Rapid synthesis of highly monodisperse AgSbS₂ nanocrystals: unveiling multifaceted activities in cancer therapy, antibacterial strategies, and antioxidant defense

• Funda Ulusu,
• Adem Sarilmaz,
• Yakup Ulusu,
• Faruk Ozel and
• Mahmut Kus

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2105–2115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.145

• cascade of events leads to DNA breakage, heightened expression of death receptors, and ultimately culminates in apoptosis-driven cell death [10]. Therefore, nanoparticles can be considered as a medical agent in the treatment of various diseases that can be caused by free radicals, such as cancer

• bacterial cell wall and cell disruption when the NCs enter into the cell [39]. Thus, induction of apoptosis in bacterial cells occurs, resulting in an inevitable antibacterial mechanism of action. The data shows that the synthesized NCs in the study can be used as an antimicrobial agent in various

• nanoparticles [44][45]. Cell inhibition in cell lines can be attributed to intracellular accumulation of nanoparticles leading to oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and necrosis [46]. The findings of this investigation demonstrate that NCs exhibit a substantially lower inhibitory effect on healthy cell lines

Exploring the potential of polymers: advancements in oral nanocarrier technology

• Rousilândia de Araujo Silva,
• Igor Eduardo Silva Arruda,
• Luise Lopes Chaves,
• Mônica Felts de La Roca Soares and
• Jose Lamartine Soares Sobrinho

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1751–1793, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.122

• immunomodulatory activity, which plays a key role in antitumor therapy by inducing cell apoptosis [133]. Building on this, Imperiale et al. [114] evaluated the pharmacokinetic profile of chitosan NPs loaded with IFNα and analyzed the cellular compatibility of the NPs in intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2) and the

• genes respectively induce apoptosis and inhibit angiogenesis in cancer. Following oral PN administration in tumor-bearing mice, tumor regression was observed, attributed to the synergistic effects of the two RNAs in inhibiting cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Since nucleic acids are

Advances of aptamers in esophageal cancer diagnosis, treatment and drug delivery

• Yang Fei,
• Hui Xu,
• Chunwei Zhang,
• Jingjing Wang and
• Yong Jin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1734–1750, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.121

• serum albumin and lidamycin and loading it with the active enediyne chromophore (HSA-LDP-AE). The compound can effectively reduce nucleolin levels, specifically induce apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells, and significantly inhibit the growth of tumor tissues. This study provides a potential therapeutic

• significantly inhibited ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by inducing apoptosis, regulating cell cycle and inhibiting epithelial–mesenchymal transition; also it exhibited no significant toxicity to heart, liver, or other major organs. The safety and effectiveness of this four-way connected

Multifunctional anionic nanoemulsion with linseed oil and lecithin: a preliminary approach for dry eye disease

• Niédja Fittipaldi Vasconcelos,
• Almerinda Agrelli,
• Rayane Cristine Santos da Silva,
• Carina Lucena Mendes-Marques,
• Isabel Renata de Souza Arruda,
• Priscilla Stela Santana de Oliveira,
• Mércia Liane de Oliveira and
• Giovanna Machado

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1711–1733, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.120

Prospects of nanotechnology and natural products for cancer and immunotherapy

• Jan Filipe Andrade Santos,
• Marcela Bernardes Brasileiro,
• Pamela Danielle Cavalcante Barreto,
• Ligiane Aranha Rocha and
• José Adão Carvalho Nascimento Júnior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1644–1667, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.116

• ][82]. In phenolic compounds such as catechins, procyanidin, tannic acid, and thymoquinone, the arrangement and presence of the aromatic ring, along with hydroxy, methoxy, and carboxyl groups, directly influence the antioxidant activity of these substances and their ability to induce apoptosis [83][84

• compounds present remarkable properties in treating and preventing cancer, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiangiogenic effects, as well as inhibitory effects on protein kinases. This results in cancer cell apoptosis, suppression of proteinases, strong inhibition of telomerase, and

• inhibition of cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis [122][123]. The patent characterizes the NPs through DLS and TEM, confirming a uniform size distribution. Additionally, in vitro studies using MCF-7 breast cancer cells demonstrated inhibition of cell proliferation, with the NP inducing apoptosis

