Study of the Effect of PEG-Coated Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles on Apoptosis of NK- and NKT-cells of Human Peripheral Blood

Due to its physicochemical properties, graphene oxide is highly prospective for its use in biomedicine; therefore, the mechanisms of its interaction with cells of the immune system are intensively studied. Many modern studies aim to level its undesirable effects by chemical modification (functionalization), including with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Our study aimed to study the effect of graphene oxide nanoparticles functionalized with linear and branched PEG on the apoptosis of NK and NKT cells of human peripheral blood. In parallel, we studied the formation of the protein corona on GO particles coated with different types of PEG in conditions similar to cultural ones. We used GO particles (Ossila, Great Britain) functionalized with linear and branched PEG. We investigated the effect of GO-PEG on early and late apoptosis of NK and NKT cells in a short-term culture of human peripheral blood. As a result of the experiments, it was found that GO nanoparticles at a concentration of 5 μg/mL did not affect cell apoptosis; however, with an increase in the concentration of nanoparticles to 25 μg/mL, apoptosis was triggered predominantly in NK cells. The percentage of apoptotic NK was higher in cultures with GO particles coated with branched PEG, which may be due to a lower sorption rate of serum proteins on these particles.