3P-387 : Vertical nanowire electrode array for intracellular electrical stimulation to enhance neurogenesis of human neural stem cells

In human body, neuron is the most active site of electrical activity. However, extracellular electrical stimulation has been applied to provide electrical potential from outside of the cell membrane. Here, to overcome these limitations, we developed a vertical nanowire electrode array (VNEA) to directly provide intracellular electrical potential and current into cells through nanoelectrodes. Human neural stem cells (hNSCs) were cultured on the VNEA for intracellular electrical stimulation. Intracellular electrical stimulation improved neuronal differentiation of hNSCs more effectively relative to extracellular electrical stimulation. In addition, the array itself was revealed to be a good substrate for adhesion and differentiation of hNSCs due to its nanotopography. Our study demonstrates that VNEA with advanced nanoelectrodes can provide a highly effective culture and stimulation platform for stem cell engineering.