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

• -damage response. GO–Chl causes loss of plasma membrane integrity, cell cycle arrest, and significant genotoxicity in A549 cells. Further, elevated expression of key autophagy proteins beclin-1, ATG-7, LC-3-I/II, and SQSTM1/p62 reveal that inhibition of autophagy plays a crucial role in regulating DDR

• of cells with compromised membrane integrity was analyzed using the FACS Diva software (version 6.1.2, BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA). Values represent mean ± standard error (SE) of three independent experiments. A value of p < 0.05 (*) was considered statistically significant. Cell cycle

• analysis The cell cycle analysis was carried out by flow cytometry using PI [31]. Briefly, A549 cells were treated with different concentrations (1–100 μg/mL) of the GO–Chl nanoconjugate for 24 h. The cells were washed twice with cold 1× PBS, harvested using 0.25% trypsin, centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 10

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

• effects on the proliferation of cancer cells by blocking the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase and increasing the osmotic pressure [91][92]. In addition, in a paper of Xu et al. [93], dynamic biological interactions between PEG and cells on the molecular level were clarified, explaining both the inhibitory

• observed when FA was applied to breast cancer cells through induced oxidative stress as the driver of cytotoxicity, cell cycle arrest in the S and/or G1/G0 phases, and significantly increased apoptosis [94][95]. The mechanisms behind the cancer protection and potential carcinogenic effect of FA are in

Biomimetic nanocarriers: integrating natural functions for advanced therapeutic applications

• Hugo Felix Perini,
• Beatriz Sodré Matos,
• Carlo José Freire de Oliveira and
• Marcos Vinicius da Silva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1619–1626, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.127

• nanoparticle was demonstrated by inhibiting proliferation through negative regulation of cyclin D1, halting the G0/G1 cell cycle in HeLa and SiHa cervical cancer cells [67][68]. Biomimetic-specific targets provide opportunities for personalized cancer therapies [10][11][12]. Coated nanocarriers have also been

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

• . Cell cycle analysis and apoptotic studies by flow cytometry revealed much higher apoptotic activity and cellular internalization of CUR-PLHNPs in MCF-7 cells compared to free CUR. Further, the CUR-PLHNPs showed a significantly lower IC50 value (i.e., 7 µg/mL) than free CUR (10.72 µg/mL). Zhao et al

• 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

Nanocarrier systems loaded with IR780, iron oxide nanoparticles and chlorambucil for cancer theragnostics

• Phuong-Thao Dang-Luong,
• Hong-Phuc Nguyen,
• Loc Le-Tuan,
• Xuan-Thang Cao,
• Vy Tran-Anh and
• Hieu Vu Quang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 180–189, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.17

• shown the potential application not only for cancer therapy but also for diagnosis. First, the NPs are internalized into the cells and gradually degrade in the low pH of the endosomes releasing CHL to interrupt the cell cycle. Second, the NPs carry both imaging agents, IR780 and IO, which are suitable

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

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

• several downstream effectors [75][76][77]. The binding of KRAS-GTP to several effectors, among them PIK3K and RAF kinases, triggers activation of downstream AKT and mTOR (PIK3K), which regulates apoptosis, metabolism, and translation, as well as MEK and ERK signaling (RAF kinases), which influences cell

• cycle progression and proliferation [78]. Therefore, it is expected that KRAS-mutated tumors would not respond to EGFR TKIs. Patients with KRAS-mutant NSCLC can benefit from direct KRAS inhibitors, such as sotorasib, which lock KRAS in its inactive GDP-bound form. However, a heterogeneous resistance

Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

• Aisha Kanwal,
• Naheed Bibi,
• Sajjad Hyder,
• Arif Muhammad,
• Hao Ren,
• Jiangtao Liu and
• Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1068–1107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.93

Theranostic potential of self-luminescent branched polyethyleneimine-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

• Rouhollah Khodadust,
• Ozlem Unal and
• Havva Yagci Acar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 82–95, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.6

• MCF7 and HCT116 than to HeLa cells at the tested dose of 19.2 µg/mL. Such cell line-based differences are normal since the mechanism of nanoparticle internalization may vary depending on the cell type, cell cycle stage, and cell polarization state [62]. Free Erb did not cause any significant

Biocompatibility and cytotoxicity in vitro of surface-functionalized drug-loaded spinel ferrite nanoparticles

