Currently, a broad interdisciplinary research effort is pursued on biomedical applications of 2D materials (2DMs) beyond graphene, due to their unique physicochemical and electronic properties. The ...discovery of new 2DMs is driven by the diverse chemical compositions and tuneable characteristics offered. Researchers are increasingly attracted to exploit those as drug delivery systems, highly efficient photothermal modalities, multimodal therapeutics with non‐invasive diagnostic capabilities, biosensing, and tissue engineering. A crucial limitation of some of the 2DMs is their moderate colloidal stability in aqueous media. In addition, the lack of suitable functionalisation strategies should encourage the exploration of novel chemical methodologies with that purpose. Moreover, the clinical translation of these emerging materials will require undertaking of fundamental research on biocompatibility, toxicology and biopersistence in the living body as well as in the environment. Here, a thorough account of the biomedical applications using 2DMs explored today is given.
Different classes of two‐dimensional materials are emerging as biomaterial alternatives to graphene due to their unique physicochemical properties and their good biocompatibility. Currently, applications including anticancer therapeutics, multimodal bioimaging, cancer theranostics, biosensing, tissue engineering, and antimicrobial coatings are explored. However, there are still several concerns and new challenges ahead of these materials before their translation into clinical use.
Biodegradability of graphene is one of the fundamental parameters determining the fate of this material in vivo. Two types of aqueous dispersible graphene, corresponding to single‐layer (SLG) and ...few‐layer graphene (FLG), devoid of either chemical functionalization or stabilizing surfactants, were subjected to biodegradation by human myeloperoxidase (hMPO) mediated catalysis. Graphene biodegradation was also studied in the presence of activated, degranulating human neutrophils. The degradation of both FLG and SLG sheets was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy analyses, leading to the conclusion that highly dispersed pristine graphene is not biopersistent.
Not biopersistent: Two types of aqueous dispersible graphene, corresponding to single layer (SLG) and few layer graphene (FLG), devoid of either chemical functionalization or stabilizing surfactants, were subjected to biodegradation. Graphene can be degraded by human myeloperoxidase secreted by activated neutrophils, indicating that this material is not biopersistent.
Understanding the biodegradability of graphene materials by the action of oxidative enzymes secreted by immune cells is essential for developing applicable biomedical products based on these ...materials. Herein, we demonstrate the biodegradation of graphene oxide (GO) by recombinant eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) enzyme extracted from human eosinophils in the presence of a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide and NaBr. We compared the degradation capability of the enzyme on three different GO samples containing different degrees of oxygen functional groups on their graphenic lattices. EPO succeeded in degrading the three tested GO samples within 90 h treatment. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses provided clear-cut evidence for the biodegradation of GO by EPO catalysis. Our results provide more insight into a better understanding of the biodegradation of graphene materials, helping the design of future biomedical products based on these carbon nanomaterials.
The enzymatic activity of eosinophil peroxidase secreted by human immune cells leads to degradation of different sources of graphene oxide.
Understanding human health risk associated with the rapidly emerging graphene‐based nanomaterials represents a great challenge because of the diversity of applications and the wide range of possible ...ways of exposure to this type of materials. Herein, the biodegradation of graphene oxide (GO) sheets is reported by using myeloperoxidase (hMPO) derived from human neutrophils in the presence of a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The degradation capability of the enzyme on three different GO samples containing different degree of oxidation on their graphenic lattice, leading to a variable dispersibility in aqueous media is compared. hMPO fails in degrading the most aggregated GO, but succeeds to completely metabolize highly dispersed GO samples. The spectroscopy and microscopy analyses provide unambiguous evidence for the key roles played by hydrophilicity, negative surface charge, and colloidal stability of the aqueous GO in their biodegradation by hMPO catalysis.
The dispersibility dependent biodegradation of graphene oxide (GO) is demonstrated by using oxidative catalysis of myeloperoxidase (hMPO) derived from human neutrophils in the presence of a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide. hMPO can completely degrade the most dispersible GO but failed in degrading the least dispersed (aggregated) sample. The surface charge as well as aqueous dispersiblity of the GO samples are a playing crucial role in the biodegradation by hMPO.
White Graphene undergoes Peroxidase Degradation Kurapati, Rajendra; Backes, Claudia; Ménard-Moyon, Cécilia ...
Angewandte Chemie (International ed.),
April 25, 2016, Volume:
55, Issue:
18
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanosheets are emerging as promising 2D materials for different types of applications. However, biodegradation of hBN materials is poorly explored owing to their high ...chemical inertness and strong oxidation resistance. The assessment of oxidation/biodegradation of hBN is important in developing biomedical tools. Herein, we report the first study on the biodegradability of hBN nanosheets comparing the enzymatic catalysis of two different peroxidases, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and human myeloperoxidase (MPO), with the photo‐Fenton (P.F.) reaction. The results show that degradation of hBN nanosheets is different to that of graphene and graphene oxide, since partial oxidation was found using MPO after 35 h, while HRP failed to degrade hBN up to 60 days. Nearly complete oxidation/degradation was occurred by P.F. reaction in 100 h. These results are helpful in designing advanced conjugates for biomedical uses of hBN.
