Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42545662›Full record

ReviewDiscover nano2026

Sensitive detection of unopposed estrogen using estrogen receptor functionalized nanoprobes for cancer diagnosis.

Daniel Ejim Uti, Esther Ugo Alum, Celestine O Ogbu, Okechukwu Paul-Chima Ugwu, Godwin Eneji Egbung, Item Justin Atangwho, Mequanente Dagnaw, Asif Jan

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Discover nano, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

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

8 authors.

Daniel Ejim UtiDepartment of Biochemistry, Research and Publications, Kampala International University, P.O. Box 20000, Kampala, Uganda. dan4uti@gmail.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1129-1785
Esther Ugo AlumDepartment of Biochemistry, Research and Publications, Kampala International University, P.O. Box 20000, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4105-8615
Celestine O OgbuDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria.
Okechukwu Paul-Chima UgwuDepartment of Biochemistry, Research and Publications, Kampala International University, P.O. Box 20000, Kampala, Uganda.
Godwin Eneji EgbungDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.
Item Justin AtangwhoDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.
Mequanente DagnawInstitute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Asif JanSaidu Group of Teaching Hospitals, Saidu Sharif Swat, Swat, 19200, KP, Pakistan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Unopposed estrogen refers to prolonged estrogenic stimulation in the absence of adequate progesterone-mediated counter-regulation. Unopposed estrogen is strongly implicated in endometrial hyperplasia and type I endometrial carcinogenesis, and it is also biologically relevant to estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Evidence linking estrogen exposure to ovarian cancer is more heterogeneous and appears to vary by menopausal status, hormone therapy formulation, duration of exposure, and histologic subtype; therefore, ovarian cancer risk should be interpreted as an association rather than a definitive causal consequence of unopposed estrogen. Ongoing estrogen signaling can drive cell proliferation, oxidative DNA damage, and chronic inflammation in estrogen target tissues. Until now, conventional hormone assays, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) have only been able to measure the amount of hormones in the circulation, but may not effectively detect dynamic, tissue-specific, or early-stage estrogenic activity. This review is unique in focusing on unopposed estrogen as a clinically significant biosensing target and critically reviewing estrogen receptor functionalized nanoprobe platforms for the detection of unopposed estrogen and the diagnosis of cancer, unlike other reviews, which have broadly discussed estrogen biosensors or nanoprobe-formatted cancer diagnostics. It focuses on platforms using estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) as well as strategies for receptor immobilization, nanomaterials design, signal transduction, and applications in biofluids, cells, and tissues. The review also discusses a translational aspect by considering obstacles to clinical implementation, such as probe stability, specificity of chemical analysis in complex biological matrices, required assay standardization, validation, and compatibility with use in a portable or point-of-care system. Newer trends like multiplex hormone profiling, smart devices integration, and signal interpretation with the help of machine learning (ML) are also discussed. This review aims to place unopposed estrogen biology in the context of ER-functionalized nanobiosensing and clinical translation problems, establishing a focused framework for future precision diagnostic tool development for cancer risk assessment and early detection by estrogen.

Indexed as

Cancer biosensingEarly detectionEstrogen receptorNanoprobesUnopposed estrogen

Identifiers

PMID42545662
PMCPMC13433703

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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.