Ferroptosis induction by engineered liposomes for enhanced tumor therapy

• Alireza Ghasempour,
• Mohammad Amin Tokallou,
• Mohammad Reza Naderi Allaf,
• Mohsen Moradi,
• Hamideh Dehghan,
• Mahsa Sedighi,
• Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi and
• Fahimeh Lavi Arab

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1325–1349, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.97

• methods that have been developed to reduce mortality, alleviate chronic pain, and improve quality of life [5]. In 2021, Dixon initially introduced the concept of a new form of cell death called ferroptosis [6]. This form of cell death relies on iron and is not related to apoptosis, distinguished by the

• accumulation of lipid ROS. Ferroptosis clearly differs from necrosis, apoptosis, and autophagy in terms of cellular morphology and function [7]. Recently, studies have indicated that ferroptosis can be utilized for cancer therapy since it effectively eliminates cancer cells and reverses drug resistance [8][9

• ” (iron) and the Greek term “ptosis” (to fall) are the roots of the name ferroptosis [23]. Ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic cell death, a sub-branch of programmed cell death [24]. This type of cell death was first introduced in 2012 [6]. Ferroptosis differs from known forms such as apoptosis, necrosis

Better together: biomimetic nanomedicines for high performance tumor therapy

• Imran Shair Mohammad,
• Gizem Kursunluoglu,
• Anup Kumar Patel,
• Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq,
• Cansu Umran Tunc,
• Dilek Kanarya,
• Mubashar Rehman,
• Omer Aydin and
• Yin Lifang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1246–1276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.92

• -HNPs) selectively recognized the source cells and increased the cellular internalization up to nine-fold via homotypic binding. Moreover, the A549/T CM-HNPs sensitized MDR cells to PTX by suppressing the P-gp activity 3.2-fold and induced apoptosis (70%) in homologous A549/T cells [45] (Figure 8). Kong

• -DOX to target the glioma cells by homologous targeting and enhanced glioma cells apoptosis [141]. To improve the antitumor efficacy and bioavailability of chemotherapeutics, Gao et al. exploited albumin-mediated transportation and developed a biomimetic prodrug by modifying camptothecin with different

• that co-administration with doxorubicin significantly inhibited tumor growth and induced apoptosis, highlighting the system’s promise for overcoming chemoresistance in TNBC [145]. The success of efficient drug delivery to achieve considerable therapeutic outcomes highly depends on various critical

Polyurethane/silk fibroin-based electrospun membranes for wound healing and skin substitute applications

• Iqra Zainab,
• Zohra Naseem,
• Syeda Rubab Batool,
• Muhammad Waqas,
• Ahsan Nazir and
• Muhammad Anwaar Nazeer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 591–612, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.46

• are cleared by macrophage efferocytosis, apoptosis, or return to blood vessels [40]. Proliferation Granulation tissue development, re-epithelialization, and neovascularization are features of the proliferative phase. This period may last several weeks [41]. Fibroblasts, keratinocytes, macrophages, and

Nanomaterials in targeting amyloid-β oligomers: current advances and future directions for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and therapy

• Shiwani Randhawa,
• Trilok Chand Saini,
• Manik Bathla,
• Rahul Bhardwaj,
• Rubina Dhiman and
• Amitabha Acharya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 561–580, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.44

• drives neuronal apoptosis [17]. Furthermore, AβOs can disrupt the membranes of endosomes and lysosomes, exacerbating neuronal cell death [18]. In another dimension, AβOs exhibit a strong affinity for cellular prion protein (PrPC) receptors, binding to them irreversibly. The formation of the oligomer–PrPC

Synthetic-polymer-assisted antisense oligonucleotide delivery: targeted approaches for precision disease treatment

• Ana Cubillo Alvarez,
• Dylan Maguire and
• Ruairí P. Brannigan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 435–463, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.34

• . sLPD assemblies exhibited higher colloidal stability and cellular internalisation compared to free G3139 and non-stabilised counterparts. As a result, significantly higher inhibition of Bcl-2 proteins was observed in sLPD-treated groups, which led to induced apoptosis of KB cells and increased

