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Graphene‐based nanomaterials as molecular imaging agents
Author(s) -
Garg Bhaskar,
Sung ChuHsun,
Ling YongChien
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
wiley interdisciplinary reviews: nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1939-0041
pISSN - 1939-5116
DOI - 10.1002/wnan.1342
Subject(s) - graphene , nanotechnology , nanomaterials , materials science , biocompatibility , carbon nanotube , molecular imaging , quantum dot , in vivo , microbiology and biotechnology , metallurgy , biology
Molecular imaging ( MI ) is a noninvasive, real‐time visualization of biochemical events at the cellular and molecular level within tissues, living cells, and/or intact objects that can be advantageously applied in the areas of diagnostics, therapeutics, drug discovery, and development in understanding the nanoscale reactions including enzymatic conversions and protein–protein interactions. Consequently, over the years, great advancement has been made in the development of a variety of MI agents such as peptides, aptamers, antibodies, and various nanomaterials (NMs) including single‐walled carbon nanotubes. Recently, graphene, a material popularized by Geim & Novoselov, has ignited considerable research efforts to rationally design and execute a wide range of graphene‐based NMs making them an attractive platform for developing highly sensitive MI agents. Owing to their exceptional physicochemical and biological properties combined with desirable surface engineering, graphene‐based NMs offer stable and tunable visible emission, small hydrodynamic size, low toxicity, and high biocompatibility and thus have been explored for in vitro and in vivo imaging applications as a promising alternative of traditional imaging agents. This review begins by describing the intrinsic properties of graphene and the key MI modalities. After which, we provide an overview on the recent advances in the design and development as well as physicochemical properties of the different classes of graphene‐based NMs (graphene‐dye conjugates, graphene‐antibody conjugates, graphene‐nanoparticle composites, and graphene quantum dots) being used as MI agents for potential applications including theranostics. Finally, the major challenges and future directions in the field will be discussed. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2015, 7:737–758. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1342 This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology