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Graphene could cure cancer for good
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A group of researchers at one of Manchester's universities made an unusual discovery. During the work, it turned out that graphene has a unique anti-cancer property.
Scientists have discovered that graphene oxide can destroy cancer stem cells without affecting healthy cells.
If graphene oxide treatment is included in the complex treatment of cancerous tumors, the tumor growth will stop, and graphene will help prevent metastasis and recurrence of the tumor in the future. Such conclusions were made by specialists after studying the properties of the carbon material.
Cancer stem cells provoke the development of different types of tumors, they also cause metastasis, as a result of which almost 90% of cancer patients die. In addition, these cells most often cause the recurrence of a cancerous tumor after a course of anti-cancer therapy. Cancer stem cells do not die after chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which are usually used for cancerous tumors.
As explained by Mahael Lisanti, the leading specialist of the new research project, the effect of graphene oxide on different types of cancerous neoplasms was studied in the course of the work – in the ovaries, lungs, breast, pancreas, brain, prostate. Scientists noted that in each case, graphene oxide had a detrimental effect only on pathological stem cells, preventing them from developing into a tumor. In addition, it was found that healthy cells did not receive any toxic effect at all against the background of treatment with graphene oxide.
But the experts themselves note that, despite such positive results, it is necessary to wait several years before the preclinical and clinical stages of the experiment to study the effect of the substance on cancer cells in more detail. Professor Lisanti emphasized that any new discoveries require careful research, which can last for decades, before the substances can be used in clinical practice. The specialists assume that their work will still reach the stage of clinical trials, and graphene oxide can be used to treat cancer tumors.
The research team notes that graphene oxide can be used not only as an adjunct to standard cancer therapy, but also as a standalone drug that can help destroy cancer cells.
It is worth noting that graphene was developed by Russian scientists working at the University of Manchester - Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov. In 2004, specialists were able to obtain a new substance that aroused great interest in scientific circles. After the appearance of a unique carbon material, scientists from different countries conducted various experiments to identify the qualities of the new material. Now graphene, due to its unique properties (the speed of electrical conductivity of the substance is compared to the speed of light), is widely used in the production of electronics, as well as in other areas. In 2010, A. Geim and K. Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for advanced experiments with a two-dimensional substance - graphene.
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