{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T15:23:42Z","timestamp":1788535422889,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773100800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceutics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) trigger apoptosis in cancer cells, while albumin nanoparticles enable effective drug delivery. This study compares the antitumor and cytotoxic effects of albumin-coated AgNPs (AgNPs-Alb) versus AgNPs on human prostate cancer cell lines. Method: AgNPs-Alb were synthesized and tested against PC3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines. Characterization via Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy confirmed their properties. IC50 values were determined using MTT assay, with apoptosis assessed by Annexin-V\/PI staining. DNA cell cycle was analyzed by PI staining. Migration, proliferation, and nuclear morphology were evaluated through scratch-wound, colony-forming, and Hoechst staining assays. Gene expression of Snail, E-cadherin, VEGF-C, VEGF-A, Bcl2, Bax, and P53 was analyzed using real-time PCR. Results: The IC50 values for AgNPs and AgNPs-Alb were 48 \u03bcM and 32 \u03bcM in PC3 cells, and 110 \u03bcM and 95 \u03bcM in LNCaP cells, respectively. AgNPs-Alb significantly inhibited PC3 cell migration compared to AgNPs (p &lt; 0.001) and Bicalutamide (p &lt; 0.0001). In both cell lines, AgNPs-Alb significantly reduced colony formation compared to AgNPs and Bicalutamide (p &lt; 0.05). Flow cytometry revealed a higher percentage of apoptotic cells in PC3 with AgNPs-Alb treatment compared to AgNPs and Bicalutamide. In LNCaP cells, AgNPs-Alb induced a significantly higher percentage of Sub-G1 cells. AgNPs-Alb treatment caused greater mRNA suppression of VEGF-A and a higher Bax\/Bcl2 ratio in PC3 and LNCaP cells (p &lt; 0.05). Additionally, a significant increase in P53 and E-cadherin, alongside a decrease in VEGF-C expression in LnCAP cells, was observed (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests that AgNPs-Alb have stronger anticancer and cytotoxic effects compared to AgNPs alone against PCa cell lines and higher effects were observed on PC3 cells compared to LnCAP cells.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmaceutics18030338","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T08:43:31Z","timestamp":1773132211000},"page":"338","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Improved Anticancer Properties of Silver Nanoparticles by Albumin Coating in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines: An In Vitro Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Leila","family":"Zareian Baghdadabad","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Urology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5511-1512","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Iman","family":"Menbari Oskouie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Urology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7072-3149","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Seyed Reza","family":"Yahyazadeh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, Shariati Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1419733141, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-4019-7714","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedram","family":"Golmohammadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Urology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rahil","family":"Mashhadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Urology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mahdi","family":"Khoshchehreh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology Lab Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1611-0362","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Seyed Mohammad Kazem","family":"Aghamir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Urology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1464-410X.2002.2822.x","article-title":"Patterns and trends in prostate cancer incidence, survival, prevalence and mortality. 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