• the antitumoral activity of Ku86 ASOs complexed with Pluronic (P85)–PEI (2 kDa) conjugates [123]. In vitro studies revealed a significant reduction in Ku86 protein levels and increased apoptosis rates following radiotherapy in cells treated with these cationic polyplexes. Moreover, experimental

• apoptosis rates in human cancer cell lines [134]. Klajnert and coworkers further explored the ability of Mal and Mal-III-modified PPI G4 dendrimers to protect anti-HIV ASOs from nucleolytic degradation under physiological conditions (Figure 9) [135]. Similarly, Maly et al. investigated the self-assembly

Graphene oxide–chloroquine conjugate induces DNA damage in A549 lung cancer cells through autophagy modulation

• Braham Dutt Arya,
• Sandeep Mittal,
• Prachi Joshi,
• Alok Kumar Pandey,
• Jaime E. Ramirez-Vick,
• Govind Gupta and
• Surinder P. Singh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 316–332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.24

• replication genes and causes alterations in the cell cycle, mutagenesis, and elevated expression of genes that mediate DNA-damage control and apoptosis in cancer cells [55]. Therefore, to assess the effect of GO–Chl on the cell cycle process in A549 cells, we performed flow-cytometry-based cell cycle analysis

Radiosensitizing properties of dual-functionalized carbon nanostructures loaded with temozolomide

• Radmila Milenkovska,
• Nikola Geskovski,
• Dushko Shalabalija,
• Ljubica Mihailova,
• Petre Makreski,
• Dushko Lukarski,
• Igor Stojkovski,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska and
• Kristina Mladenovska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 229–251, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.18

• antiproliferative, antimigratory, and antiangiogenic activities in gliomas due to their direct killing effect through inducing apoptosis and the capability to inhibit genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and to downregulate genes essential for cytoskeleton formation [9][10][11][12]. In addition, an effect on

• the ectopic (acentrosomal) microtubule nucleation was observed, with disassembly of the centrosome and a cytoskeletal reorganization that trigger the generation of ineffective biomechanical forces, which leads to migration defects, and ultimately to spindle-assembly checkpoint blockage and apoptosis

• apoptosis via activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-, caspase-, and mitochondrion-dependent pathways, such as p53-mPTP [13][17][18], and reduce the expression of voltage-dependent ion channel genes and extracellular receptors in glioma cells, damaging the cell membrane and changing its potential [19

Nanocarriers and macrophage interaction: from a potential hurdle to an alternative therapeutic strategy

• Naths Grazia Sukubo,
• Paolo Bigini and
• Annalisa Morelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 97–118, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.10

• ADP/ATP translocase in the mitochondria, ultimately leading to KCs apoptosis. When encapsulated in liposome in combination with nintedanib, a triple tyrosine kinase inhibitor, there is also a reduction in the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, which enhances the antifibrotic effects. This has been

• , induced M1 apoptosis, and facilitated M1 to M2 polarization. In murine models of collagen-induced arthritis, FA-AgNPs significantly reduced joint swelling, improved cartilage integrity, and outperformed standard treatments like methotrexate [67]. Stabilizing macrophage polarization for long-lasting

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles derived from algae and their larvicidal properties to control Aedes aegypti

• Matheus Alves Siqueira de Assunção,
• Douglas Dourado,
• Daiane Rodrigues dos Santos,
• Gabriel Bezerra Faierstein,
• Mara Elga Medeiros Braga,
• Severino Alves Junior,
• Rosângela Maria Rodrigues Barbosa,
• Herminio José Cipriano de Sousa and
• Fábio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1566–1575, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.123

• lead to oxidation and degradation of enzymes and organelles in the intracellular space of cells, affecting cellular physiological processes, leading to large-scale apoptosis and, consequently, larval death. Vinoth, et al. [51] evaluated the larvicidal activity of AgNPs from S. polycystum seaweed

Polymer lipid hybrid nanoparticles for phytochemical delivery: challenges, progress, and future prospects

