New graphene-based cancer drug delivery method shows promise

US scientists have found a new way of using graphene to aid the delivery of cancer drugs, further underlining the versatility of the innovative ultra-thin material.

Carried out by North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and China Pharmaceutical University, the research involved the attachment of two drugs – the anticancer protein TRAIL and doxorubicin – on to graphene strips to improve targeting.

TRAIL is most effective when delivered to the external membrane of a cancer cell, while Dox is most effective when delivered to the nucleus. Because the two therapies bound to the graphene in different ways, they are released sequentially as the delivery vessel is broken down on contact with the cancer cell, allowing both drugs to reach their ideal targets.

Dr Zhen Gu, senior author of a paper describing the work, said: "We're now trying to secure funding to support additional preclinical studies in order to determine how best to proceed with this new technique."

Graphene is known as the world's first 2D material and could be invaluable for engineering in future. Despite being only one atom thick, it possesses mechanical stiffness, strength and elasticity, plus electrical and thermal conductivity.

It has come to be regarded as a game-changer in the fields of optoelectronics, flexible electronics, bioelectric devices, energy storage, ultrafiltration and medical device manufacturing.