Biocompatibility of graphene oxide nanosheets functionalized with various amino acids towards mesenchymal stem cells
Ali Mohammad Tamaddon,
Rahman Bashiri,
Haniyeh Najafi,
Khadijeh Mousavi,
Mahboobeh Jafari,
Sedigheh Borandeh,
Mahdokht H. Aghdaie,
Mina Shafiee,
Samira Sadat Abolmaali,
Negar Azarpira
Affiliations
Ali Mohammad Tamaddon
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran; Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran; Corresponding author. Departments of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Rahman Bashiri
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran
Haniyeh Najafi
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran
Khadijeh Mousavi
Food and Drug Administration, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Mahboobeh Jafari
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran; Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran
Sedigheh Borandeh
Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran
Mahdokht H. Aghdaie
Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Research Tower, Shiraz, PO Box 7193711351, Iran
Mina Shafiee
Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran
Samira Sadat Abolmaali
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran; Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, PO Box 71345-1583, Iran
Negar Azarpira
Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Research Tower, Shiraz, PO Box 7193711351, Iran
Graphene and its derivatives have gained popularity due to their numerous applications in various fields, such as biomedicine. Recent reports have revealed the severe toxic effects of these nanomaterials on cells and organs. In general, the chemical composition and surface chemistry of nanomaterials affect their biocompatibility. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of graphene oxide (GO) synthesized by Hummer's method and functionalized by different amino acids such as lysine, methionine, aspartate, and tyrosine. The obtained nanosheets were identified by FT-IR, EDX, RAMAN, FE-SEM, and DLS techniques. In addition, trypan blue and Alamar blue methods were used to assess the cytotoxicity of mesenchymal stem cells extracted from human embryonic umbilical cord Wharton jelly (WJ-MSCs). The annexin V staining procedure was used to determine apoptotic and necrotic death. In addition, COMET and karyotyping techniques were used to assess the extent of DNA and chromosome damage. The results of the cytotoxicity assay showed that amino acid modifications significantly reduced the concentration-dependent cytotoxicity of GO to varying degrees. The GO modified with aspartic acid had the lowest cytotoxicity. There was no evidence of chromosomal damage in the karyotyping method, but in the comet assay, the samples modified with tyrosine and lysine showed the greatest DNA damage and rate of apoptosis. Overall, the aspartic acid-modified GO caused the least cellular and genetic damage to WJ-MSCs, implying its superior biomedical applications such as cell therapy and tissue engineering over GO.
