Antibody-functionalized magnetic nanowires for cell purification

摘要

Rapid and efficient cell purification remains challenging. The use of ferromagnetic Ni nanowires for cell purification is considered superior over magnetic beads. In this study, we explored the opportunity to improve cell purification by using antibody-functionalized Ni nanowires. Antibody (anti-CD31) against mouse endothelial cells (MS-1) was conjugated to Ni nanowire surface by self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and chemical covalent reaction. The antibody functionalized nanowires were used to purify the MS-1 from a mixture of MS-1 and mouse fibroblast cells (3T3). The nanowire-bound cells were magnetically separated to determine the separation yield of target cells. Furthermore, the proliferation of nanowire-bound cells was studied by MTT cell proliferation assay. This work demonstrates that antibody-functionalized Ni nanowires provide an effective mean to separate cells.