Targeting acute myeloid leukemia cells by CD33 receptor-specific MoS2-based nanoconjugates

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly aggressive type of cancer caused by the uncontrolled proliferation of undifferentiated myeloblasts, affecting the bone marrow and blood. Systemic chemotherapy is considered the primary treatment strategy; unfortunately, healthy cells are also affected to a large extent, leading to severe side effects of this treatment. Targeted drug therapies are becoming increasingly popular in modern medicine, as they bypass normal tissues and cells. Two-dimensional MoS2-based nanomaterials have attracted attention in the biomedical field as promising agents for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Cancer cells typically (over)express distinctive cytoplasmic membrane-anchored or -spanning protein-based structures (e.g., receptors, enzymes) that distinguish them from healthy, non-cancerous cells. Targeting cancer cells via tumor-specific markers using MoS2-based nanocarriers loaded with labels or drugs can significantly improve specificity and reduce side effects of such treatment. SKM-1 is an established AML cell line that has been employed in various bio-research applications. However, to date, it has not been used as the subject of studies on selective cancer targeting by inorganic nanomaterials. Here, we demonstrate an efficient targeting of AML cells using MoS2 nanoflakes prepared by a facile exfoliation route and functionalized with anti-CD33 antibody that binds to CD33 receptors expressed by SKM-1 cells. Microscopic analyses by confocal laser scanning microscopy supplemented by label-free confocal Raman microscopy proved that (anti-CD33)-MoS2 conjugates were present on the cell surface and within SKM-1 cells, presumably having been internalized via CD33-mediated endocytosis. Furthermore, the cellular uptake of SKM-1 specific (anti-CD33)-MoS2 conjugates assessed by flow cytometry analysis was significantly higher compared with the cellular uptake of SKM-1 nonspecific (anti-GPC3)-MoS2 conjugates. Our results indicate the importance of appropriate functionalization of MoS2 nanomaterials by tumor-recognizing elements that significantly increase their specificity and hence suggest the utilization of MoS2-based nanomaterials in the diagnosis and therapy of AML.

Automated summary

AML is an aggressive cancer type with systemic chemotherapy as the primary treatment, but targeted drug therapies are becoming more popular due to their ability to bypass normal tissues. MoS2 nanomaterials functionalized with tumor-recognizing elements show promise in improving treatment specificity and reducing side effects. The study demonstrated efficient targeting of AML cells using MoS2 nanoflakes functionalized with anti-CD33 antibody, suggesting the potential utilization of MoS2-based nanomaterials in AML diagnosis and therapy.