Reduced graphene oxide as a potential anticancer nanomaterial: in vitro activity against melanoma and glioblastoma combined with molecular docking insights

Melanoma and glioblastoma are among the most aggressive cancer types, presenting high recurrence rates, therapeutic resistance, and poor prognosis despite conventional approaches. In this context, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising strategy to overcome these limitations. The aim of this study was to (1) synthesize reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and its magnetic analogs (rGO∙Fe₃O₄), (2) determine the physicochemical characterization, and (3) examine the biological properties. The characteristics of the nanomaterials (NM) were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), value stream mapping (VSM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). These analyses showed the spectral and structural features of rGO and rGO∙Fe₃O₄. In vitro evaluation demonstrated that the treatments were more toxic to two cancer cell lines, A375 (melanoma) and U87MG (glioblastoma), than HaCaT (non-tumorigenic human keratinocyte). One mechanism of action may be associated with increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as enhanced binding energy between rGO and rGO∙Fe₃O₄, and proteins involved in tumorigenesis. Molecular docking results indicated that rGO exhibited greater potential for interaction with selected proteins. These findings provide a foundation for further studies exploring the potential of rGO and rGO∙Fe₃O₄ as effective and biocompatible platforms for melanoma and glioblastoma cancer therapy.