Tissue engineering using magnetite nanoparticles.

The major advantage of magnetic manipulation is "remote control." Magnetic labeling of cells with magnetic nanoparticles enables the manipulation of cells and also the control of cell functions by applying an external magnetic field. "Functional" magnetite nanoparticles were developed for cell manipulation using magnetic force, and the magnetite nanoparticles were applied to tissue-engineering processes, which are designated as magnetic force-based tissue engineering (Mag-TE). This chapter reviews recent progress in Mag-TE techniques, and the principles and utilities of the applications are discussed. This review covers three topics of magnetic cell manipulation using magnetite nanoparticles, including a magnetic force-based gene transfer technique (magnetofection), magnetic cell patterning using functional magnetite nanoparticles and micro-patterned magnetic field gradient concentrators, and finally applications for fabrication of tissue-like constructs in skin, liver, and muscle tissue engineering.