Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41596621›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2026

Graphene-Based Nanosystem for Targeted Delivery of Anti-Sense miRNA-21 on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Paola Trischitta, Paulina Kucharzewska, Barbara Nasiłowska, Wojciech Skrzeczanowski, Rosamaria Pennisi, Maria Teresa Sciortino, Marta Kutwin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. 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

7 authors.

Paola TrischittaDepartment of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
Paulina KucharzewskaCenter of Cellular Immunotherapies, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 8 Ciszewskiego St., 02-786 Warsaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-4698-2551
Barbara NasiłowskaInstitute of Optoelectronics, Military University of Technology, gen. S. Kaliskiego 2, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0003-0960-5260
Wojciech SkrzeczanowskiInstitute of Optoelectronics, Military University of Technology, gen. S. Kaliskiego 2, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0003-2727-9833
Rosamaria PennisiDepartment of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3474-6057
Maria Teresa SciortinoDepartment of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8519-7724
Marta KutwinDepartment of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0001-7059-7875

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The application of nanotechnology in medicine has garnered significant interest, particularly in the development of advanced drug delivery systems. Graphene oxide (GO) shows promise as a carrier for delivering microRNA (miRNA) mimics or antisense constructs. miRNAs play a crucial role in regulating gene expression, and their dysregulation is associated with various diseases, including cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of graphene oxide on cellular signaling pathways and its potential as a platform for gene delivery by developing a GO-antisense miRNA-21 nanosystem in HepG2 liver cancer cells. A colloidal dispersion of GO was used to prepare GO-antisense miRNA-21 nanosystems via self-assembly. The nanosystem was characterized in terms of ultrastructure, size distribution, surface composition and binding by TEM, DLS, ATR-FTIR and UV-Vis spectra. Zeta potential measurements were conducted to evaluate nanosystem stability by assessing the release kinetics of antisense miRNA-21. The efficiency of the GO nanosystem in delivering antisense miRNA-21 into HepG2 cells was analyzed using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Given the central role of miRNA-21 in inflammatory and oncogenic pathways, we first assessed its expression following GO exposure. In line with previous studies reporting high miRNA-21 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, GO treatment further increased miRNA-21 levels in HepG2 cells compared with untreated controls. Changes in the expression levels of IL-8, MCP-1, ICAM-1, TIMP-2, and NF-kB were quantified by qPCR analysis. The ultrastructural analysis confirmed a strong affinity between GO and antisense miRNA-21. Transfection results demonstrate that the GO-based nanosystem effectively delivered antisense miRNA-21 into HepG2 cells, leading to a reduction in the expression of key pro-inflammatory genes. These findings suggest that GO-based nanocarriers may offer a promising strategy for delivering localized intratumoral miRNA-based therapies that target gene regulation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularGraphiteLiver NeoplasmsMicroRNAsNanoparticlesDrug Delivery SystemsGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticGene Transfer TechniquesHep G2 CellsHumansgraphene oxideGraphiteMicroRNAsMIRN21 microRNA, humanantisense miRNA-21cancerdrug deliveryGOhepatocellular carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID41596621
PMCPMC12841687

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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.