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Photothermal Attenuation of Cancer Cell Stemness, Chemoresistance, and Migration Using CD44-Targeted MoS2 Nanosheets
Jinyuan Liu1,2, Steve Smith1,2, Congzhou Wang1,2
1Nanoscience and Biomedical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E St Joseph Street, Rapid City, South Dakota 57701, United States.
Abstract:
Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) play key roles in chemoresistance, tumor metastasis, and clinical relapse. However, current CSC inhibitors lack specificity, efficacy, and applicability to different cancers. Herein, we introduce a nanomaterial-based approach to photothermally induce the differentiation of CSCs, termed "photothermal differentiation", leading to the attenuation of cancer cell stemness, chemoresistance, and metastasis. MoS2 nanosheets and a moderate photothermal treatment were applied to target a CSC surface receptor (i.e., CD44) and modulate its downstream signaling pathway. This treatment forces the more stem-like cancer cells to lose the mesenchymal phenotype and adopt an epithelial, less stem-like state, which shows attenuated self-renewal capacity, more response to anticancer drugs, and less invasiveness. This approach could be applicable to various cancers due to the broad availability of the CD44 biomarker. The concept of using photothermal nanomaterials to regulate specific cellular activities driving the differentiation of CSCs offers a new avenue for treating refractory cancers.
Insights
This study introduces photothermal differentiation using MoS2 nanosheets to target CD44 receptors on cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). This approach reduces CSC stemness, chemoresistance, and metastasis, offering a new treatment for refractory cancers.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) drive chemoresistance, metastasis, and relapse.
- Existing CSC inhibitors lack specificity, efficacy, and broad applicability.
- Targeting CSCs is crucial for overcoming treatment resistance in various cancers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel nanomaterial-based strategy for inducing CSC differentiation.
- To investigate the efficacy of photothermal differentiation in attenuating CSC properties.
- To explore the potential of this approach for treating refractory cancers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets for targeted drug delivery and photothermal therapy.
- Applied moderate photothermal treatment to induce CSC differentiation via CD44 receptor modulation.
- Assessed changes in CSC stemness, chemoresistance, and metastatic potential post-treatment.
Main Results:
- Photothermal differentiation effectively reduced CSC stemness and mesenchymal phenotype.
- CSCs exhibited increased sensitivity to anticancer drugs and reduced invasiveness.
- The MoS2 nanosheet approach demonstrated broad applicability across different cancer types due to CD44 biomarker expression.
Conclusions:
- Photothermal differentiation is a promising strategy for targeting CSCs.
- This approach offers a new avenue for treating refractory cancers by modulating CSC behavior.
- Nanomaterial-based photothermal therapy presents a novel method for cancer treatment.
