In Situ Visualization of Dynamic Cellular Effects of Phospholipid Nanoparticles via High‐Speed Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy

Abstract

Phospholipid nanoparticles have been actively employed for numerous biomedical applications. A key factor in ensuring effective and safe applications of these nanomaterials is the regulation of their interactions with target cells, which is significantly dependent on an in‐depth understanding of the nanoparticle‐cell interactions. To date, most studies investigating these nano‐bio interactions have been performed under static conditions and may lack crucial real‐time information. It is, however, noteworthy that the nanoparticle‐cell interactions are highly dynamic. Consequently, to gain a deeper insight into the cellular effects of phospholipid nanoparticles, real‐time observation of cellular dynamics after nanoparticle introduction is necessary. Herein, a proof‐of‐concept in situ visualization of the dynamic cellular effects of sub‐100 nm phospholipid nanoparticles using high‐speed scanning ion conductance microscopy (HS‐SICM) is reported. It is revealed that upon introduction into the cellular environment, within a short timescale of hundreds of seconds, phospholipid nanoparticles can selectively modulate the edge motility and surface roughness of healthy fibroblast and cancerous epithelial cells. Furthermore, the dynamic deformation profiles of these cells can be selectively altered in the presence of phospholipid nanoparticles. This work is anticipated to further shed light on the real‐time nanoparticle‐cell interactions for improved formulation of phospholipid nanoparticles for numerous bioapplications.

Microfluidic-assisted formulation of cell membrane-camouflaged anisotropic nanostructures

“…Nanomaterials of various compositions and shapes have been actively developed over the years for different theranostic and nanomedicine applications. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Among these, anisotropic gold (Au) nanostructures, such as Au nanocages, nanorods, and nanostars, stand out because of their distinct physicochemical properties which may be leveraged for biomedical imaging, biological sensing, and disease phototherapies. [13][14][15][16][17] While anisotropic Au nanostructures have demonstrated tremendous potential for biomedical applications, the utilization and clinical translation of these nanomaterials are still hampered by numerous obstacles.…”

Mapping Nanomechanical Properties of Basal Surfaces in Metastatic Intestinal 3D Living Organoids with High‐Speed Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy

“…[23] In order to suppress such the damage and enable a long-term imaging, scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) has been recently used for measuring nanomechanical properties in various cell lines. [24][25][26][27][28] SICM uses electrolyte-filled glass nanopipette as a probe and an ion current flow through the probe that is sensitive to the tip-surface separation for obtaining topography of samples. [29,30] A small fluid force induced around the tip allows for measuring the deformation of soft surface by the force, providing local mechanical properties and topographies simultaneously without the tip-sample contact.…”