Multifunctional anti-CD33 antibody- and polydopamine-coated curcumin-indocyanine green nanoparticles for in vitro cytotoxic effects against leukemia cells.

In this study, a multifunctional nanoplatform comprising a self-assembled curcumin (Cur) and indocyanine green (ICG) nanodrug core, a polydopamine (pD) coating, and surface-conjugated anti-CD33 antibodies was evaluated for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). ICG promoted stable co-assembly with Cur, while the pD coating improved photostability, enabled pH-responsive release under acidic conditions, and provided reactive groups for antibody immobilization. The resulting anti-CD33 antibody functionalized, pD-coated Cur-ICG nanoparticles (Ab@pDCur-ICG NPs) were designed to promote CD33-associated cellular uptake by AML cells. In vitro studies demonstrated that Ab@pDCur-ICG NPs achieved significantly higher uptake and cytotoxicity in CD33-positive cells than in CD33-negative controls, with uptake reduced upon antibody blocking. Under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the nanoparticles produced enhanced combined chemo-photothermal effects, resulting in greater cell death in CD33-positive leukemia cells. This antibody-functionalized, multimodal nanoplatform integrates high drug loading, antibody-assisted delivery, and combined chemo-photothermal therapy, representing a promising strategy to improve AML treatment outcomes and potentially extend to other hematological malignancies.