Single-walled carbon nanotube facilitated photoacoustic stimulation of marrow stromal cells towards osteoblasts

The ability to control marrow stromal cell (MSC) differentiation towards osteoblasts could potentially play a key role in bone regeneration. Here we examine the efficacy of the photoacoustic (PA) effect enhanced by the presence of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on the differentiation of MSCs. We report that MSCS in the presence or absence of SWNTs exposed to brief PA stimulation (10 mins daily) using a nanosecond pulse-laser over a period 16 consecutive days have increased osteodifferentiation.