Graphene Mediated Drug Delivery - A Boon to Cancer Therapy

Graphene which is an allotrope of carbon has become focus of attention due to its unique 2-D structure, and exceptional physio-chemical properties. It has been established to have a wide range of application in the nanomedicine and biomedical field. Recently graphene and the other members of the family including graphene oxide (GO) and reduced GO (rGO) have emerged as a novel and competitive drug delivery system. Graphene has been functionalized with different conjugates like polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyvinyl pyrolidone (PVP), folic acid (FA) and ammonia (NH₂) to enhance its solubility and biocompatibility. When combined with anticancer drugs, graphene and its derivatives have been reported to increase the efficacy of the drug simultaneously reducing its side effects. Herein we present a summary of the studies carried out using graphene and its conjugates in the field of drug delivery and cancer therapy.