Bio-Mimetic Magnetic Nanostructures: A Theranostic Platform Targeting Lipid Metabolism and Immune Response in Lymphoma.

B cell lymphoma cells depend upon cholesterol to maintain pro-proliferation and pro-survival signaling via the B cell receptor. Targeted cholesterol depletion of lymphoma cells is an attractive therapeutic strategy. We report here high-density lipoprotein mimicking magnetic nanostructures (HDL-MNS) that can bind to the high-affinity HDL receptor, scavenger receptor type B-1 (SR-B1), and interfere with cholesterol flux mechanisms in SR-B1 receptor positive lymphoma cells, causing cellular cholesterol depletion. In addition, the MNS core can be utilized for its ability to generate heat under an external radio frequency field. The thermal activation of MNS can lead to both innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses by inducing expression of heat shock proteins that lead to activation of antigen presenting cells and finally lymphocyte trafficking. In the present study, we demonstrate SR-B1 receptor mediated binding and cellular uptake of HDL-MNS and prevention of phagolysosome formation by transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and ICP-MS analysis. The combinational therapeutics of cholesterol depletion and thermal activation significantly improves therapeutic efficacy in SR-B1 expressing lymphoma cells. HDL-MNS reduces the T2 relaxation time under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) more effectively compared with a commercially available contrast agent, and the specificity of HDL-MNS towards the SR-B1 receptor leads to differential contrast between SR-B1 positive and negative cells suggesting its utility in diagnostic imaging. Overall, we have demonstrated that HDL-MNS have cell specific targeting efficiency, can modulate cholesterol efflux, can induce thermal activation mediated anti-tumor immune response and possess high contrast under MRI, making it a promising theranostic platform in lymphoma.