{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,25]],"date-time":"2026-03-25T19:28:55Z","timestamp":1774466935403,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,4,28]],"date-time":"2018-04-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1524873600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Smart Campus Projetc","award":["(CUP E82I15000980002)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["(CUP E82I15000980002)"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The in vitro biocompatibility of Graphene Oxide (GO) nanosheets, which were obtained by the electrochemical exfoliation of graphite electrodes in an electrolytic bath containing salts, was compared with the pristine Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (p-SWCNTs) under the same experimental conditions in different human cell lines. The cells were treated with different concentrations of GO and SWCNTs for up to 48 h. GO did not induce any significant morphological or functional modifications (demonstrating a high biocompatibility), while SWNCTs were toxic at any concentration used after a few hours of treatment. The cell viability or cytotoxicity were detected by the trypan blue assay and the lactate dehydrogenase LDH quantitative enzymatic test. The Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis demonstrated the uptake and internalization of GO sheets into cells, which was localized mainly in the cytoplasm. Different results were observed in the same cell lines treated with p-SWCNTs. TEM and CLSM (Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy) showed that the p-SWCNTs induced vacuolization in the cytoplasm, disruption of cellular architecture and damage to the nuclei. The most important result of this study is our finding of a higher GO biocompatibility compared to the p-SWCNTs in the same cell lines. This means that GO nanosheets, which are obtained by the electrochemical exfoliation of a graphite-based electrode (carried out in saline solutions or other physiological working media) could represent an eligible nanocarrier for drug delivery, gene transfection and molecular cell imaging tests.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms19051316","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,4,30]],"date-time":"2018-04-30T03:45:49Z","timestamp":1525059949000},"page":"1316","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":25,"title":["Metal Free Graphene Oxide (GO) Nanosheets and Pristine-Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (p-SWCNTs) Biocompatibility Investigation: A Comparative Study in Different Human Cell Lines"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Federica","family":"Valentini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sciences and Chemical Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"INUIT Foundation, University of Roma Tor Vergata, via dell\u2019Archigginasio, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Emanuela","family":"Mari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Sapienza, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alessandra","family":"Zicari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Sapienza, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Calcaterra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"INUIT Foundation, University of Roma Tor Vergata, via dell\u2019Archigginasio, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maurizio","family":"Talamo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"INUIT Foundation, University of Roma Tor Vergata, via dell\u2019Archigginasio, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maria Giovanna","family":"Scioli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Pathological Anatomy, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Augusto","family":"Orlandi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Pathological Anatomy, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Stefania","family":"Mardente","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Sapienza, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,4,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1021\/ml3003742","article-title":"Nanomaterials for Nanomedicine","volume":"4","author":"Marchesan","year":"2013","journal-title":"ACS Med. 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