Nanoplatforms of Pegylated Gold Nanorods Loaded with Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Delivery and Biological Evaluation.

Eleni Zygouri, Chrisavgi Gourdoupi, Spyros Kremmydas, Nikos Karamanos, Georgios Malis, George Psomas, Vlasoula Bekiari, Vassilis Tangoulis

Abstract read

PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher

In one paragraph

Article in Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 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.

Eleni ZygouriLaboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-6245-8936

Chrisavgi GourdoupiBiochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.ORCID 0009-0005-0675-3411

Spyros KremmydasBiochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.ORCID 0009-0006-5079-3274

Nikos KaramanosBiochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.ORCID 0000-0003-3618-0288

Georgios MalisDepartment of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-9462-6148

George PsomasDepartment of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-5879-7265

Vlasoula BekiariDepartment of Agriculture, University of Patras, 30200 Messolonghi, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-7115-9866

Vassilis TangoulisLaboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-2039-2182

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study explored the potential of gold nanorods (AuNRs) functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and loaded with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) fenamic acid (fenH) or its bromo-derivative (4'BrfenH) for targeted drug delivery and preclinical cancer research, given their pH-dependent drug-release profiles and in vitro cytotoxicity in breast cancer cell models. Both formulations demonstrated strong π-π stacking interactions with calf-thymus DNA, suggesting intercalation, and exhibited significant binding affinity to bovine and human serum albumins. Drug release was markedly higher at alkaline pH. As the fenamates are weak acids that are practically insoluble in their neutral form, this pH dependence is attributed principally to the ionization and solubility of the released drug rather than to a responsive carrier. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that AuNRs@PEG@4'BrfenH significantly reduced cell viability in both aggressive (MDA-MB-231) and less metastatic (MCF-7) breast cancer cell lines, particularly at higher concentrations, and caused structural disorganization in 3D spheroid cultures. These findings highlight the promise of AuNRs@PEG@4'BrfenH as a nanoplatform showing pH-dependent release and significant in vitro anticancer activity in breast cancer cell lines and spheroids, supporting its further investigation in relevant tumor models.

Indexed as

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalDrug CarriersDrug Delivery SystemsGoldNanotubesPolyethylene GlycolsAnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsCattleCell Line, TumorCell SurvivalDNADrug LiberationFemaleHumansHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalAntineoplastic AgentsDNADrug CarriersGoldPolyethylene Glycols3D spheroidsbreast cancerDNA bindingdrug deliveryfenamic acidgold nanorodsNSAIDsPEGylationpH-dependent releaseserum albumin

Identifiers

PMID42796612

DOI10.3390/molecules31183328

PMCPMC13609854

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.