Recently, the research team at the University of Olomouc in the Czech Republic announced the use of graphene to develop the world's smallest metal magnet, which can be used in many fields such as magnetic resonance imaging, water treatment, biochemistry and electronics. In view of the larger surface area, biocompatibility, and chemical stability of graphene, graphene is highly expected in terms of drug delivery, cancer treatment, and biosensing.

In vitro detection

Biosensing is a new technology that is developing rapidly. In medical applications, the use of graphene as a sensor for in vitro detection is an important research and application direction.

"Now, the research on graphene in the medical field has just started, some of them stay at the theoretical level, and a few can experiment and study. As long as the function of in vitro detection as a sensor is expected to be applied to industrialization." 2016 China International Graphene Innovation in Qingdao At the conference, Cui Daxiang, deputy dean of the Institute of Translational Medicine at Shanghai Jiaotong University, accepted an exclusive interview with Caijing Daily.

The combination of graphene and other nanoparticles as a sensor for in vitro disease detection has been proven in clinical trials. The research team of Shanghai Jiaotong University has made some breakthroughs in this aspect. They have demonstrated the use of clear breath detection and saliva detection.

There are very few tumor markers or disease markers in exhaled gases, and thus the sensitivity to detection is extremely high. Compared to traditional routine testing, graphene can improve the sensitivity of detection by at least three orders of magnitude, and some can even achieve single molecule detection.

According to reports, Cui Daxiang's team has developed a sensor to detect gastric cancer by exhaling, and the technology is relatively mature, the team will further explore the detection of lung cancer and other tumors.

"By our test, breath test should be the fourth largest routine test for blood routines, urine routines, and stool routines. It is more convenient and non-invasive, and it can detect physical changes anytime, anywhere, in time." Cui Daxiang said.

Previously, in 2015, Professor Zhang Guojun from the Nano Biosensing Center of Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the team of Professor Wang Hua of the College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion collaborated to deposit gold nanoparticles and graphene on the tip of the acupuncture needle by electrochemical method to construct nano-acupuncture. Sensor pin.

It is reported that such nano-acupuncture sensor needles are not only stable, but also sensitive to PH, and have excellent detection sensitivity and selectivity for neurotransmitters such as dopamine, and can be used for detection of dopamine in the body.

In vivo treatment

In addition to in vitro testing, the current research also involves graphene for drug delivery vehicles, tumor treatment, antimicrobial sterilization, artificial implant equipment and the like. However, it should not be overlooked that the use of in vivo treatment is still in the early stage and the risk is greater. "Graphene medical treatment* will be used in in vitro testing, and in vivo treatment will be indefinite, and it is likely to die." Cui Daxiang's performance for in vivo treatment is not satisfactory.

Graphene nanoparticles can be used for drug delivery, mainly due to its large appearance, which promises to deliver large amounts of drugs to specific areas of the body. Graphene oxide can be used as an anticancer agent against specific cancer cells. Combined with current therapies, it may shorten the tumor, curb the rate of cancer development, and relapse after treatment.

Experiments have shown that graphene can be used as an immunosynthesis agent to assist other drugs in improving the therapeutic effect. The coupling of graphene and sarcosine can stimulate the immune cells in the body to secrete more cytokines, while the cytokines have a killing effect on tumors, and the immunity is obviously improved. But this technology still has some distance to the human body.

"Now technology can do it, and the problem now is security." Cui Daxiang said.

Because graphene has good conductivity, it can be modified on the surface of the electrode and inserted into the nerve, which is helpful for the treatment of electric stimulation such as senile dementia. Previously, researchers at the Michigan Institute of Technology introduced graphene into 3D printed neural arrangements and developed a polymer material to foster arrangements using graphene as an electrical conductor.

In January of this year, researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK successfully implanted graphene electrodes into the brain of mice and directly connected them to neurons. After conducting experiments, the researchers found that electrodes made of graphene materials can be safely connected to brain neurons, and after connecting, these neurons can transmit radio signals normally, and transmit brain wave signals to the outside world to make the outside world clearer. Clearly understand brain activity and repair perception function.

This technology can be used to repair the sensory function of amputation, paralysis, and even Parkinson's disease in the future, to help them recover better, for example, to receive brain wave signals by means of a robotic arm for grasping action.
Whether it is drug delivery or cancer treatment, the use of these in vivo treatments remains at the experimental level. The safety issue of graphene for in vivo treatment has been the site of the study* risk. Once it is unable to be excreted from the body, it will enter the liver and lungs, causing irritation to the cells and causing lesions.

"In vitro testing will be used, due to safety issues, in addition to the use of electrodes in the body, other carriers may be used less and less. If it can not be proved that the body is degraded or secreted, it will certainly die." Cui Daxiang said frankly.