Graphene as Photothermal Therapeutic Agents
Vishnu Revuri1,2, Jagannath Mondal1, Yong-Kyu Lee3,4
1Department of Green Bioengineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, South Korea.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|February 17, 2022
Summary
Graphene-based photothermal therapy (PTT) offers a promising strategy for cancer treatment. This review explores how PTT combined with other therapies, like gene and immunotherapy, enhances cancer treatment outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Oncology
Background:
- Light-assisted hyperthermic therapy, specifically photothermal therapy (PTT), is an emerging cancer treatment modality.
- Graphene and its derivatives possess unique physiochemical properties, including near-infrared absorption and efficient light-to-heat energy conversion, making them suitable for PTT.
- The large surface area and functional groups of graphene facilitate drug delivery and combinatorial therapeutic approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review various graphene-based PTT-assisted combinatorial cancer therapies.
- To discuss the synergistic effects of PTT with photodynamic, gene, chemo, and immunotherapies.
- To provide insights into developing novel multifunctional graphene-based therapeutics for cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on graphene-based photothermal therapy.
- Analysis of studies combining PTT with photodynamic, gene, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.
- Discussion of the mechanisms by which graphene enhances these combinatorial treatments.
Main Results:
- Graphene derivatives are effective in PTT due to their optical properties and biocompatibility.
- Combinatorial strategies involving graphene-based PTT show improved therapeutic outcomes compared to single-modality treatments.
- PTT enhances the efficacy of gene, chemo, and immunotherapies by increasing drug delivery and modulating the tumor microenvironment.
Conclusions:
- Graphene-based PTT is a versatile platform for developing advanced cancer therapeutics.
- Combining PTT with other treatment modalities offers significant potential for improving cancer treatment efficacy.
- Future research should focus on developing multifunctional graphene-based agents for integrated imaging and therapeutic applications in oncology.
