MoS2-LA-PEI nanocomposite carrier for real-time imaging of ATP metabolism in glioma stem cells co-cultured with endothelial cells on a microfluidic system

•This nanocarrier with high efficiency and low toxicity was used to image ATP in GSC.•This method bearks up the correlation between low molecular weight and low efficacy.•This biocompatible nanocarrier can allow for real-time and long-term monitoring.

Stimuli-responsive carriers have extensively attracted attention in recent years. However, long-term and real-time tracking ability with stimuli-responsive carrier is still in its infant stage due to the limitations such as, low efficacy, instability and cytotoxicity in a bio-environment. In this work, we developed a reduction-sensitive carrier composed of lipoic acid-modified low molecular weight polyethyleneimine (LA-PEI) and large surface ratio MoS2 nanosheet integrated via disulfide bond to mimic a high molecular weight PEI. The positively charged carriers loading negatively charged aptamer enter the cells for a real time long-term tracking of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) metabolism in glioma stem cells (GSCs) when stimulated by TGFβ factor secreted from HUVECs. We envision that MoS2-LA-PEI carrier has a promising potential for delivery and monitoring the changes in live cells with low cytotoxicity and high efficiency.