Graphene-Based Materials for Efficient Neurogenesis.

Graphene, a two-dimensional plane-structured carbon allotrope, has outstanding properties. Owing to their unique features, graphene-based materials including graphene derivatives have recently emerged as an ideal material and been used in various fields. Especially, in terms of specific advantages of graphene including great electrical conductivity, high potential to conjugate with biomolecules, and applicability to three-dimensional structures, neurogenesis-based stem cell therapies using graphene-based materials have been reported to be a candidate of treatment for neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease). To date, extensive studies on neurogenesis-based stem cell therapies including enhanced neural differentiation and monitoring stem cells behavior have been conducted using graphene-based materials. Herein, we have summarized recent various studies of neurogenesis using graphene-based materials in depth and focused on effect of graphene on functional improvement of neural stem cells and monitoring of differentiation into neural linages.