Graphene Oxide: A Promising Material for Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering have been considered pioneer fields in the life sciences, with an ultimate goal of restoring or switching lost or impaired body parts. Graphene oxide (GO) is the product of graphene oxidation and presents a great opportunity to make substantial progress in the field of regenerative medicine; for example, it supports the possibility of creating a cellular niche for stem cells on a nanoparticle surface. GO creates a fascinating structure for regulating stem cell behavior, as it can potentially applied to the noninvasive chase of stem cells in vivo, the liberation of active biological factors from stem cell-containing delivery systems, and the intracellular delivery of factors such as growth factors, DNA, or synthetic proteins in order to modulate stem cell differentiation and proliferation. Due to the interesting physicochemical properties of GO and its possible usage in tissue engineering approaches, the present review aims to elaborate on the ways in which GO can improve current regenerative strategies. In this respect, the applicability of GO to the repair and regeneration of various tissues and organs, including cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, and nervous, bone, cartilage, adipose, and skin tissues, is discussed.