Materials 2015, 8(12), 8674-8690; doi:10.3390/ma8125481
Graphene-Based Materials for Stem Cell Applications
1
School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heukseok-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 06974, Korea
2
Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Korea
3
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt
4
Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Korea
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Owen J. Guy
Received: 30 September 2015 / Revised: 18 November 2015 / Accepted: 1 December 2015 / Published: 11 December 2015
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene)
Abstract
Although graphene and its derivatives have been proven to be suitable for several biomedical applications such as for cancer therapy and biosensing, the use of graphene for stem cell research is a relatively new area that has only recently started to be investigated. For stem cell applications, graphene has been utilized by itself or in combination with other types of materials such as nanoparticles, nanofibers, and polymer scaffolds to take advantage of the several unique properties of graphene, such as the flexibility in size, shape, hydrophilicity, as well as its excellent biocompatibility. In this review, we will highlight a number of previous studies that have investigated the potential of graphene or its derivatives for stem cell applications, with a particular focus on guiding stem cell differentiation into specific lineages (e.g., osteogenesis, neurogenesis, and oligodendrogenesis), promoting stem cell growth, stem cell delivery/transplantation, and effective monitoring of their differentiation. We hope that this review promotes and accelerates the use of graphene-based materials for regenerative therapies, especially for stem cell-based approaches to cure various incurable diseases/disorders such as neurological diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease), stroke, spinal cord injuries, bone/cartilage defects, and cardiovascular diseases. View Full-TextKeywords:
graphene; graphene oxide; graphene hybrid materials; graphene scaffolds; stem cells; differentiation; transplantation; detection; biomedical applications; stem cell engineering
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Kim, T.-H.; Lee, T.; El-Said, W.A.; Choi, J.-W. Graphene-Based Materials for Stem Cell Applications. Materials 2015, 8, 8674-8690.
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