Multimodal Imaging and Phototherapy of Cancer and Bacterial Infection by Graphene and Related Nanocomposites

Abstract

The advancements in nanotechnology and nanomedicine are projected to solve many glitches in medicine, especially in the fields of cancer and infectious diseases, which are ranked in the top five most dangerous deadly diseases worldwide by the WHO. There is great concern to eradicate these problems with accurate diagnosis and therapies. Among many developed therapeutic models, near infra-red mediated phototherapy is a non-invasive technique used to invade many persistent tumors and bacterial infections with less inflammation compared with traditional therapeutic models such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgeries. Herein, we firstly summarize the up-to-date research on graphene phototheranostics for a better understanding of this field of research. We discuss the preparation and functionalization of graphene nanomaterials with various biocompatible components, such as metals, metal oxides, polymers, photosensitizers, and drugs, through covalent and noncovalent approaches. The multifunctional nanographene is used to diagnose the disease with confocal laser scanning microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging computed tomography, positron emission tomography, photoacoustic imaging, Raman, and ToF-SMIS to visualize inside the biological system for imaging-guided therapy are discussed. Further, treatment of disease by photothermal and photodynamic therapies against different cancers and bacterial infections are carefully conferred herein along with challenges and future perspectives.

Thermal Behavior of Graphene Oxide Deposited on 3D-Printed Polylactic Acid for Photothermal Therapy: An Experimental–Numerical Analysis

“…Consequently, conscientious research to provide accurate diagnoses and discover alternative treatments is required. Hyperthermia has lately become one of the most intensively explored strategies, given the proven efficacy of induced mild (≤43 °C [ 3 ]) and moderate (≤50 °C [ 4 ]) warming-up against drug-resistant strains [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. In relation to this finding, it has been proven that an abrupt increase in temperature can destroy the bacteria via various thermal effects, such as the breakdown of the cell membrane, which leads to the leakage of cellular content or the denaturation of the proteins/enzymes that mediate most of the physiological activities in microbes [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

“…More concisely, PTT mediated by near-infrared radiation (NIR) is especially interesting, given that a low-energy NIR light presents a relatively high tissue penetration depth, compared to visible and UV light, and also avoids skin burns [ 5 , 11 , 12 ]. Furthermore, it requires low laser power and short time interactions [ 7 ]. Apart from these advantages, other positive issues can be highlighted: spatiotemporal addressability, minimal invasiveness, relative clinical safety, and non-drug resistance in comparison to other antibacterial strategies, such as chemotherapy, photocatalytic therapy, antibacterial peptides, and photodynamic therapy [ 13 , 14 ].…”

“…The literature shows that previous research has been carried out to develop PTCAs that can absorb the NIR light in the desired window more efficiently, to treat tissues in poorly accessible regions [ 7 ]. Different approaches have been proposed, such as semiconducting polymer organic nanoparticles [ 13 , 16 ], noble metal materials, transition metal oxides, and carbon-based materials.…”

“…Among the many evaluated carbon-based PTCAs, graphene oxide (GO) is considered a very interesting option for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections by NIR I-triggered photothermal therapy [ 7 ]. The advantages are not only the high capacity of NIR light absorption and good thermal stability but also its high drug-loading capacity, which makes GO a good carrier for a combined treatment of both photothermal therapy and chemotherapy [ 14 ].…”

Functional Nanomaterials: From Structures to Biomedical Applications

“…Moreover, graphene nanocomposites provide a robust platform for self-acting luminescent for confocal laser scanning microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, positron emission tomography and photoacoustic imaging. Additionally, graphene nanocomposites can be applied in photothermal and photodynamic therapies against different cancers and bacterial infections [ 4 ]. Zhang et al comprehensively summarized the strategies and applications of organic NPs, especially polymer-based NPs, for the delivery of iodinated contrast media in X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging.…”