientists. Force is an endogenous signal that stimulates all these processes in vivo. The [...] Read more.
Neurons are mechanosensitive cells. The role of mechanical force in the process of neurite initiation, elongation and sprouting; nerve fasciculation; and neuron maturation continues to attract considerable interest among scientists. Force is an endogenous signal that stimulates all these processes in vivo. The axon is able to sense force, generate force and, ultimately, transduce the force in a signal for growth. This opens up fascinating scenarios. How are forces generated and sensed in vivo? Which molecular mechanisms are responsible for this mechanotransduction signal? Can we exploit exogenously applied forces to mimic and control this process? How can these extremely low forces be generated in vivo in a non-invasive manner? Can these methodologies for force generation be used in regenerative therapies? This review addresses these questions, providing a general overview of current knowledge on the applications of exogenous forces to manipulate axonal outgrowth, with a special focus on forces whose magnitude is similar to those generated in vivo. We also review the principal methodologies for applying these forces, providing new inspiration and insights into the potential of this approach for future regenerative therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroregenerative and Neuroprotective Strategies Based on Smart Nanomaterials)
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