Evaluation of the Proliferative Effects of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanoparticles on Leukemia Cells and Leukemia Stem Cells

Leukemia is a malignant disease that affects the bone marrow, lymphatic system, spleen, and blood-forming organs, leading to an excessive proliferation of white blood cells. Current cancer treatments are often limited by drug resistance, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Nanoparticles, including boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials, have shown promise in enhancing drug delivery and therapeutic efficacy due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles (hBN NPs) on leukemia cells and leukemia stem cells to explore their potential use in leukemia treatment.: hBN NPs were synthesized and characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Leukemia cell lines (HL-60 and CCRF-CEM) and CD34+ leukemia stem cells were treated with various hBN NPs. Cell viability was assessed using MTS assays, and flow cytometry was employed to analyze the expression of leukemia surface markers. The study found that hBN NPs did not exhibit significant anticancer properties; instead, they promoted cell proliferation in leukemia cells and stem cells. The CCRF-CEM CD34+ cells showed resistance to hBN NPs treatment, which reduced the treatment's therapeutic efficacy. The lack of cytotoxicity toward healthy cells suggests potential selectivity, yet the proliferative effects on leukemia cells indicate that hBN NPs may not be suitable for leukemia treatment. hBN NPs lack therapeutic potential for leukemia due to their proliferative effects on leukemia cells. Future studies should focus on developing combination therapies and exploring hBN NPs' impact on other cell lines to identify potential synergistic strategies that could overcome resistance mechanisms in leukemia and other cancers.