Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41714777›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

Plant-derived gold nanoparticles functionalized with pheophorbide-a for potent photodynamic therapy against A549 lung cancer cells.

Mehak Zahra, Heidi Abrahamse, Blassan P George

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

3 authors.

Mehak ZahraLaser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 1711, Doornfontein, 2028, South Africa.
Heidi AbrahamseLaser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 1711, Doornfontein, 2028, South Africa.
Blassan P GeorgeLaser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 1711, Doornfontein, 2028, South Africa. blassang@uj.ac.za.

Funding

African Laser Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research HLHA26X Task ALC-R001National Research Foundation 137788National Research Foundation 98337South African Medical Research Council SAMRC EIP007/2021
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for more effective and safer therapeutic strategies. In this study, we investigated the potential of green-synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) conjugated with pheophorbide-a (Pheo-a) to enhance photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy against A549 lung cancer cells. The AuNPs-Pheo-a nanoconjugate demonstrated excellent physicochemical stability, minimal dark toxicity, and pronounced light-activated cytotoxicity in a concentration-dependent manner. Comprehensive in vitro evaluations revealed significant reductions in cell viability and metabolic activity, accompanied by increased apoptotic cell death following laser irradiation, while negligible effects were observed under dark conditions. Importantly, the nanoconjugate exhibited strong photodynamic selectivity toward cancer cells, underscoring its therapeutic potential. Overall, these findings demonstrate that green-synthesized AuNPs-Pheo-a represent a promising, biocompatible, and sustainable nanoplatform for photodynamic therapy in lung cancer, warranting further preclinical investigation.

Indexed as

ChlorophyllGoldLung NeoplasmsMetal NanoparticlesPhotochemotherapyPhotosensitizing AgentsA549 CellsApoptosisCell SurvivalHumansChlorophyllGoldpheophorbide aPhotosensitizing AgentsGold nanoparticlesLung cancerNanoparticlesPheophorbide-aPhotodynamic therapy

Identifiers

PMID41714777
PMCPMC13018279

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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.