Graphene Shows Promise In Eradication Of Stem Cancer Cells

Graphene was made in a lab in 2003, but by 2014, it reportedly reached $9 million in sales predominately inelectronics, battery energy andsemiconductors.Graphene is100 times stronger than steel by weight and efficientlyconducts heat and electricity. Its a new material that can store bits of small energy or make battery terminals more efficient.

Scientistsat the University of Manchester, Englanddecided to use graphene in a completely different way: to neutralize cancer stemcells (CSC) and not harm other cells.

The scientistsused a modified version ofgraphene oxide flakes on six kinds of cancer cells where it hurts cancers the most, in the stem cells. They discovered that it acts as an anti-cancer agent that selectively targets stem cells. With cancer, stem cells are the origin for tumors, but they also withstand radiation, chemotherapy and surgery and typically are known to re-seed a tumor, even when it looks like it has been eradicated.

From the lab experiments, the scientistsreport the graphene oxide flakes inhibit the key signaling pathways active in the CSCs.

Cancer stem cells differentiate to form a small mass of cells known as a tumour-sphere. We saw that the graphene oxide flakes prevented CSCs from forming these, and instead forced them to differentiate into non-cancer stem-cells, saidDr.AravindVijayaraghavan, University of Manchester.

Researchers want to use the graphene oxide as a type of washing solution and after surgery, pump it into cancer area to destroy any stem cell survivors, so there is no chance of it returning or re-seeding.

According to the results of the study, the results showedthat graphene oxide had a non toxic effect on thecells which suggests thetreatment could havefewer side-effects asan anti-cancer therapy. The results of the study are found in the current issue ofOncotarget.

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Graphene Shows Promise In Eradication Of Stem Cancer Cells