Between the sheets: Biodegradability of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanosheets was investigated using different conditions including treatment with human myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the UV‐assisted photo‐Fenton (P.F.) reaction. The photo‐Fenton reaction almost completely degrades hBN nanosheets. These studies are important for designing safer hBN‐based materials for biomedical uses and polymer‐composites.
Vaccines have proven effective in the treatment and prevention of numerous diseases. However, traditional attenuated and inactivated vaccines suffer from certain drawbacks such as complex ...preparation, limited efficacy, potential risks and others. These limitations restrict their widespread use, especially in the face of an increasingly diverse range of diseases. With the ongoing advancements in genetic engineering vaccines, DNA vaccines have emerged as a highly promising approach in the treatment of both genetic diseases and acquired diseases. While several DNA vaccines have demonstrated substantial success in animal models of diseases, certain challenges need to be addressed before application in human subjects. The primary obstacle lies in the absence of an optimal delivery system, which significantly hampers the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current status and limitations of DNA vaccines by focusing on both viral and non-viral DNA delivery systems, as they play crucial roles in the exploration of novel DNA vaccines. We provide an evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses based on our critical assessment. Additionally, the review summarizes the most recent advancements and breakthroughs in pre-clinical and clinical studies, highlighting the need for further clinical trials in this rapidly evolving field.
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have recently emerged as one of the most advanced technologies for the highly efficient in vivo delivery of exogenous mRNA, particularly for COVID-19 vaccine delivery. LNPs ...comprise four different lipids: ionizable lipids, helper or neutral lipids, cholesterol, and lipids attached to polyethylene glycol (PEG). In this review, we present recent the advances and insights for the design of LNPs, as well as their composition and properties, with a subsequent discussion on the development of COVID-19 vaccines. In particular, as ionizable lipids are the most critical drivers for complexing the mRNA and in vivo delivery, the role of ionizable lipids in mRNA vaccines is discussed in detail. Furthermore, the use of LNPs as effective delivery vehicles for vaccination, genome editing, and protein replacement therapy is explained. Finally, expert opinion on LNPs for mRNA vaccines is discussed, which may address future challenges in developing mRNA vaccines using highly efficient LNPs based on a novel set of ionizable lipids. Developing highly efficient mRNA delivery systems for vaccines with improved safety against some severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants remains difficult.
DNAzymes made of supramolecular guanine-rich G-quadruplexes and hemin are attracting a lot of interest due to their peroxidase activity mimicking the natural enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP). ...Herein, we demonstrate that DNAzyme consisting of a PS2.M-hemin complex can be an alternative to natural HRP for the oxidation and degradation of graphene oxide (GO). The degradation of GO sheets was carried out by incubating the PS2.M-hemin complex in the presence of hydrogen peroxide for 30 days. The degradation of GO has been confirmed using transmission electron microscopy and 2d Raman mapping. The current study suggests that the peroxidase activity of DNAzymes is similar to HRP and DNAzymes are able to degrade carbon-based nanomaterials.
A large number of graphene and other 2D materials are currently used for the development of new technologies, increasingly entering different industrial sectors. Interrogating the impact of such 2D ...materials on health and environment is crucial for both modulating their potential toxicity in living organisms and eliminating them from the environment. In this context, understanding if 2D materials are bio-persistent is mandatory. In this review we describe the importance of biodegradability and decomposition of 2D materials. We initially cover the biodegradation of graphene family materials, followed by other emerging classes of 2D materials including transition metal dichalcogenides and oxides, Xenes, Mxenes and other non-metallic 2D materials. We explain the role of defects and functional groups, introduced onto the surface of the materials during their preparation, and the consequences of chemical functionalization on biodegradability. In strong relation to the chemistry on 2D materials, we describe the concept of "degradation-by-design" that we contributed to develop, and which concerns the covalent modification with appropriate molecules to enhance the biodegradability of 2D materials. Finally, we cover the importance of designing new biodegradable 2D conjugates and devices for biomedical applications as drug delivery carriers, in bioelectronics, and tissue engineering. We would like to highlight that the biodegradation of 2D materials mainly depends on the type of material, the chemical functionalization, the aqueous dispersibility and the redox potentials of the different oxidative environments. Biodegradation is one of the necessary conditions for the safe application of 2D materials. Therefore, we hope that this review will help to better understand their biodegradation processes, and will stimulate the chemists to explore new chemical strategies to design safer products, composites and devices containing 2D materials.
A large number of graphene and other 2D materials are currently explored for the development of new technologies. The assessment of their biodegradability is one of the fundamental aspects for their safe application.
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