ABSTRACT
Potential biomedicinal applications of graphene oxide (GO), for example, as a carrier of biomolecules or a reagent for photothermal therapy and biosensing, are limited by its cytotoxicity and mutagenicity. It is believed that these properties are at least partially caused by GO-induced oxidative stress in cells. However, it is not known which chemical fragments of GO are responsible for this unfavorable effect. We generated four GOs containing variable redox-active groups on the surface, including Mn(2+), C-centered radicals, and endoperoxides (EPs). A comparison of the abilities of these materials to generate reactive oxygen species in human cervical cancer cells revealed that EPs play a crucial role in GO-induced oxidative stress. These data could be applied to the rational design of biocompatible nontoxic GOs for biomedical applications.
Subject(s)
Graphite/chemistry , Graphite/toxicity , Oxides/chemistry , Oxides/toxicity , Peroxides/toxicity , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/metabolism , Biocompatible Materials/chemistry , Biocompatible Materials/metabolism , Biocompatible Materials/toxicity , Cell Line, Tumor , Drug Design , Female , Graphite/metabolism , Humans , Oxidation-Reduction/drug effects , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Oxides/metabolism , Peroxides/chemistry , Peroxides/metabolism , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
We applied 14-mer 2'-OMe RNAs as inhibitors of selected micro RNAs. To improve their properties, we introduced a trimethoxystilbene residue at the 5'-terminus and three 2'-fluoro-2'-deoxynucleotides at the 3'-terminus to obtain potent inhibitors, whose mismatch discrimination is substantially better than that of typically applied >18-mers.
