{
  "abstract": "Background: Since breast cancer is one of the biggest worldwide health issues, new and effective treatment approaches are required. Because autophagy control has two context-dependent roles in the development of cancer, it is a prospective therapeutic target. With an emphasis on the regulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy, this work assessed the anticancer potential of ulvan, a sulfated polysaccharide produced from Ulva lactuca, and ulvan-loaded nano-selenium in an Ehrlich solid carcinoma model.\n\nMaterial: ESC-bearing mice were treated with ulvan extract, sodium selenite or ulvan-SeNPs for 14 days. The anticancer activity was assessed through histology, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory mediators, apoptotic proteins and genes expression for autophagy and molecular docking studies.\n\nResults: Molecular docking analysis revealed ulvan-derived saccharides to bind strongly to VEGFR2, CD44 and Toll-like receptors suggesting multi-target action. Ulvan in vivo restored antioxidant defenses, reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory markers and induced apoptosis via caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax modulation. Ulvan induced controlled autophagy by decreasing mTOR and increasing autophagy related gene expression. Ulvan-SeNPs exhibited enhanced anticancer activity with increased activation of autophagic and apoptotic pathways, as evidenced by tumor shrinkage, reduced angiogenesis and histopathological analysis.\n\nConclusion: Ulvan is a controlled anti-cancer agent, with a mechanism synergistically enhanced by nano-selenium. These results indicate that ulvan could be a potential natural therapeutic for breast cancer alone or in combination with nano-selenium.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Capital University (Formerly Helwan University)",
    "Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University",
    "Unit of Scientific Research, Applied College, Qassim University"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sara A. Mekkawy"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ahmed M. Abdelmaguid"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Manal F. El-Khadragy"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Ahmed A. Aly"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mohamed S. Abdelfattah"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mohga S. Abdalla"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1tfeq0mwq7wj3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1968903",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13713459",
  "id": "1tfeq0mwq7wj3",
  "issns": [
    "1663-9812"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1968903/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1104|Seaweed-derived Bioactive Compounds"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221832270",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1968903/pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13713459",
  "pmid": "42952764",
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1tfeq0mwq7wj3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:06Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1968903",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1968903/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:41Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42952764",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952764"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:24:00Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13713459",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2026.1968903"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1104|Seaweed-derived Bioactive Compounds",
      "subfield": "ecology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Harnessing marine polysaccharides for breast cancer therapy: ulvan synergizes with nano-selenium to induce programmed cell death through dual modulation of autophagy and apoptosis",
  "title_text": "Harnessing marine polysaccharides for breast cancer therapy: ulvan synergizes with nano-selenium to induce programmed cell death through dual modulation of autophagy and apoptosis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:21:07Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1tfeq0mwq7wj3",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Pharmacology",
  "versions": []
}