Mitigating Nanoparticles-induced Neuronal Damage through a Dual Coating Strategy.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) hold significant potential in biomedical applications, including magnetic resonance imaging, cell labeling, drug/gene delivery, and tumor hyperthermia. Understanding interaction between MNPs and cells is fundamental for advancing these biomedical frontiers. Recent studies have highlighted the potential of MNPs in positively influence neural differentiation and proliferation, indicating their utility as a tool for studying neural growing process in vitro. However, emerging evidence underscores the detrimental effects of MNPs on neural cells in terms of morphological and electrophysiological changes, impeding their broader applications. To mitigate the potential neurotoxicity of MNPs, we proposed a dual-coating strategy using bovine serum albumin with polyethylene glycol (BSA-PEG). This strategy aims to enhance the dispersion ability of MNPs while minimizing their adverse effects on neurons. Through comparative analyses between the proposed modified MNPs with solely PEG-coated MNPs across viability, neuromorphology, and electrophysiology, our study offers a pathway to engineer hypo-toxic MNPs structures, thereby fostering their suitability for long-term culture.