Two-Dimensional Materials for Cancer Therapy: Evaluation of Bare and Lipid-Functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) Biocompatibility
Open Access
- Author:
- Self, Ava
- Area of Honors:
- Chemical Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Esther Gomez, Thesis Supervisor
Darrell Velegol, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- reduced graphene oxide
cancer therapy
metastatic breast cancer
human manganese superoxide dismutase
two-dimensional materials
combination therapy
biocompatibility - Abstract:
- Many types of cancer, including breast cancer, have been linked to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress. Cancerous cells can have mutations to the enzyme human manganese superoxide dismutase (hMnSOD), which is found in the mitochondria and is an important regulator of ROS. Mutations to hMnSOD can result in a build-up of ROS that signals cell proliferation, increasing the risk of metastasis and transformation that can lead to cancer. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been investigated for medical applications, specifically cancer therapy, due to its two-dimensional structure, large surface area, chemical stability, and feasibility for large-scale production. In this study, we explored the biocompatibility of bare and lipid-functionalized rGO and its potential as a vehicle to deliver targeted hMnSOD enzyme therapy to cancer cells. These experiments aimed to understand if different cells lines had distinct responses to treatment, as this area is currently not well understood. Additionally, the ability of hMnSOD to inhibit cancer cell growth was explored. It was hypothesized that functionalization with lipid would enhance the biocompatibility of the platform, and that hMnSOD treatment would decrease ROS levels in cancerous cells. The cancerous human breast cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 and the non-tumorigenic human breast cell line MCF-10A exhibited varying patterns of oxidative stress upon treatment with bare and lipid-rGO. Upon functionalization with hMnSOD, lipid-rGO proved cytotoxic to the metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells; however, unlike common cancer drugs it had no effect on the non-cancerous MCF-10A cells. These results demonstrate the potential therapeutic efficacy of hMnSOD bound to lipid-rGO.