Control of death receptor-4 mediated apoptosis signaling via magnetic nanoparticles

Abstract

Controlled regulation of cellular activities is one of the important issues from cell biology to drug discovery. In contrast to conventional biochemical ligands, magnetic nanoparticles can become useful tool for controlling cell signaling pathway. This magnetic stimulation system can regulate the cellular activity when magnetic nanoparticles are coupled with magnetic field. Here, zinc-doped iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Zn0.4Fe2.6O4, MNPs), conjugated to targeting receptor antibody, and external magnetic field, can initiate and control extrinsic apoptosis, known as programmed cell death and one of major targets of recent cancer therapy, on death receptor 4 expressing DLD-1, colon cancer cell. This apoptosis signaling is initiated by death receptor clusterization and lipid rafts formation and goes through caspase activation. This magnetic induction of apoptosis signaling shows the possibility of magnetic nanoparticle as a cell signaling inducer. Moreover, further development of magnetic nanoparticle can be applied to therapeutic study.