Graphene targets cancer stem cells

This new from development from Manchester University is claimed to open up the possibility of preventing or treating a broad range of cancers, using a non-toxic material.

Writing in Oncotarget, the team of researchers led by Prof Michael Lisanti and Dr Aravind Vijayaraghavan has shown that graphene oxide, a modified form of graphene, acts as an anti-cancer agent that selectively targets cancer stem cells (CSCs).

In combination with existing treatments, this could eventually lead to tumour shrinkage as well as preventing the spread of cancer and its recurrence after treatment.  However, more pre-clinical studies and extensive clinical trials will be necessary to move this forward into the clinic to ensure patient benefit.

In a statement, Prof Lisanti, the director of the Manchester Centre for Cellular Metabolism within the University’s Institute of Cancer Sciences, said: ‘Cancer stem cells possess the ability to give rise to many different tumour cell types. They are responsible for the spread of cancer within the body - known as metastasis- which is responsible for 90 per cent of cancer deaths.