64 Effects of Graphene Oxide, Molybdenum Disulfide and Boron Nitride on Human Dendritic Cells

Abstract

Abstract Graphene oxide and other 2D materials such as molybdenum disulfide and boron nitride have been gaining popularity in various biochemical and industrial applications. Dendritic cells (DCs) are important innate cells that regulate adaptive immune responses and have emerged as the next immune cell of nano-science importance after the commonly published macrophages, as they can also take up nanomaterials. DCs have also been used in nanotechnology to modulate immune response in oncology and autoimmunity and it is crucial to evaluate DC compatibility of common 2D nanomaterials. By using primary human DCs, we show that all materials did not impact DC viability. In terms of cell uptake, BN was mostly located in the cytoplasm while GO was mostly found in phagosomes, and MoS2 was found in both phagosomes and cytoplasm. BN and GO increase DC maturation to different extents, while GO also leads to the release of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines. BN and MoS2 increased T cell proliferation with and without the presence of DCs. BN exerts minimal toxic effect on DC viability and DC-mediated T cell polarization, although some effects were observed in T cells alone. MoS2 did not have an effect on DC maturation, unlike BN, despite having greater material association with DCs. Overall, materials ranked in term of inherent DC toxicity provided the following trend: GO > BN = MoS2, with GO most cytotoxic. With these, we hope to better shape design of 2D nanomaterials for improved immune compatibility. * H Lin, et al. Small. 2022, 18(20), e2107652.