• Iqra Rahat,
• Pooja Yadav,
• Aditi Singhal,
• Mohammad Fareed,
• Jaganathan Raja Purushothaman,
• Mohammed Aslam,
• Raju Balaji,
• Sonali Patil-Shinde and
• Md. Rizwanullah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1473–1497, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.118

• against HCT-116 cells, in terms of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, was assessed using flow cytometry. Comparison with APN suspension showed significant improvements favoring APN-PLHNPs. Additionally, the anticancer mechanism was further explored by examining the gene expression of key signaling molecules

• potent antitumor activity. HCT exhibits significant therapeutic effects, primarily in oncology. It functions as a topoisomerase-I inhibitor, interfering with DNA replication and transcription in cancer cells, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis [123][124]. However, poor aqueous solubility

• [171]. EDN-PLHNPs revealed much higher cytotoxicity (>2 times higher) against MCF-7 cells by enhancing the cellular uptake of EDN and promoting the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. Besides

Nanotechnological approaches for efficient N2B delivery: from small-molecule drugs to biopharmaceuticals

• Selin Akpinar Adscheid,
• Akif E. Türeli,
• Nazende Günday-Türeli and
• Marc Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1400–1414, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.113

• neutralizing the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand on the surfaces of polymeric NPs and NLCs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The in vivo studies in a mouse model showed that polymeric NPs and NLCs reached the brain via N2B delivery. They also showed that the adsorption of the

Interaction of graphene oxide with tannic acid: computational modeling and toxicity mitigation in C. elegans

• Romana Petry,
• James M. de Almeida,
• Francine Côa,
• Felipe Crasto de Lima,
• Diego Stéfani T. Martinez and
• Adalberto Fazzio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1297–1311, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.105

• to GO causes significant damage to intestinal microvilli cells . Furthermore, Dou et al. [53] showed that GO triggers cell autophagy as a protective response to the material. Apoptosis was observed in germline cells, indicating that GO can damage gonad development and reduce the reproduction rate of

AI-assisted models to predict chemotherapy drugs modified with C₆₀ fullerene derivatives

• Jonathan-Siu-Loong Robles-Hernández,
• Dora Iliana Medina,
• Katerin Aguirre-Hurtado,
• Marlene Bosquez,
• Roberto Salcedo and
• Alan Miralrio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1170–1188, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.95

• enzyme topoisomerase II, leading to apoptosis of living tissues [71]; therefore, it is important to study its intrinsic chemical reactivity. At the B3PW91/6-31G level of DFT, it is possible to appreciate that the periphery of the doxorubicin molecule is saturated by organic substituents. Its oxy

Unveiling the potential of alginate-based nanomaterials in sensing technology and smart delivery applications

• Shakhzodjon Uzokboev,
• Khojimukhammad Akhmadbekov,
• Ra’no Nuritdinova,
• Salah M. Tawfik and
• Yong-Ill Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1077–1104, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.88

• absorbed DOX-loaded UCNP-Al-NH-PEG-NH-FA by FR-mediated endocytosis, which resulted in intracellular pH-triggered DOX release and consequent apoptosis (Figure 3B) [19][47]. Chemically modified derivatives of alginate for DDS Sodium alginate has many carboxylate groups and can be used as a reactive polymer

Radiofrequency enhances drug release from responsive nanoflowers for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

• Yanyan Wen,
• Ningning Song,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Weiwei Wu,
• Qixiong Lin,
• Minjie Cui,
• Rongrong Li,
• Qiufeng Yu,
• Sixue Wu,
• Yongkang Liang,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 569–579, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.49

• pursuit of enhanced therapeutic effects and reduced side effects [9]. Among these, curcumin (CUR), a natural plant-derived polyphenolic drug, has garnered considerable attention due to its potential in treating HCC [10][11][12][13]. Curcumin can promote HCC cell apoptosis by activating p38, a cancer

Exploring the relationships between physiochemical properties of nanoparticles and cell damage to combat cancer growth using simple periodic table-based descriptors

• Joyita Roy and
• Kunal Roy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 297–309, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.27

