title: Biomedical catalogue description: “Documented graphene-family work in and around medicine: what translated, what stalled, what is still a slide.” tags:
- health
Not treatment advice. Not a device clearance list.
Form still decides toxicity and function: GO ≠ monolayer CVD ≠ holey stencil on gold. forms · safety
What has actually moved toward humans
| Item | Status (as of 2025–26 reviews / registries) | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Graphene cortical electrodes in brain-tumor resection (INBRAIN; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06368310) | First-in-human intraoperative use; 2025 writeups of early patients report no device-associated serious events in that small set and usable high-frequency signal | Preliminary clinical device data — not a marketed therapy |
| Controlled GO inhalation / exposure physiology study (NCT03659864) cited in 2026 reviews | Acute tolerability in a designed protocol; not a drug trial | Preliminary human exposure data |
| Occupational hygiene at graphene plants | NIOSH field samples vs a conservative 10 µg/m³ band | Well-supported as field notes 2026-09-16-niosh-graphene-exposure |
| Neural-interface and biosensor literature | Huge; most still on benchtop or animal | Mixed |
A 2026 review of GO nanomaterials stated there were still no Phase I/II trials of GO as a therapeutic (drug / imaging agent / scaffold product) in the sense of a graphene-oxide medicine. FDA/EMA review graphene case-by-case under general nanomaterial rules, not a special “graphene pathway.”
Research successes (not the same as products)
These are real papers or methods. They are successes of measurement or fabrication.
- Conductive scaffolds and oriented GO/PCL fibres: rat sciatic-gap models and in-vitro axon length reports (e.g. 2024 IJN oriented GO/PCL). Animal. Preliminary translation.
- GO as a high-area carrier for small molecules in cells and rodents (dexamethasone, anti-PD tool compounds, photothermal ideas). Delivery papers, not approved formulations. 2025 Pharmaceuticals review maps this pile and names toxicity / metabolism as the brake.
- Graphene / GO electrodes and GFET sensors: high surface area, flexibility. 2024 Biosensors and Bioelectronics neuro review is typical: many disease names in the abstract, few cleared instruments.
- Holey graphene as a molecular stencil on gold (Weiss / UCLA 2015): patterning chemistry toward sensors, not a neural implant. holey-graphene-molecular-stencil
- Antibacterial / antiviral in-vitro GO literature: large, condition-dependent, easy to overclaim.
Failures, stalls, and honest brakes
| Claim that circulated | What the record supports |
|---|---|
| Graphene will be in licensed human vaccines as an ingredient | Ingredient lists do not include GO. Fringe. conspiracies |
| GO adjuvant papers in animals prove a human shot recipe | Different evidence class |
| Replace silicon diagnostic chips this decade | Same band-gap / foundry problem as electronics. theories |
| A patterning or coating paper “will treat” a named disease this cycle | Motivation language. unsourced |
| One toxicity paper ⇒ covert deployment | Non sequitur. safety |
| Long-term implant / IV GO is “solved” | Reviews in 2025–26 still list cytotoxicity, dose, metals, and fate as open |
Rodent high-dose GO can inflame lung and accumulate; that is in the nanosafety pile. It does not license either slogan (“safe” / “weapon”).
Projections (labeled as projections)
Review articles project: injectable / biodegradable graphene, AI-designed DNA–graphene scaffolds, patient-specific printed grafts, smart microneedles, closed-loop neural interfaces.
Treat those sentences as forecast language. They belong next to the trial table, not in place of it. Market-size slides for “graphene healthcare” are unsourced unless the house and the definition of “graphene product” are quoted.
How this folder will grow
New row needs: form (GO / rGO / CVD / composite), species or NCT number, endpoint, and a primary. Niche is in. “Cures X” without a denominator is out.