Exfoliated 2D transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMDCs)-based nanomaterials have captured a huge biomedical territory owing to their supreme physicochemical properties. However, the tedious and harsh chemical exfoliation of bulk MoS2 impacts its utility in the biological domain. The study introduces a facile and environmentally benign way of shape-tunable exfoliation of bulk MoS2 materials in an aqueous dispersion using designed self-assembled, tetrapeptide (Fmoc-HCKF–OH)-based nanostructures, generating hybrid MoS2-peptide nanosystems for both tumor-targeted [employing folic acid (FA) functionalization] and NIR-responsive delivery of anticancer siRNA/drug in glioma. Exfoliated MoS2-peptide NSs here prove to be an excellent photothermal agent by inducing a temperature elevation upto ∼51 °C upon 808 nm NIR absorption. Enhanced siRNA/Dox loading onto the 2D flat morphology of MoS2-peptide NSs resulted in ∼90% cancer cell death in C6 glioma cells under NIR exposure. The expression of the Galectin-1 oncogene was suppressed following the treatment. Thereafter, analysis in the C6 glioma syngeneic rat model demonstrated a significant reduction (>10 fold) in tumor volume with siRNA/Dox-loaded FA-MoS2-peptide NSs + NIR as compared to the phosphate buffer saline-treated control group. Further, in vivo biodistribution studies confirmed the higher targetability of FA-conjugated hybrid NSs. Taken together, our findings promote the utility of TMDC-based nanomaterials in conjecture with a biocompatible peptide scaffold as a trimodal chemo, gene, and phototherapeutic agent.

We are working at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology Mohali, one of the leading research institutes in India in the field of Nano Science. INST is located in Chandigarh, one of the major cities of India.

Contact Us

© TSCM 2022. All rights reserved. Website Design and Developed by SoftAdroit System Solutions