Few-Layer Graphene Kills Selectively Tumor Cells from Myelomonocytic Leukemia Patients.
In the cure of cancer, a major cause of today's mortality, chemotherapy is the most common treatment, though serious frequent challenges are encountered by current anticancer drugs. We discovered that few-layer graphene (FLG) dispersions have a specific killer action on monocytes, showing neither toxic nor activation effects on other immune cells. We confirmed the therapeutic application of graphene on an aggressive type of cancer that is myelomonocytic leukemia, where the monocytes are in their malignant form. We demonstrated that graphene has the unique ability to target and boost specifically the necrosis of monocytic cancer cells. Moreover, the comparison between FLG and a common chemotherapeutic drug, etoposide, confirmed the higher specificity and toxicity of FLG. Since current chemotherapy treatments of leukemia still cause serious problems, these findings open the way to new and safer therapeutic approaches.
University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Immunopathology and therapeutic chemistry, UPR 3572, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
Julie
J
Russier
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de CienciasyTecnologías Químicas-IRICA, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain.
Verónica
V
León
Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
Marco
M
Orecchioni
University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Immunopathology and therapeutic chemistry, UPR 3572, 67000, Strasbourg, France.|Department of Oral Functional Science, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-8586, Sapporo, Japan.
Eri
E
Hirata
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
Patrizia
P
Virdis
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
Claudio
C
Fozza
Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
Francesco
F
Sgarrella
Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials and Institute for Materials Science, Dresden University of Technology, 01069, Dresden, Germany.
Gianaurelio
G
Cuniberti
Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy.|CIC BiomaGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de San Sebastián, Paseo Miramón, 182, 20009, San Sebastián (Guipúzcoa), Spain.|Basque Foundation for Science, Ikerbasque, 48013, Bilbao, Spain.
Maurizio
M
Prato
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de CienciasyTecnologías Químicas-IRICA, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain.
Ester
E
Vázquez
University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Immunopathology and therapeutic chemistry, UPR 3572, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
Alberto
A
Bianco
Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy.|Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials and Institute for Materials Science, Dresden University of Technology, 01069, Dresden, Germany.
Lucia G
LG
Delogu
D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015477:Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
C000717249:FLG protein, human; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D006108:Graphite
cancer therapy; graphene; immune system; myelomonocytic leukemia; nanomaterials