Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42738614›Full record

ArticleMolecules (Basel, Switzerland)2026

pH-Dependent Surface Charge Modulation of Peptide-Coated Poly(lactic-co-glycolic Acid) (PLGA) Nanoparticle for Drug Delivery in Ovarian Cancer.

Sylwia A Dragulska, Mina Poursharifi, Benjamin Lesea-Pringle, Maxier Acosta Santiago, Caleb Mayes, Ying Chen, Maria Padron-Rhenals, Sandra Catalina Camacho, Kelsey Engelman, Olga Camacho-Vanegas and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Sylwia A DragulskaDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA.ORCID 0009-0008-4486-0711
Mina PoursharifiDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA.
Benjamin Lesea-PringleDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1446-3183
Maxier Acosta SantiagoDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0883-331X
Caleb MayesDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA.
Ying ChenDepartment of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Maria Padron-RhenalsDepartment of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9108-4761
Sandra Catalina CamachoDepartment of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Kelsey EngelmanDepartment of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Olga Camacho-VanegasDepartment of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.
John A MartignettiDepartment of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Aneta J MieszawskaDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The development of nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems that combine passive tumor targeting, physiological stability, and therapeutic efficacy remains a key challenge in cancer nanomedicine. Here, we report a pH-responsive peptide-functionalized poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NP system designed for cancer targeting. The PLGA core is coated with a short glutamic acid-lysine-histidine-phenylalanine x3 (EKHFFF) peptide shell, enabling tunable surface charge modulation around its isoelectric point and promoting environmental responsiveness. Physicochemical characterization confirms spherical NPs (~70-75 nm) with good colloidal stability, serum compatibility, and ion-dependent stability in physiological conditions. The peptide coating also provides pH-dependent modulation of the zeta potential. Evaluation of the NPs in ovarian cancer (OvCA) models, including immortalized and patient-derived cell lines (PDCLs), demonstrates efficient uptake across OvCA cell lines, with significantly enhanced internalization in PDCLs compared to immortalized cells. The EKHFFF nanoparticle (EKHFFF NP) induced minimal reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide production in macrophages, indicating low immunogenicity and favorable biocompatibility. Upon platinum loading (EKHFFF-Pt NP), the system exhibits potent cytotoxicity in both platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant OvCA cell lines, outperforming carboplatin and showing comparable or improved efficacy relative to cisplatin in several cell lines. In vivo studies further demonstrate preferential tumor accumulation, sustained intratumoral retention, and measurable systemic circulation with a half-life of approximately 35 min.

Indexed as

Drug Delivery SystemsNanoparticlesOvarian NeoplasmsPeptidesPolylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid CopolymerAnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsCell Line, TumorDrug CarriersFemaleHumansHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationMiceReactive Oxygen SpeciesAntineoplastic AgentsDrug CarriersPeptidesPolylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid CopolymerReactive Oxygen SpeciesEPRnanoparticlesovarian cancerpeptide coatingpH-sensitivePLGA

Identifiers

PMID42738614
PMCPMC13567042

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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.