Enhanced Self-Renewal and Accelerated Differentiation of Human Fetal Neural Stem Cells Using Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) has received increasing attention in bioengineering fields due to its unique biophysical and electrical properties, along with excellent biocompatibility. The application of GO nanoparticles (GO-NPs) to engineer self-renewal and differentiation of human fetal neural stem cells (hfNSCs) is reported. GO-NPs added to hfNSC culture during neurosphere formation substantially promote cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions in neurospheres. Accordingly, GO-NP-treated hfNSCs show enhanced self-renewal ability and accelerated differentiation compared to untreated cells, indicating the utility of GO in developing stem cell therapies for neurogenesis.