• . To date, few studies have reported on the mechanism of apoptosis of cancerous cells after metal oxide treatment, which still remains unclear. Traditional approaches are very costly, time-consuming, involve a lot of resources and lead to ethical implications; also, they are inadequate in addressing

Curcumin-loaded albumin submicron particles with potential as a cancer therapy: an in vitro study

• Nittiya Suwannasom,
• Netsai Sriaksorn,
• Chutamas Thepmalee,
• Krissana Khoothiam,
• Ausanai Prapan,
• Hans Bäumler and
• Chonthida Thephinlap

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1127–1140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.93

• regulating the expression through a miRNA-mediated mechanism [4]. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that CUR induces apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (Huh-7) by activating p38, leading to FasL-associated apoptosis [5]. However, the clinical application of CUR is restricted by

• ]. These findings indicate that the sensitivity to CUR and the CUR-loaded HSA-MPs depends on the cell type [41]. Previous studies have shown that CUR inhibits the growth by inducing apoptosis through p53-dependent Bax induction in MCF-7 breast cancer cells [45][46] or through p38-dependent up-regulation of

• very strong cytotoxic activity on MMNK-1 cells. Free CUR, however, showed higher cytotoxicity than CUR-HSA-MPs in MMNK-1 cells. In fact, CUR has a cytotoxic effect on normal cells, but tumor cells are more sensitive to it [47]. As demonstrated recently, CUR preferably induces apoptosis in highly

Overview of mechanism and consequences of endothelial leakiness caused by metal and polymeric nanoparticles

• Magdalena Lasak and
• Karol Ciepluch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 329–338, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.28

• . observed that direct exposure of HUVECs to SiO2 NPs resulted in oxidative damage induced by ROS, generated by the action of NPs. After 24 h of NP exposure, an increase in cell necrosis and apoptosis was observed. Significant DNA damage and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M point also occurred after NP exposure

Recent progress in cancer cell membrane-based nanoparticles for biomedical applications

• Qixiong Lin,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Yanyan Wen,
• Xiaoqiong Li,
• Donglian Du,
• Weibin Dai,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 262–279, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.24

• results showed that the tumor tissues exhibited a higher rate of apoptosis [77]. In summary, cancer cell membrane-mediated bionanotechnology shows promise for precisely targeted and individualized therapies. 4.2 Hyperthermia Hyperthermia is a cancer treatment method that can convert external energy (e.g

• ., ultrasound, light, radiofrequency, microwave, and magnetic field energy) into heat and increase the temperature in tumor tissues [93][94]. Cancer cells are more sensitive to heating than normal cells. As a result, apoptosis of cancer cells is greater than that of normal tissue when heated above 40 °C [79][95

• major organs [115]. miRNA365 has been confirmed to inhibit tumor cell development and promote tumor cell apoptosis in the colon and other tumors [116]. Zhang et al. achieved efficient gene transfection in tumor tissue by preparing homologous colon cancer membrane-coated biomimetic NPs [55]. These

Nanotechnology – a robust tool for fighting the challenges of drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer

• Filip Gorachinov,
• Fatima Mraiche,
• Diala Alhaj Moustafa,
• Ola Hishari,
• Yomna Ismail,
• Jensa Joseph,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Nikola Geskovski and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 240–261, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.23

• complexity of resistance and continuous cancer mutations. Co-delivery of TK inhibitors with anticancer drugs, immunotherapy, or gene-specific therapeutics to disrupt key resistance pathways, reactivate p53-mediated apoptosis, or inhibit cellular drug efflux are only a few examples of strategies used to fight

• induces apoptosis. The effect obtained by siRNA is not influenced by the receptor alteration status and significantly decreases the gene's oncogenic potential. Chen et al. compared the efficacy of TKIs in NSCLC cells harboring different mutations with combined therapy consisting of TKIs (gefitinib

• , erlotinib, and afatinib) and EGFR-specific siRNA. The authors noted that combined therapy with the potent irreversible EGFR/HER TKI afatinib and EGFR-specific siRNA resulted in enhanced growth inhibition and apoptosis due to the inhibitory effect of the EGFR-specific siRNA on the overall EGFR oncogenic