A bioconjugated MoS₂ based nanoplatform with increased binding efficiency to cancer cells

We evaluate the application of surfactant-free liquid-phase exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets as a nanoplatform for a cancer detection and treatment system equipped with an antibody-antigen based recognition element. Employing antigen-antibody binding, we increased the probability of the endocytosis of MoS2 nanosheets into CAIX expressing cells by 30%. The nanosheets are functionalized with a specific antibody M75, which forms an antigen-antibody complex with CAIX. The bioconjugation of MoS2 nanosheets involves biocompatible components with low cytotoxicity, verified in the tested cell lines by fluorescence-based cell viability assay. The cellular internalization is quantified by flow cytometry, while the internalization is confirmed by label-free confocal Raman imaging. Raman measurements show increased lysosomal activity in the proximity of the internalized nanoplatforms.