Graphene and the immune system: Challenges and potentiality.

Area of Science:

• Nanomedicine
• Immunology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Graphene-based materials (GBMs) are increasingly explored in nanomedicine.
• The immune system is crucial for GBM applications, influencing their efficacy and safety.
• Understanding GBM-immune interactions is vital for developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current landscape of GBMs within the context of the immune system.
• To explore the dual nature of GBMs, encompassing challenges like potential toxicity and opportunities for advanced nanomedicine.
• To discuss specific applications including immune cell impact, immunobiosensing, and antibody-conjugated GBMs for targeted therapies.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of graphene-based materials and their immunological effects.
• Analysis of studies on graphene's impact on immune cells.
• Discussion of graphene's utility as an immunobiosensor.
• Examination of antibody-conjugated graphene for targeted tumor delivery.

Main Results:

• GBMs elicit complex interactions with immune cells and components.
• Graphene shows potential for use in immunobiosensors for diagnostic purposes.
• Antibody-conjugated GBMs offer promising avenues for targeted cancer therapy.
• Potential toxicity of GBMs remains a significant challenge to address.

Conclusions:

• Further research into GBM-immune interactions is necessary to mitigate toxicity concerns.
• Graphene immunoconjugates with tailored immune properties hold promise for future nanomedicine applications.
• Successful preclinical testing of graphene immunoconjugates could lead to their clinical use in nanomedicine.