Cyclodextrin- and dendrimer-conjugated graphene oxide as a nanocarrier for the delivery of selected chemotherapeutic and photosensitizing agents

In this study, nanohybrid materials consisting of graphene oxide (GO), beta-cyclodextrin (CD) and poly(amido amine) dendrimer (DEN) were successfully prepared by covalent bonding. GO-CD and GO-CD-DEN were found to be potential nanocarriers for anticancer drugs including chemotherapeutics (doxorubicin (DOX), camptothecin (CPT)) and photosensitizer (protoporphyrin DC (PpIX)). GO-CD possessed 1.2 times higher DOX-loading capacity than GO due to inclusion of additional DOX to the CD. The drug loading on GO-CD-DEN increased in the order: DOX < PpIX < CPT. Enhanced cytotoxicity of DOX and CPT and also the photocytotoxicity of PpIX were observed when the drugs were loaded in GO-CD and GO-CD-DEN. Functionalization of GO with CD and CD-DEN increased the uptake in cancer cells, and both GO-CD and GO-CD-DEN nanohybrids remained in the cytoplasm and were not uptaken into the nucleus, as shown in the flow cytometry and high-content screening study.