Graphene, other carbon nanomaterials and the immune system: Toward nanoimmunity-by-design

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Arianna Gazzi - , University of Trieste, Città della Speranza, Ikerbasque Basque Foundation for Science (Author)
  • Laura Fusco - , University of Trieste, Città della Speranza, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Ikerbasque Basque Foundation for Science (Author)
  • Marco Orecchioni - , La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, University of Sassari (Author)
  • Silvia Ferrari - , University of Sassari (Author)
  • Giulia Franzoni - , Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sardinia (Author)
  • J. Stephen Yan - , Rice University (Author)
  • Matthias Rieckher - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Guotao Peng - , Karolinska Institutet (Author)
  • Matteo Andrea Lucherelli - , University of Strasbourg (Author)
  • Isabella Anna Vacchi - , University of Strasbourg (Author)
  • Ngoc Do Quyen Chau - , University of Strasbourg (Author)
  • Alejandro Criado - , CIC biomaGUNE (Author)
  • Akcan Istif - , University of Trieste (Author)
  • Donato Mancino - , CIC biomaGUNE (Author)
  • Antonio Dominguez - , CIC biomaGUNE (Author)
  • Hagen Eckert - , TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Ester Vázquez - , University of Castilla-La Mancha (Author)
  • Tatiana Da Ros - , University of Trieste (Author)
  • Paola Nicolussi - , Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sardinia (Author)
  • Vincenzo Palermo - , National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Chalmers University of Technology (Author)
  • Björn Schumacher - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Gianaurelio Cuniberti - , Chair of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Yiyong Mai - , Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Author)
  • Cecilia Clementi - , Rice University (Author)
  • Matteo Pasquali - , Rice University (Author)
  • Xinliang Feng - , Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Chair of Molecular Functional Materials (cfaed) (Author)
  • Kostas Kostarelos - , University of Manchester, Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Author)
  • Acelya Yilmazer - , Ankara University (Author)
  • Davide Bedognetti - , Sidra Medical and Research Center (Author)
  • Bengt Fadeel - , Karolinska Institutet (Author)
  • Maurizio Prato - , University of Trieste, CIC biomaGUNE, Ikerbasque Basque Foundation for Science (Author)
  • Alberto Bianco - , University of Strasbourg (Author)
  • Lucia Gemma Delogu - , Città della Speranza, University of Sassari, University of Padua (Author)

Abstract

Carbon-based materials (CBMs), such as graphene, nanodiamonds, carbon fibers, and carbon dots, have attracted a great deal scientific attention due to their potential as biomedical tools. Following exposure, particularly intravenous injection, these nanomaterials can be recognized by immune cells. Such interactions could be modulated by the different physicochemical properties of the materials (e.g. structure, size, and chemical functions), by either stimulating or suppressing the immune response. However, a harmonized cutting-edge approach for the classification of these materials based not only on their physicochemical parameters but also their immune properties has been missing. The European Commission-funded G-IMMUNOMICS and CARBO-IMmap projects aimed to fill this gap, developing a functional pipeline for the qualitative and quantitative immune characterization of graphene, graphene-related materials (GRMs), and other CBMs. The goal was to open breakthrough perspectives for the definition of the immune profiles of these materials. Here, we summarize our methodological approach, key results, and the necessary multidisciplinary expertise ranging across various fields, from material chemistry to engineering, immunology, toxicology, and systems biology. G-IMMUNOMICS, as a partnering project of the Graphene Flagship, the largest scientific research initiative on graphene worldwide, also complemented the studies performed in the Flagship on health and environmental impact of GRMs. Finally, we present the nanoimmunity-by-design concept, developed within the projects, which can be readily applied to other 2D materials. Overall, the G-IMMUNOMICS and CARBO-IMmap projects have provided new insights on the immune impact of GRMs and CBMs, thus laying the foundation for their safe use and future translation in medicine.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number034009
JournalJPhys materials
Volume3
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • Carbon nanotubes, Graphene, Nanomedicine, Nanosafety, Nanotoxicology, Single cell mass cytometry, Systems biology