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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
09:18
Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
Published on: December 27, 2016
Signaling gene cascade in silver nanoparticle induced apoptosis
P Gopinath1, Sonit Kumar Gogoi, Pallab Sanpui
1Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 39, Assam, India.
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces
|March 4, 2010
Summary
Silver nanoparticles (NPs) trigger programmed cell death by activating the p53-mediated apoptotic pathway, similar to chemotherapeutic drugs. These findings highlight silver NPs
Area of Science:
- Nanomedicine and cellular biology.
- Investigating the biological impact of nanomaterials.
Background:
- Nanoscale materials are increasingly vital for medical applications.
- Growing interest in nanomaterials' effects on cellular gene expression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine silver nanoparticles' (Ag NPs) effects on gene expression.
- To understand mechanisms of Ag NP-induced programmed cell death.
Main Methods:
- Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for gene expression analysis.
- Flow cytometry (FACS) to quantify apoptosis.
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM) to observe cell membrane changes.
Main Results:
- Ag NPs induced the p53-mediated apoptotic pathway.
- This pathway is commonly used by chemotherapeutic drugs to induce apoptosis.
- Observed changes in cell membrane topology due to Ag NPs.
Conclusions:
- Ag NPs activate a p53-dependent cell death pathway.
- Silver nanoparticles show potential as therapeutic agents in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields.
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