Internalization, Translocation and Biotransformation of Silica-Coated Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Neural Stem Cells

Nanotechnology has gained massive applications in the fields of biology and pharmacology. Recently, more research attention has been paid to explore the interaction between nanoparticles (NPs) and cells, in particular, the entry of NPs into cells. Herein, we focus on the internalization of the FITC-labeled silica-coated titania NPs (FITC-TiO2@SiO2 NPs) in neural stem cells (NSCs) and their subsequent translocation. Various microscopic techniques, such as confocal-laser-scanning microscopy (CFLSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to track the time-dependent pathway of NPs in cells. It was found that NPs traversed cell membrane and localized around the cell nucleus. Most NPs congregated in lysosomes and were transformed by lysosomes after 48 h co-incubation.