Graphene-Based Strategies in Liquid Biopsy and in Viral Diseases Diagnosis

Abstract

Graphene-based materials are intriguing nanomaterials with applications ranging from nanotechnology-related devices to drug delivery systems and biosensing. Multifunctional graphene platforms were proposed for the detection of several typical biomarkers (i.e., circulating tumor cells, exosomes, circulating nucleic acids, etc.) in liquid biopsy, and numerous methods, including optical, electrochemical, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), etc., have been developed for their detection. Due to the massive advancements in biology, material chemistry, and analytical technology, it is necessary to review the progress in this field from both medical and chemical sides. Liquid biopsy is considered a revolutionary technique that is opening unexpected perspectives in the early diagnosis and, in therapy monitoring, severe diseases, including cancer, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative disorders. Although nanotechnology based on graphene has been poorly applied for the rapid diagnosis of viral diseases, the extraordinary properties of graphene (i.e., high electronic conductivity, large specific area, and surface functionalization) can be also exploited for the diagnosis of emerging viral diseases, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This review aimed to provide a comprehensive and in-depth summarization of the contribution of graphene-based nanomaterials in liquid biopsy, discussing the remaining challenges and the future trend; moreover, the paper gave the first look at the potentiality of graphene in COVID-19 diagnosis.

Potential of graphene-based materials to combat COVID-19: properties, perspectives, and prospects

“…Over the past few years, graphene and graphene-related materials (GRMs) have attracted huge attention of the researchers owing to their wide spectrum properties such as high surface area, high electrical mobility and conductivity, excellent mechanical, electrochemical and piezoelectric properties, and efficacy against microbes and viruses [ [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] ]. Recently, few good reviews appeared in the literature revealing the authors views and projections on the possible contribution of graphene-based materials in the global fight against COVID-19 [ [15] , [16] , [17] ]. For example, Palmeri and Papi [ 15 ] have emphasized over the various modes of interactions among graphene materials and different virions that can helps in blocking or destroying the viruses.…”

Intracellular Fate and Impact on Gene Expression of Doxorubicin/Cyclodextrin-Graphene Nanomaterials at Sub-Toxic Concentration

“…In the last years, graphene-based materials (G) due to their outstanding physicochemical properties have been proposed for promising biomedical/pharmaceutical applications, such as bio-imaging, drug/gene delivery, and biomolecular detection [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Numerous studies have been dedicated to the development and the biological response of G-based nanocarriers loaded with Doxorubicin (DOX), an effective chemotherapeutic agent used for the treatment of different kind of cancer [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

“…SD was calculated on three different batches 2. Size with corresponding intensity % distribution 3. Actual loading is expressed as the amount of drug (mg) encapsulated per 100 mg of complex 4.…”

“…Gene with an opposite trend in cells treated with GCD@DOX and GCD 2. Genes with raw count lower than 100 are shown in bold 3. HEp-2 not treated cells are used as control.…”

Electrochemical Detection and Point-of-Care Testing for Circulating Tumor Cells: Current Techniques and Future Potentials

“…Its linear range was 100 to 10,000 cells mL −1 with a LOD of 34 cells mL −1 ( Figure 3D) [92]. Graphene nanomaterials are also widely used in electrochemical detection of CTC due to their excellent electrical conductivity [118]. For example, Zhang et al synthetized a xFe 2 O 3 -nPt (or nPt-xFe 2 O 3 )-coated graphene nanostructure (xFe 2 O 3 -nPt@graphene) to detect MCF-7 cells using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) cytosensor.…”