Evidence mapPaperPMID 42347039Full record

ArticleMethods and protocols2026

Boron-Doped Carbon Dots for Organelle Labeling and Mitochondrial Bioimaging.

Aasia Bibi, Daniela De Benedictis, Giuseppe Capitanio, Alessandra Gabriele, Alessandro Buccolieri, Mariapompea Cutroneo, Lorenzo Torrisi, Daniela E Manno, Antonio Serra, Domenico De Rasmo and 1 more

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Article in Methods and protocols, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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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

11 authors.

Aasia BibiDepartment of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy.
Daniela De BenedictisDepartment of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy.ORCID 0009-0008-9129-6578
Giuseppe CapitanioDepartment of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9369-4608
Alessandra GabrieleCEDAD-Centro di Fisica Applicata Datazione e Diagnostica, Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica "E. De Giorgi", Università del Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0212-873X
Alessandro BuccolieriCEDAD-Centro di Fisica Applicata Datazione e Diagnostica, Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica "E. De Giorgi", Università del Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8657-9468
Mariapompea CutroneoDipartimento MIFT-Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università di Messina, Viale F.S. d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
Lorenzo TorrisiDipartimento MIFT-Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università di Messina, Viale F.S. d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
Daniela E MannoCEDAD-Centro di Fisica Applicata Datazione e Diagnostica, Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica "E. De Giorgi", Università del Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5843-8772
Antonio SerraCEDAD-Centro di Fisica Applicata Datazione e Diagnostica, Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica "E. De Giorgi", Università del Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3380-7751
Domenico De RasmoInstitute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies (IBIOM), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 70124 Bari, Italy.
Anna SignorileDepartment of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9045-891X

Funding

FONDO PER IL PROGRAMMA NAZIONALE DI RICERCA E PROGETTI DI RILEVANTE IN-TERESSE NAZIONALE (PRIN P2022M33MS - CARBON DOTS FOR ADVANCED BIO-MEDICAL IMAGING AND BEYOND (CAR-BIO-MED)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCarbon dots (CDs) are promising fluorescent nanomaterials with great application potential in bioimaging and organelle-targeted diagnostics. This study compares nitrogen-doped (N-CDs) and boron-nitrogen co-doped CDs (BN-CDs) in normal NIH3T3 fibroblasts and KRAS-transformed cells.

methodsCDs were synthesized via a microwave-assisted method. Their fluorescence, cytocompatibility, and intracellular localization were evaluated using confocal microscopy, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, and organelle colocalization. Cellular metabolism was assessed by Seahorse analysis. Oxidative stress and cAMP levels were pharmacologically modulated.

resultsBN-CDs exhibited stronger intracellular fluorescence than N-CDs, indicating enhanced uptake and imaging performance, with no cytotoxicity up to 100 µg/mL. They localized to multiple organelles, particularly mitochondria. However, fluorescence was significantly reduced in KRAS-transformed cells despite similar mitochondrial mass. BN-CDs did not affect mitochondrial respiration or glycolytic activity. Induced oxidative stress or elevated cAMP in normal cells reduced BN-CD fluorescence.

conclusionsBoron doping improves N-CD imaging properties without affecting cell viability or metabolism. Reduced fluorescence in KRAS cells is associated with altered intracellular conditions, suggesting that BN-CDs could be used to discriminate between normal and cancer cells.

Indexed as

bioimagingboron–nitrogen co-doped carbon dots (BN-CDs)cancermitochondrianitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs)

Identifiers

PMID42347039
PMCPMC13306065

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.