Graphene oxide nanosheets enhancing the photothermal response of a cellular barrier exposed to near infrared light

Recent developments in targeted photothermal therapy focus on integrating near-infrared (NIR) light and biocompatible nanostructures. It is yet unclear if graphene oxide nanosheets (GO) can assist in the photothermal response of cellular barriers under NIR irradiation. Herein, this study investigates the photothermal response of a cellular barrier treated with different concentrations of GO under the irradiation of NIR light. The synthesized GO nanosheets show good stability in aqueous media. No toxic effects are imposed onto human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) when the cells are treated with GO up to 20 μg/mL for 1 day. In addition, the in vitro cellular barrier model with intercellular tight junctions is formed by using HUVECs, which have a high transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) value of 89.3 Ω · cm². Under the irradiation of NIR light (980 nm), the photothermal response on the cellular barrier is enhanced by introducing GO, which has been verified by the decrease of TEER value and the increase in the transport of dextran. The results indicate that the thermal response of a cellular barrier exposed to NIR light is non-linearly enhanced with increasing concentration of GO. (author)