Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41218706›Full record

ArticleJournal of advanced research2026

Carbon dots and DNA: DNA binding mechanisms and their effect on the cell cycle arrest.

Jiuyan Chen, Fang Li, Jiawen Yang, Jun Gu, Kayla Ellerbe, Bowen Zhao, Mehrdad Shiri, Yiqun Zhou, Arya Ajith, Annu Joji and 9 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of advanced research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

19 authors.

Jiuyan ChenDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Fang LiDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Jiawen YangDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Jun GuDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Kayla EllerbeDepartment of Ocean Sciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, FL 33146, USA.
Bowen ZhaoDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Mehrdad ShiriDepartment of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Yiqun ZhouDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Arya AjithDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Annu JojiDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Wei ZhangDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Deema AbayawardenaDepartment of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Athula H WikramanayakeDepartment of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Kun WangDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA; Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Fuwu ZhangDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Fulvia VerdeDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Rajeev PrabhakarDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
Yanbin ZhangDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, FL 33136, USA. Electronic address: yzhang4@med.miami.edu.
Roger M LeblancDepartment of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. Electronic address: rml@miami.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCarbon dots (CDs), a type of carbon-based nanoparticles with sizes less than 10 nm, have been widely employed in nucleus-targeted drug delivery for cancer therapy and imaging, and some are capable of binding to DNA after entering the nucleus.

objectivesOur study was designed to investigate the DNA binding mechanisms of CDs and their effect on the cell cycle arrest in cancer cells.

methodsTwo types of CDs, Y15-CDs and Black-CDs (B-CDs) with similar sizes but carry positive and negative charges, respectively, were selected for investigation. The successful synthesis of CDs was confirmed by UV-vis, fluorescence emission and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies, transmission electron microscope (TEM), atomic force microscope (AFM) and zeta potential measurement. DNA binding mechanisms of CDs were investigated using fluorometric competitive displacement assays, circular dichroism spectroscopy, molecular docking, all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and binding free energy calculations. The in vitro studies including intracellular distribution, cytotoxicity, DNA damage detection and cell cycle distribution were evaluated in osteosarcoma (U2OS) cells. Zebrafish embryos were used as an in vivo mode to assess the influence of CDs on embryonic development.

resultsDNA binding results show that Y15-CDs bind to DNA via both intercalative and groove binding modes, while B-CDs engage only in groove binding. In addition, Y15-CDs possess a stronger affinity to DNA. According to in vitro studies, Y15-CDs could induce DNA damage, arrest U2OS cells in S phase, and exhibit higher cytotoxicity than B-CDs. The in vivo experiments demonstrate that after distributing throughout the zebrafish embryonic body, Y15-CDs reduce body length, eye size and head size of embryos.

conclusionOur results elucidate the DNA binding mechanisms of CDs and their potential influence on the cell cycle profile of cancer cells, offering valuable insights into the design of CDs with both drug delivery and intrinsic anticancer properties.

Indexed as

CarbonCarbon Quantum DotsCell Cycle CheckpointsDNAAnimalsCell Line, TumorDNA DamageHumansMolecular Docking SimulationMolecular Dynamics SimulationZebrafishCarbonDNACancer cellsCarbon dotsCell cycle arrestDNA binding mechanismZebrafish embryos

Identifiers

PMID41218706
PMCPMC13453831

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.