ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the field of nanomagnetic actuation as applied to the manipulation and control of cellular functions and the potential for the technique in biological and clinical applications. Interestingly, the origin of nanomagnetic actuation of cellular ion channels perhaps lies in a theoretical model developed to explain potential interactions of magnetic iron compounds in the brain with environmental electromagnetic fields. In the past few years, we have demonstrated the activation of platelet-derived growth factor receptors using Magnetic Activation of Receptor Signaling technology to control both mesenchymal stem cells differentiation and up-regulation of smooth muscle actin. The manipulation and control of cell behavior through magnetic nanoparticle-based actuation is a relatively new technique, which has led to novel and exciting biomedical applications. Nanomagnetic actuation is more than simply a tool for studying cell function—it is opening up a new field of research with applications that go beyond cell biology and, hopefully, one day into the clinic.
