Functional graphene oxide as a plasmid-based Stat3 siRNA carrier inhibits mouse malignant melanoma growth in vivo

Nanotechnology. 2013 Mar 15;24(10):105102. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/24/10/105102. Epub 2013 Feb 20.

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) has attracted intensive interest in the biomedical field in recent years. We investigate whether the use of functional graphene oxide as an efficient delivery system for delivering specific molecular antitumor therapeutics in vivo could achieve a more excellent antitumor effect. Constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) promotes survival in a wide spectrum of human cancers. In this paper, we study the in vivo behavior of graphene oxide chemically functionalized with polyethylenimine and polyethylene glycol (GO-PEI-PEG) as a plasmid-based Stat3-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) carrier in mouse malignant melanoma. The in vivo results indicate significant regression in tumor growth and tumor weight after plasmid-based Stat3 siRNA delivered by GO-PEI-PEG treatment. Moreover, there was no significant side effect from GO-PEI-PEG treatment according to histological examination and blood chemistry analysis in mice. Thus, our work is the first success of using GO-PEI-PEG as a promising carrier for plasmid Stat3 siRNA delivery and down-regulation of Stat3 by a polymer-mediated vehicle and suggests the great promise of graphene in biomedical applications such as cancer treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Genetic Therapy / methods*
  • Graphite / chemistry*
  • Melanoma / pathology*
  • Melanoma / therapy
  • Melanoma, Experimental
  • Mice
  • Nanostructures / chemistry
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Neoplasms / therapy
  • Oxides / chemistry*
  • Plasmids / metabolism*
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry
  • Polyethyleneimine / chemistry
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism*
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / genetics*
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Oxides
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • Stat3 protein, mouse
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Graphite
  • Polyethyleneimine