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Review
. 2025 Mar 20:13:1547757.
doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1547757. eCollection 2025.

Cutting-edge nanotechnology: unveiling the role of zinc oxide nanoparticles in combating deadly gastrointestinal tumors

Yonggang Guo  1 , Mohammadamin Morshedi  2
Affiliations
Review

Cutting-edge nanotechnology: unveiling the role of zinc oxide nanoparticles in combating deadly gastrointestinal tumors

Yonggang Guo et al. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have gained significant attention in cancer therapy due to their unique physical and chemical properties, particularly in treating gastrointestinal (GI) cancers such as gastric, colorectal, and hepatocellular carcinoma. These nanoparticles generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon entering cancer cells, causing oxidative stress that leads to cellular damage, DNA fragmentation, and apoptosis. ZnO-NPs affect the expression of key proteins involved in apoptosis, including p53, Bax, and Bcl-2, which regulate cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death. Additionally, ZnO-NPs can reduce mitochondrial membrane potential, further enhancing apoptosis in cancer cells. Furthermore, ZnO-NPs inhibit cancer cell proliferation by interfering with cell cycle progression. They reduce levels of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), leading to cell cycle arrest. ZnO-NPs also exhibit anti-metastatic properties by inhibiting the migration and invasion of cancer cells through modulation of signaling pathways that affect cell adhesion and cytoskeletal dynamics. The efficacy of ZnO-NPs in overcoming chemotherapy resistance has been demonstrated by their ability to reduce the IC50 values of chemotherapeutic agents, making cancer cells more susceptible to drug-induced cell death. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms by which ZnO-NPs exert anticancer effects in GI cancers, focusing on apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, and metastasis inhibition, while also highlighting the current limitations in translating these findings into effective clinical treatments.

Keywords: ZnO; gastrointestinal cancer; nanoparticles; nanotechnology; therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
A visual depiction showing the distinct characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles and their diverse uses in combating cancer.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
A diagram of the typical method used to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles (NPs).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The diagram illustrates the process of monitoring ultrasonic fields while synthesizing nano-ZnO.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
A diagram representing the commonly used techniques for modifying ZnO.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
A diagram illustrating the process of creating and modifying ZnO, as well as its use in preventing the proliferation of bacteria and fungi on maize plants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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