• Sadaf Mushtaq,
• Khuram Shahzad,
• Tariq Saeed,
• Anwar Ul-Hamid,
• Bilal Haider Abbasi,
• Nafees Ahmad,
• Waqas Khalid,
• Muhammad Atif,
• Zulqurnain Ali and
• Rashda Abbasi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1339–1364, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.99

• . The nanoparticles caused cytotoxicity via oxidative stress, causing DNA damage and activation of p53-mediated cell cycle arrest (significantly elevated expression, p < 0.005, majorly G1 and G2/M arrest) and apoptosis. Cytotoxicity testing in 3D spheroids showed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in

• oxidative stress can be attributed to the presence of xenobiotic detoxification and antioxidant mechanisms [47]. Functionalized MFe2O4 NPs cause cell cycle arrest in cancer cells Evidence of oxidative damage in treated cells may indicate DNA damage and possible effects on cell cycle progression, causing

• damaged cells to accumulate in sub-G1, G1, S, or G2/M phases of the cell cycle [48]. To determine the effects of drug-loaded MFe2O4 NPs on the cell cycle progression, HepG2 and HT144 cells treated with NPs at IC50 doses were analyzed by flow cytometry. The data obtained from each sample was compared to

Use of nanosystems to improve the anticancer effects of curcumin

• Andrea M. Araya-Sibaja,
• Norma J. Salazar-López,
• Krissia Wilhelm Romero,
• José R. Vega-Baudrit,
• J. Abraham Domínguez-Avila,
• Carlos A. Velázquez Contreras,
• Ramón E. Robles-Zepeda,
• Mirtha Navarro-Hoyos and
• Gustavo A. González-Aguilar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1047–1062, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.78

• cancer cells (HCT116) by promoting cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase [49]. A CUR nanocrystal has been successfully prepared using melt sonocrystallization, in which its therapeutic potential was evidenced according to in vitro cytotoxicity studies against a human oral cancer cell line (KB). The results

• nanoemulsion (25 µM-7 µM) inhibited cell proliferation by 50% via cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis. In addition, a CUR nanoemulsion exerted a four-fold increase in caspase-3, in contrast to a six-fold increase exerted by co-administered CUR–PIP. Curcumin is also commonly co-loaded in

• stored at 4 °C) has shown inhibitory effects on A549 (IC50 3.9 µg/mL) and on H460 lung cancer (IC50 2.9 µg/mL) cell lines, according to a cell cycle arrest at G2/M [59]. Morevore, the activities of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 had a dose-dependent increase in both cell lines in response to both

Silver nanoparticles induce the cardiomyogenic differentiation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells via telomere length extension

• Khosro Adibkia,
• Ali Ehsani,
• Asma Jodaei,
• Ezzatollah Fathi,
• Raheleh Farahzadi and
• Mohammad Barzegar-Jalali

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 786–797, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.62

• inhibitory effects were shown through a decrease in the secretion of specific biomarkers, including adiponectin (adipocytes) and osteocalcin (osteoblasts) [11]. In another study, it was indicated that Ag-NPs changed the cell morphology of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Cell cycle analysis demonstrated

• that Ag-NPs induced mESCs cell cycle arrest at the G1 and S phases through inhibition of the hyperphosphorylation of Retinoblastoma protein [12]. Kalishwaralal et al. reported that Ag-NPs could inhibit cell proliferation, cell viability, and cell migration through activating caspase-3 and suppressing

• that induce cardiomyocyte cell cycle arrest and cellular senescence. Hence, finding solutions to increase the TL of cardiac cells could be helpful. We hypothesize that Ag-NPs can increase the cardiomyogenic differentiation potential of BM-MSCs. Also, it seems that Ag-NPs could change the cardiac

The impact of molecular tumor profiling on the design strategies for targeting myeloid leukemia and EGFR/CD44-positive solid tumors

• Nikola Geskovski,
• Nadica Matevska-Geshkovska,
• Simona Dimchevska Sazdovska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Kristina Mladenovska and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 375–401, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.31

• quiescent phase of the cell cycle (G0). They, hence, have a resistance to cytotoxic drugs that interfere with cell mitosis [11][12]. These observations imply that minimal residual disease (MRD) can be attributed to rare quiescent CD34+CD38− LSCs remaining after therapy and highlight the importance of the

