Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Ye, Lijun
• Ji, Haichao
• Liu, Jie
• Tu, Chien‐Hua
• Kappl, Michael
• Koynov, Kaloian
• Vogt, Johannes
• Butt, Hans‐Jürgen

Titel

Carbon Nanotube–Hydrogel Composites Facilitate Neuronal Differentiation While Maintaining Homeostasis of Network Activity

Ist Teil von

• Advanced materials (Weinheim), 2021-10, Vol.33 (41), p.e2102981-n/a

Ort / Verlag

Germany: Wiley Subscription Services, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Wiley Online Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• It is often assumed that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) stimulate neuronal differentiation by transferring electrical signals and enhancing neuronal excitability. Given this, CNT–hydrogel composites are regarded as potential materials able to combine high electrical conductivity with biocompatibility, and therefore promote nerve regeneration. However, whether CNT–hydrogel composites actually influence neuronal differentiation and maturation, and how they do so remain elusive. In this study, CNT–hydrogel composites are prepared by in situ polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) around a preformed CNT meshwork. It is demonstrated that the composites facilitate long‐term survival and differentiation of pheochromocytoma 12 cells. Adult neural stem cells cultured on the composites show an increased neuron‐to‐astrocyte ratio and higher synaptic connectivity. Moreover, primary hippocampal neurons cultured on composites maintain morphological synaptic features as well as their neuronal network activity evaluated by spontaneous calcium oscillations, which are comparable to neurons cultured under control conditions. These results indicate that the composites are promising materials that could indeed facilitate neuronal differentiation while maintaining neuronal homeostasis. A new, versatile method for the preparation of carbon nanotube–poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel composites is developed. The effects of the composites on neuronal differentiation and activity of pheochromocytoma 12 (PC12) cells, adult neural stem cells, and primary hippocampal neurons are investigated. It is demonstrated that the composites can serve as effective scaffolds promoting neuronal differentiation while maintaining network activity homeostasis.