Graphene has recently emerged as a novelmaterial in the biomedical field owing to its optical properties,biocompatibility, large specific surface area and low cost. In this paper, weprovide the first demonstration of the possibility of using light to remotelytrigger the release of drugs from graphene in a highly controlled manner.Different drugs including chemotherapeutics and proteins are firmly adsorbedonto reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets dispersed in a biopolymer film andthen released by individual millisecond-long light pulses generated by a nearinfrared (NIR) laser. Here graphene plays the dual role of a versatilesubstrate for temporary storage of drugs and an effective transducer ofNIR-light into heat. Drug release appears to be narrowly confined within thesize of the laser spot under noninvasive conditions and can be precisely doseddepending on the number of pulses. The approach proposed paves the way fortailor-made pharmacological treatments of chronic diseases, including cancer, anaemiaand diabetes.
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2014/nr/c4nr01622j#!divAbstract