The Exploitation of Lysosomes in Cancer Therapy with Graphene-Based Nanomaterials

Graphene-based nanomaterials (GNMs), including graphene, graphene oxide, reduced and quantum dots, may have direct anticancer activity or be used as nanocarriers for antitumor drugs. GNMs usually enter tumor cells by endocytosis can accumulate in lysosomes. This accumulation prevents drugs bound to from reaching their targets, suppressing effects. A number of chemical modifications are made facilitate the separation at low lysosomal pH enable escape Lysosomal associated with oxidative stress, permeabilization unstable membrane cancer cell lysosomes, release enzymes into cytoplasm, death. prevent stimulate death inducing protective autophagy autolysosomal degradation, respectively. Furthermore, because fluorescent agents emitting light, lysosomes identification therapy monitoring. In this review, we explain how characteristics microenvironment unique features exploited GNM-based therapy.