Cytocompatibility evaluation of glycol-chitosan coated boron nitride nanotubes in human endothelial cells

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are intriguing nanomaterials with a wide range of potential biomedical
applications. The assessment of BNNT interactions with biological systems, at both the cellular and
subcellular levels, is an essential starting point for determining their bio-safety.
We explore the effects of increasing concentrations of GC-BNNTs (0-100 g/mL) on human vein
endothelial cells (HUVECs), testing cell toxicity, proliferation, cytoskeleton integrity, cell activation and
DNA damage.
No significant changes were observed in cell viability, cytoskeleton integrity or DNA damage. Only a
modest reduction in cell viability, tested by trypan blue assay, and the increased expression of vascular
adhesion molecule-1, a marker of cell activation, were detected at the highest concentration used
(100 g/mL).
Taken together, these findings indicate that GC-BNNTs do not affect endothelial cell biology, and are a
promising first step in further investigation of their application potential in vascular targeting, imaging,
and drug delivery.