Cytocompatibility and immunomodulatory properties of wood based nanofibrillated cellulose

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), unique and promising natural materials have gained significant attention recently for biomedical applications, due to their special biomechanical characteristics, surface chemistry, good biocompatibility and low toxicity. However, their long bio-persistence in the organism may provoke immune reactions and this aspect of CNFs has not been studied to date. Therefore, the aim of this work was to examine and compare the cytocompatibility and immunomodulatory properties of CNFs in vitro. CNFs (diameters of 10-70 nm; lengths of a few microns) were prepared from Norway spruce (Picea abies) by mechanical fibrillation and high pressure homogenisation. L929 cells, rat thymocytes or human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) were cultivated with CNFs. None of the six concentrations of CNFs (31.25 mu g/ml-1 mg/ml) induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in the L929 cells, nor induced necrosis and apoptosis of thymocytes and PBMNCs. Higher concentrations (250 mu g/ml-1 mg/ml) slightly inhibited the metabolic activities of the L929 cells as a consequence of inhibited proliferation. The same concentrations of CNFs suppressed the proliferation of PBMNCs to phytohemaglutinine, a T-cell mitogen, and the process was followed by down-regulation of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma production. The highest concentration of CNFs inhibited IL-17A, but increased IL-10 and IL-6 production. The secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha as well as Th2 cytokine (IL-4), remained unaltered. In conclusion, the results suggest that these CNFs are cytocompatible nanomaterial, according to current ISO criteria, with non-inflammatory and non-immunogenic properties. Higher concentrations seem to be tolerogenic to the immune system, a characteristic very desirable for implantable biomaterials.