• of resistance. The authors reported that the combinatorial delivery of IM and nilotinib demonstrated a substantial reduction of the IC50 value regarding the KU812 CML cell line, compared to the free drugs. Also, it was noticed that the blockade of the G2/M phase played the main role in cell cycle

• was used. In addition, it was pointed out that the cell proliferation was inhibited due to the significantly increased rate of apoptosis in the A549 cell line, while no alteration of the cell cycle distribution was noticed. The effects in the H1299 cells with low EGFR expression were negligible. The

Differences in surface chemistry of iron oxide nanoparticles result in different routes of internalization

• Barbora Svitkova,
• Vlasta Zavisova,
• Veronika Nemethova,
• Martina Koneracka,
• Miroslava Kretova,
• Filip Razga,
• Monika Ursinyova and
• Alena Gabelova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 270–281, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.22

• exposure of cells to surface-modified MNPs and Noc affect substantially the cell proliferation and morphology. Noc affects microtubule formation, thus interfering with cytoskeleton structure and mitosis, leading to cell cycle arrest in G2/M [26]. As MNPs interfere with tubulin polymerization as well [27

The nanomorphology of cell surfaces of adhered osteoblasts

• Christian Voelkner,
• Mirco Wendt,
• Regina Lange,
• Max Ulbrich,
• Martina Gruening,
• Susanne Staehlke,
• Barbara Nebe,
• Ingo Barke and
• Sylvia Speller

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 242–256, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.20

• ) layers. Nevertheless, the span of measured adhesion areas is large. This may indicate that either the PPAAm layers on our glass surfaces are heterogeneous or that cells do not always respond to it. Another origin of the large spreading may be that, depending on the stage in the cell cycle, the adhesion

• program may get more or less priority. It has been shown that isolated cells do not synchronize their cell cycle in contrast to cells in groups [41] or in tissues [42][43]. Hence, each cell may be in a different stage. This may contribute to different spreading speeds as observed on PPAAm. According to Pu

Effect of different silica coatings on the toxicity of upconversion nanoparticles on RAW 264.7 macrophage cells

• Cynthia Kembuan,
• Helena Oliveira and
• Christina Graf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 35–48, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.3

• effect is less significant for negatively charged particles. Cell cycle analyses with amino-functionalized particles also confirm that thicker silica shells reduce cytotoxicity. Thus, growing silica shells to a sufficient thickness is a simple approach to minimize the cytotoxicity of UCNPs. Keywords

• inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Before the cell experiments, the stability of the particles in cell culture media was investigated via DLS and ELS. The cytotoxicity of the UCNPs was determined by MTT assays and cell cycle analysis. The UCNP uptake potential was evaluated by

• not result in a stronger increase in cell granularity, such as a higher release of ions and a related reduction in cell viability, as indicated by the ion-release experiments and MTT data (Figure 2 and Figure 3, respectively). Cell cycle analysis To gain a deeper understanding of the effect of silica

Applications of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in drug and therapeutic delivery, and biotechnological advancements

• Maria Suciu,
• Corina M. Ionescu,
• Alexandra Ciorita,
• Septimiu C. Tripon,
• Dragos Nica,
• Hani Al-Salami and
• Lucian Barbu-Tudoran

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1092–1109, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.94

• studied in vitro and is cytoskeleton-mediated. It has been noticed and reported as nanoparticle recycling [110]. A study found that the uptake of SPIONs by cells in vitro is depends on the cell cycle phase. SPIONs are not exocytosed by dividing cells. Instead, they are split between daughter cells when

Internalization mechanisms of cell-penetrating peptides

• Ivana Ruseska and
• Andreas Zimmer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 101–123, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.10

Synthesis and potent cytotoxic activity of a novel diosgenin derivative and its phytosomes against lung cancer cells

• Liang Xu,
• Dekang Xu,
• Ziying Li,
• Yu Gao and
• Haijun Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1933–1942, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.189

• efficiently than Di phytosomes after 72 h of incubation time by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The results indicated that P2Ps could be a promising anticancer formulation for non-small-cell lung cancer. Keywords: diosgenin; non-small-cell lung cancer; phytosomes; sterol structure; Introduction

• antiproliferative activity against A549 and PC9 cells than Di. Cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by P2 The cell cycle is the series of events that take place in cells for their propagation and multiplication. The phases consist of the gap-1 phase (G1), synthesis phase (S), mitosis phase (M), and gap-2 phase

