Chasing Graphene-Based Anticancer Drugs: Where are We Now on the Biomedical Graphene Roadmap?

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Graphene and its derivatives offer biocompatibility and functionalization for medical uses.
• Graphene-based devices are being developed for cancer diagnosis, imaging, and tracking.
• Applications include drug delivery, photothermal/photodynamic therapy, and combination cancer treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in composite graphene materials for cancer therapy.
• To highlight the potential of graphene in innovative anti-cancer strategies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific reports on graphene in cancer therapy.
• Analysis of graphene's role in drug delivery, photothermal therapy, and combination therapies.
• Examination of graphene's impact on cellular metabolism, signaling, autophagy, and cell death.

Main Results:

• Graphene nanocomposites can modulate cancer cell death by inducing autophagy dysfunction and lysosome damage.
• Near-infrared-II (NIR-II) radiation is more effective for photothermal therapy due to deeper tissue penetration than NIR-I.
• The Graphene Flagship anticipates the market release of graphene-based anti-cancer drugs by 2030.

Conclusions:

• Graphene-based materials hold significant potential for future cancer therapies.
• Further research must clarify graphene's interactions with cellular processes and its toxicity.
• Understanding the influence of graphene's physicochemical properties on treatment efficacy is crucial.