title: Cancer therapy using ultrahigh hydrophobic drug-loaded graphene derivatives.
abstract: This study aimed to demonstrate that curcumin (Cur)-containing graphene composites have high anticancer activity. Specifically, graphene-derivatives were used as nanovectors for the delivery of the hydrophobic anticancer drug Cur based on pH dependence. Different Cur-graphene composites were prepared based on polar interactions between Cur and the number of oxygen-containing functional groups of respective starting materials. The degree of drug-loading was found to be increased by increasing the number of oxygen-containing functional groups in graphene-derivatives. We demonstrated a synergistic effect of Cur-graphene composites on cancer cell death (HCT 116) both in vitro and in vivo. As-prepared graphene quantum dot (GQD)-Cur composites contained the highest amount of Cur nano-particles and exhibited the best anticancer activity compared to the other composites including Cur alone at the same dose. This is the first example of synergistic chemotherapy using GQD-Cur composites simultaneous with superficial bioprobes for tumor imaging.
authors.affiliation: National Creative Research Initiative, Center for Smart Molecular Memory, Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Surajit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Some
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: A-Ryeong
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gwon
authors.affiliation: National Creative Research Initiative, Center for Smart Molecular Memory, Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eunhee
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ga-hee
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Bahn
authors.affiliation: 1] National Creative Research Initiative, Center for Smart Molecular Memory, Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea [2] Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeoheung
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: National Creative Research Initiative, Center for Smart Molecular Memory, Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Youngmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seol-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: National Creative Research Initiative, Center for Smart Molecular Memory, Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sora
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bak
authors.affiliation: National Creative Research Initiative, Center for Smart Molecular Memory, Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Junghee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Gyu
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.affiliation: 1] National Creative Research Initiative, Center for Smart Molecular Memory, Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea [2] Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea [3] SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seoburo, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyoyoung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D064347:Microscopy, Electrochemical, Scanning; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D006108:Graphite; D003474:Curcumin