<p>Efficacy and Molecular Effects of a Reduced Graphene Oxide/Fe₃O₄ Nanocomposite in Photothermal Therapy Against Cancer</p>

Abstract

Purpose: Expanded research on the biomedical applications of graphene has shown promising results, although interactions between cells and graphene are still unclear. The current study aims to dissect the cellular and molecular effects of graphene nanocomposite in photothermal therapy against cancer, and to evaluate its efficacy. Methods: In this study, a reduced graphene oxide and iron oxide (rGO-Fe 3 O 4) nanocomposite was obtained by chemical synthesis. The nanocomposite was fully characterized by Raman spectroscopy, TEM, VSM and thermal profiling. Cell-nanocomposite interaction was evaluated by confocal microscopy and viability assays on cancer cell line HeLa. The efficacy of the thermal therapy and changes in gene expression of Bcl-2 and Hsp70 was assessed. Results: The resulting rGO-Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite exhibited superparamagnetic properties and the capacity to increase the surrounding temperature by 18-20°C with respect to the initial temperature. The studies of cell-nanocomposite interaction showed that rGO-Fe 3 O 4 attaches to cell membrane but there is a range of concentration at which the nanomaterial preserves cell viability. Photothermal therapy reduced cell viability to 32.6% and 23.7% with 50 and 100 µg/mL of nanomaterial, respectively. The effect of treatment on the molecular mechanism of cell death demonstrated an overexpression of anti-apoptotic proteins Hsp70 and Bcl-2 as an initial response to the therapy and depending on the aggressiveness of the treatment. Conclusion: The results of this study contribute to understanding the interactions between cell and graphene and support its application in photothermal therapy against cancer due to its promising results.

Promising Graphene-Based Nanomaterials and Their Biomedical Applications and Potential Risks: A Comprehensive Review

“…Since the preparation of monolayer graphene using a sticky tape and a pencil in 2004, researchers have so far developed several efficient methods to produce graphene such as micromechanical exfoliation, chemical vapor deposition, epitaxial growth, and chemical synthesis. , Graphene can also be obtained in large quantities by reducing GO, which has the characteristics of large-scale production, high output, and low processing cost. Therefore, GBNs have been widely used in biomedical technologies including highly sensitive biosensors, drug delivery systems, cell imaging, gene therapy, tissue engineering, photothermal therapy, and near-infrared fluorescence imaging. − Moreover, recent advances in biomedical applications of GBNs have provided continuable biomedical equipment, such as deep brain stimulators and blood glucose sensors. , Therefore, application of GBNs in the biomedical field is still a hot area of research for medical researchers despite there being many successful applications.…”

Enhanced Apoptosis by Functionalized Highly Reduced Graphene Oxide and Gold Nanocomposites in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

“… 5 , 6 From the diverse range of nanomaterials, graphene nanocomposites have gained specific attention due to the excellent physicochemical properties of graphene like the large surface area, superb electrical and electronic properties, and its unique two-dimensional geometry, which offer flexible platform for the immobilization of various substances, including drugs, biomolecules, etc. 7 − 9 …”

The effects of the oral administration of graphene oxide on the gut microbiota and ultrastructure of the colon of mice

“…GO was first introduced into the biomedical field as a chemotherapeutic drug carrier, and has been widely used in a variety of drug delivery systems (5)(6)(7). Additionally, it has also been applied in disease diagnosis (21), tumor photothermal treatment (13,14), tissue engineering (22), the preparation of antibacterial materials (8,9), and many other areas. Oral administration is one of the main routes of drug administration.…”

“…The lamellar structure and abundant oxygencontaining groups of GO determine its high specific surface area, good hydrophilicity, and easy modification (2)(3)(4). GO and its derivatives have been widely applied in many aspects of the biomedical field, such as the delivery of chemotherapy drugs (5)(6)(7), the preparation of antibacterial materials (8,9), biological imaging in vivo (10,11), dental pulp repair (12), and the photothermal treatment of tumors (13,14). And they have great potential to be applied in clinical practice.…”