Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40319094›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Insights into cellular and molecular mechanisms of graphene oxide nanoparticles in photothermal therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Zlatina Gospodinova, Kamelia Hristova-Panusheva, Trayana Kamenska, Georgi Antov, Natalia Krasteva

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Zlatina Gospodinova *Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Kamelia Hristova-Panusheva *Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Trayana KamenskaInstitute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Georgi AntovInstitute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Natalia KrastevaInstitute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria. natalia.krasteva@yahoo.com.

Funding

National Science Foundation of Bulgaria KP-06-N78/8 from 14.12.2023
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Graphene oxide derivatives have shown promise for photothermal cancer therapy due to their efficient light-to-heat conversion in the near-infrared (NIR) range. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the potential of newly synthesized pristine (nGO) and PEGylated (nGO-PEG) graphene oxide nanoparticles, for photothermal therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. We evaluated various aspects of cellular behavior, including migration, growth, morphology, cell membranes integrity, mitochondrial dynamics, actin cytoskeleton organization, and ROS generation along with the expression of genes linked to apoptosis (CASP8, BAX), autophagy (BECN1), cell cycle arrest (CDKN1A), and metastasis (HMMR). Our findings reveal that 5 min of 808 nm NIR irradiation caused a mild temperature increase enhancing cytotoxicity, with nGO showing higher toxicity by disrupting cell morphology, reducing proliferation, and increasing ROS levels. In contrast, nGO-PEG more effectively suppressed cell motility and demonstrated improved biocompatibility. Gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of apoptosis-related genes in nGO-PEG-treated cells indicating mitochondrial damage, while nGO induced autophagy, as seen by increased BECN1 expression. The findings point to distinct therapeutic potentials: nGO as a potent cytotoxic agent inducing autophagy, and nGO-PEG as a more biocompatible nanoparticle promoting apoptosis. This dual-pathway analysis provides a basis for tailored therapeutic strategies for liver cancer.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularGraphiteLiver NeoplasmsNanoparticlesPhotothermal TherapyApoptosisAutophagyCell MovementCell ProliferationHep G2 CellsHumansReactive Oxygen Speciesgraphene oxideGraphiteReactive Oxygen SpeciesActin cytoskeletonCell migrationHepG2 cellsMitochondrial dynamicsNear-infrared lightPEGylated graphene oxide

Identifiers

PMID40319094
PMCPMC12049538

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.