Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40807230›Full record

ArticleMolecules (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Carboxylated Mesoporous Carbon Nanoparticles as Bicalutamide Carriers with Improved Biopharmaceutical and Chemo-Photothermal Characteristics.

Teodora Popova, Borislav Tzankov, Marta Slavkova, Yordan Yordanov, Denitsa Stefanova, Virginia Tzankova, Diana Tzankova, Ivanka Spassova, Daniela Kovacheva, Christina Voycheva

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 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. Review
  2. Review
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

10 authors.

Teodora PopovaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-6690-6740
Borislav TzankovDepartment of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-0566-8013
Marta SlavkovaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0001-5335-461X
Yordan YordanovDepartment of Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0003-1029-9870
Denitsa StefanovaDepartment of Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-6859-9369
Virginia TzankovaDepartment of Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0001-6722-6766
Diana TzankovaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-1708-1287
Ivanka SpassovaInstitute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-6059-9508
Daniela KovachevaInstitute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-1799-0851
Christina VoychevaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-6536-4898

Funding

European Union - NextGenerationEU, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria, Project № BG-RRP-2.004-0004-C01 BG-RRP-2.004-0004-C01
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Prostate cancer is a serious, life-threatening condition among men, usually requiring long-term chemotherapy. Due to its high efficacy, bicalutamide, a non-steroidal anti-androgen, has widespread use. However, its poor water solubility, low oral bioavailability, and nonspecific systemic exposure limit its application. To overcome these obstacles, our study explored the potential of non-carboxylated and carboxylated mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (MCN) as advanced drug carriers for bicalutamide (MCN/B and MCN-COOH/B). The physicochemical properties and release behaviour were thoroughly characterized. Functionalization with carboxylic groups significantly improved wettability, dispersion stability, as well as loading efficiency due to enhanced hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking interactions. Moreover, all systems exhibited sustained and near-infrared (NIR) triggered drug release with reduced burst-effect, compared to the release of free bicalutamide. Higher particle size and stronger drug-carrier interactions determined a zero-order kinetics and notably slower release rate of MCN-COOH/B compared to non-functionalized MCN. Cytotoxicity assays on LNCaP prostate cancer cells demonstrated that both MCN/B and MCN-COOH/B possessed comparable antiproliferative activity as free bicalutamide, where MCN-COOH/B exhibited superior efficacy, especially under NIR exposure. These findings suggest that MCN-COOH nanoparticles could be considered as a prospective platform for controlled, NIR-accelerated delivery of bicalutamide in prostate cancer treatment.

Indexed as

AnilidesCarbonDrug CarriersNanoparticlesNitrilesTosyl CompoundsAntineoplastic AgentsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationDrug LiberationHumansMaleParticle SizePorosityProstatic NeoplasmsAnilidesAntineoplastic AgentsbicalutamideCarbonDrug CarriersNitrilesTosyl Compoundsbicalutamidedrug deliveryencapsulationfunctionalizationmesoporous carbon nanoparticlesphotothermal therapyprostate cancer

Identifiers

PMID40807230
PMCPMC12348955

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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.