Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40006666›Full record

ArticleVaccines2025

Gold Nanoparticles as a Platform for Delivery of Immunogenic Peptides to THP-1 Derived Macrophages: Insights into Nanotoxicity.

Eduardo Zúñiga, Braulio Contreras-Trigo, Jorge Buchert, Fabián Sáez-Ahumada, Leonardo Hernández, Víctor Fica-León, Estefania Nova-Lamperti, Bostjan Kobe, Fanny Guzmán, Víctor Diaz-García and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Vaccines, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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.

Eduardo ZúñigaFacultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción 4081339, Chile.
Braulio Contreras-TrigoFacultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción 4081339, Chile.ORCID 0000-0003-2676-2866
Jorge BuchertDepartamento de Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070386, Chile.
Fabián Sáez-AhumadaDepartamento de Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070386, Chile.
Leonardo HernándezDepartamento de Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070386, Chile.
Víctor Fica-LeónFacultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción 4081339, Chile.ORCID 0009-0005-0438-2987
Estefania Nova-LampertiDepartamento de Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070386, Chile.
Bostjan KobeSchool of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9413-9166
Fanny GuzmánNúcleo Biotecnología Curauma, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2373223, Chile.ORCID 0000-0002-7829-0568
Víctor Diaz-GarcíaFacultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción 4081339, Chile.ORCID 0000-0002-2343-4712
Enrique Guzmán-GutiérrezDepartamento de Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070386, Chile.ORCID 0000-0001-6589-5667
Patricio OyarzúnFacultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción 4081339, Chile.ORCID 0000-0001-7305-1632

Funding

Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Fondecyt Regular grant 1221434
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeptide-based nanovaccines have emerged as a promising strategy for combating infectious diseases, as they overcome the low immunogenicity that is inherent to short epitope-containing synthetic peptides. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) present several advantages as peptide nanocarriers, but a deeper understanding of the design criteria is paramount to accelerate the development of peptide-AuNPs nanoconjugates (p-AuNPs).

methodsHerein, we synthesized and characterized p-AuNPs of 23 nm (p-Au23) and 68 nm (p-Au68) with varying levels of peptide surface coverage and different peptide designs, investigating their effect on the cell viability (cell death and mitochondrial activity), cellular uptake, and cathepsin B activity in THP-1 macrophages.

resultsp-Au23 proved no negative effect in the cell viability and high levels of nanoconjugate uptake, but p-Au68 induced strong toxicity to the cell line. The peptide sequences were successfully designed with spacer regions and a cell-penetrating peptide (pTAT) that enhanced cellular uptake and cathepsin B activity for p-Au23, while pTAT induced severe effects in the THP-1 viability (~40-60% cell death).

conclusionsThese findings provide valuable insight into the design criteria of AuNPs and immunogenic peptides, along with nanotoxicity effects associated with AuNP size and surface charge in human monocyte-derived macrophages.

Indexed as

cathepsin B activityepitope-based vaccinationgold nanoparticlenanotoxicitypeptide-based nanovaccinationT-cell epitope

Identifiers

PMID40006666
PMCPMC11860437

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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 OpenQuestion graph.