Functionalized Graphene Platforms for Anticancer Drug Delivery

Abstract

Two-dimensional nanomaterials are emerging as promising candidates for a wide range of biomedical applications including tissue engineering, biosensing, pathogen incapacitation, wound healing, and gene and drug delivery. Graphene, due to its high surface area, photothermal property, high loading capacity, and efficient cellular uptake, is at the forefront of these materials and plays a key role in this multidisciplinary research field. Poor water dispersibility and low functionality of graphene, however, hamper its hybridization into new nanostructures for future nanomedicine. Functionalization of graphene, either by covalent or non-covalent methods, is the most useful strategy to improve its dispersion in water and functionality as well as processability into new materials and devices. In this review, recent advances in functionalization of graphene derivatives by different (macro)molecules for future biomedical applications are reported and explained. In particular, hydrophilic functionalization of graphene and graphene oxide (GO) to improve their water dispersibility and physicochemical properties is discussed. We have focused on the anticancer drug delivery of polyfunctional graphene sheets.

Advances in Antitumor Nano-Drug Delivery Systems of 10-Hydroxycamptothecin

“… Easily cleared in the loop, potential cytotoxicity, poor biodegradable Preclinical [ 258 , 259 , 300 ] GO-based NPs High surface area, photothermal properties, high loading capacity and efficient cellular uptake. Large-scale production of graphene is very difficult and expensive, and may have toxicity risks Preclinical [ 265 , 302 ] Prussian blue-based NPs Hollow Prussian blue with large pore size, adjustable size, easy synthesis and surface modification, good thermal stability and biocompatibility Reproducibility and controllability are not satisfactory Preclinical [ 268 , 304 , 305 ] Pt-based NPs Controlled release Potential cytotoxicity Preclinical [ 270 ] CaCO 3 -based NPs Low cost, safety, biocompatibility, pH sensitivity Poor affinity with polymers, easy agglomeration and adhesion Preclinical [ 273 , 299 ] Carrier-free High drug loading capacity The self-assembly process is unpredictable and uncontrollable, unstable, prone to precipitation and aggregation Preclinical [ 275–277 ] …”

“…GO is widely studied as a drug nanocarrier due to its high surface area, photothermal properties, high loading capacity and efficient cellular uptake. 265 Liu et al prepared starch-functionalized graphene nanosheets loaded with HCPT by the physical adsorption method. The nanosheets exhibited excellent biocompatibility and high drug loading capacity.…”

Graphene Substrates Promote the Differentiation of Inner Ear Lgr5+ Progenitor Cells Into Hair Cells

“…Graphene has been reported to significantly promote neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Several studies have reported their potential for applications in the biomedical field, including drug delivery ( Song et al, 2020 ; Sattari et al, 2021 ), photothermal therapy ( de Melo-Diogo et al, 2019 ; Palmieri et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ), and nerve regeneration ( Aydin et al, 2018 ; Grijalvo and Díaz, 2021 ). Therefore, the current study focus on the effects of graphene substrate on the survival, proliferation and differentiation into HCs in Lgr5+ progenitors, which is of great significance for the combined therapy of physical stimulation and stem cell transplantation for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss.…”

Polylactide-Block-Polyglycerol-Functionalized Black Phosphorous Nanosheets for Tumor Therapy

“…Two-dimensional nanomaterials have attracted a great deal of attention for biomedical applications, including drug delivery, − pathogen interaction, − wound healing, , tissue engineering, and bioimaging. − Since its discovery in 2014, monolayered black phosphorus (BP) has emerged as a promising platform for versatile applications ranging from biosensing to energy storage . BP has several outstanding advantages, including a tunable and layer-dependent band gap, as well as outstanding carrier mobility to the other known 2D materials. − BP shows many interesting physicochemical, optoelectronic, and mechanical properties, which qualify this compound for a wide range of biomedical applications, including photothermal therapy, drug delivery, bioimaging, and biosensing. − Moreover, phosphorus is one of the main components of the human body and plays a significant role in many biological interactions and complex energy transformations .…”