Nanohybrid Platform of Functionalized Graphene Oxide for ChemoPhotothermal Therapy

Background: Despite the enormous effort has been done for cancer therapy, fabricating targeted drug delivery platform which can effectively eliminate cancer is a challenge. Methods: In this study, we have developed a novel platform composed of graphene oxide (GO), poly-l-lysine (PLL), Herceptin (Her) and doxorubicin (DOX) for chemo-photothermal therapy. GO has been prepared using the hummers method. The morphology of the prepared carriers has studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The successful conjugation of PLL and Her to the surface of GO has been examined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). DOX loading on GO sheets was characterized using UV-Vis absorption spectra. MTT and live/dead assay have been administrated to study the synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy potential of the carries. Results: FTIR shows the successful conjugation of the PLL and Herceptin to the GO surface. TGA analysis suggests that, in comparison to GO, GO-PLL has higher thermal stability. In addition, DOX loading efficiency is around 78.5 ± 4.3 %. Also, Live /dead and MTT assays reveal that the introduced carrier can effectively kill cancerous cells via chemo-photothermal effects. Conclusion: Our results have suggested that the novel carrier is a versatile platform for chemo-photothermal therapy application.