Nano-graphene in biomedicine: theranostic applications

Abstract

Owing to their unique physical and chemical properties, graphene and its derivatives such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and GO-nanocomposites have attracted tremendous interest in many different fields including biomedicine in recent years. With every atom exposed on its surface, single-layered graphene shows ultra-high surface area available for efficient molecular loading and bioconjugation, and has been widely explored as novel nano-carriers for drug and gene delivery. Utilizing the intrinsic near-infrared (NIR) optical absorbance, in vivo graphene-based photothermal therapy has been realized, achieving excellent anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy in animal experiments. A variety of inorganic nanoparticles can be grown on the surface of nano-graphene, obtaining functional graphene-based nanocomposites with interesting optical and magnetic properties useful for multi-modal imaging and imaging-guided cancer therapy. Moreover, significant efforts have also been devoted to study the behaviors and toxicology of functionalized nano-graphene in animals. It has been uncovered that both surface chemistry and sizes play key roles in controlling the biodistribution, excretion, and toxicity of nano-graphene. Biocompatibly coated nano-graphene with ultra-small sizes can be cleared out from body after systemic administration, without rendering noticeable toxicity to the treated mice. In this review article, we will summarize the latest progress in this rapidly growing field, and discuss future prospects and challenges of using graphene-based materials for theranostic applications.

In Vivo Long‐Term Biodistribution, Excretion, and Toxicology of PEGylated Transition‐Metal Dichalcogenides MS2 (M = Mo, W, Ti) Nanosheets

“…In the past few years, 2D nanomaterials have received tremendous attention and been applied in various fields due to their fantastic physical and chemical properties 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. As an analogue of 2D graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), generally described as the formula MX 2 , in which M is the transition metal from groups 4–10 of the periodic table and X is a chalcogen (S, Se, or Te), have attracted great interests due to their rich electronic, optical, mechanical, and chemical properties 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.…”

Comparison of Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide for DNA Adsorption and Sensing

“…[3][4][5] For example, GO physisorbs DNA and it also quenches fluorescence. Adding a complementary DNA (cDNA) can desorb fluorescent probe DNA resulting in fluorescence enhancement.…”

Inorganic Nanocarriers Overcoming Multidrug Resistance for Cancer Theranostics

“…Graphene and its derivatives are innate NIR fluorescence probes due to their intrinsic optical properties, while GOs are intrinsically good probes for photoacoustic imaging due to their strong absorbance in the NIR region. They can be labeled with external probes for multifunctional imaging, such as Cy7 for fluorescence imaging, radio nuclear for positron emission tomography imaging, and iron oxide nanoparticles for MR imaging 111, 118, 119. The planar structure of graphene also offers a high capacity to load other substances, such as drugs, polymers, and biomolecules.…”