• (G2). Di induced cell cycle arrest in different phases in different cancer cells. It was reported that Di could induce G2/M cell cycle arrest in liver cancer cells [21], arrest SCC cells at the sub-G1 phase [22], and impede cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase in A549 cells [23]. To determine the

Toxicity and safety study of silver and gold nanoparticles functionalized with cysteine and glutathione

• Barbara Pem,
• Igor M. Pongrac,
• Lea Ulm,
• Ivan Pavičić,
• Valerije Vrček,
• Darija Domazet Jurašin,
• Marija Ljubojević,
• Adela Krivohlavek and
• Ivana Vinković Vrček

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1802–1817, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.175

• studies indicating that AgNPs negatively impact cell membranes, interfere with signaling pathways, disrupt the cell cycle, and cause mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis [7][8][9]. Many reports on AgNP toxicity attribute it fully or partially to dissolved or released ionic

Concurrent nanoscale surface etching and SnO₂ loading of carbon fibers for vanadium ion redox enhancement

• Jun Maruyama,
• Shohei Maruyama,
• Tomoko Fukuhara,
• Toru Nagaoka and
• Kei Hanafusa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 985–992, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.99

• electrolyte [19]; thus, is assumed to also be stable in the RFB environment. The activity for both the positive and negative electrode reactions of a VRFB were clearly enhanced at the finely etched and SnO2-loaded carbon-fiber electrode and a stable performance was demonstrated by full cell cycle tests

Comparative biological effects of spherical noble metal nanoparticles (Rh, Pd, Ag, Pt, Au) with 4–8 nm diameter

• Alexander Rostek,
• Marina Breisch,
• Kevin Pappert,
• Kateryna Loza,
• Marc Heggen,
• Manfred Köller,
• Christina Sengstock and
• Matthias Epple

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2763–2774, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.258

• ]. Some authors have reported antimicrobial activity of gold, platinum, and palladium nanoparticles in the size range of 5 to 30 nm against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria [23][24][25] and distinct adverse biological effects such as genotoxicity, induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of

Enhanced antineoplastic/therapeutic efficacy using 5-fluorouracil-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticles

• Shanid Mohiyuddin,
• Saba Naqvi and
• Gopinath Packirisamy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2499–2515, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.233

• upon CaP@5-FU NP treatment. Likewise, the cell cycle analysis was performed to confirm the enhanced apoptotic induction. Our study concludes that the calcium phosphate nanocarriers system, i.e. CaP@5-FU NPs, has higher antineoplastic potential as compared to 5-FU alone and can be used as an improved

• alternative to the antimitotic drug, which causes severe side effects when administrated alone. Keywords: 5-FU; anticancer drug delivery; apoptosis; calcium phosphate nanoparticles; cell cycle; nanomedicine; Introduction Malignant neoplasms are reported as the second most common cause of mortality around

• an approximate 3.5-times increase in the ROS generation for cells treated with CaP@5-FU NPs. The results thus suggested the antineoplastic potential of CaP@5-FU NPs by inducing intracellular ROS. These results provide us with insight into our proposed mechanism (see below Figure 8B). Cell cycle

A robust AFM-based method for locally measuring the elasticity of samples

• Alexandre Bubendorf,
• Stefan Walheim,
• Thomas Schimmel and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1–10, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.1

• elasticity of samples is of high interest in many scientific domains, as many processes and physical quantities are correlated with the elastic modulus. In biology, for instance, studies showed that the elasticity of cells depends on their age, the stage of the cell cycle and the degree of differentiation [1

Involvement of two uptake mechanisms of gold and iron oxide nanoparticles in a co-exposure scenario using mouse macrophages

• Dimitri Vanhecke,
• Dagmar A. Kuhn,
• Dorleta Jimenez de Aberasturi,
• Sandor Balog,
• Ana Milosevic,
• Dominic Urban,
• Diana Peckys,
• Niels de Jonge,
• Wolfgang J. Parak,
• Alke Petri-Fink and
• Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2396–2409, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.239

• mode was found (Figure 6). A number of convoluted factors influenced the average fluorescence in a cell: The cell cycle influences the uptake rate and after mitosis (population doubling time: about 17 h) the NP load is split between the two daughter cells [30]. Furthermore, the uptake of NPs requires