Magnetic nanoparticles as targeted delivery systems in oncology

Abstract

BackgroundMany different types of nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles being just a category among them, offer exciting opportunities for technologies at the interfaces between chemistry, physics and biology. Some magnetic nanoparticles have already been utilized in clinical practice as contrast enhancing agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, their physicochemical properties are constantly being improved upon also for other biological applications, such as magnetically-guided delivery systems for different therapeutics. By exposure of magnetic nanoparticles with attached therapeutics to an external magnetic field with appropriate characteristics, they are concentrated and retained at the preferred site which enables the targeted delivery of therapeutics to the desired spot.ConclusionsThe idea of binding chemotherapeutics to magnetic nanoparticles has been around for 30 years, however, no magnetic nanoparticles as delivery systems have yet been approved for clinical practice. Recently, binding of nucleic acids to magnetic nanoparticles has been demonstrated as a successful non-viral transfection method of different cell lines in vitro. With the optimization of this method called magnetofection, it will hopefully become another form of gene delivery for the treatment of cancer.

Maghemite Functionalization for Antitumor Drug Vehiculization

“…Positively charged particles appear to be the ones provoking a larger toxicity, although this has to be balanced against the fact that the internalization is favored by even small amounts of positive surface charge. iii) The hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of the particles is also an essential characteristic: decreasing hydrophilicity increases in turn the capacity of the opsonins to adsorb on the particles, and hence makes it easier the NP recognition by the phagocytic cells (Prijic & Sersa, 2011). iv) Finally, the purity is as well an issue to take care of: biocompatibility can be significantly altered by the leaching of any impurities of the particles (and this includes some stabilizers, as well).…”

Acute toxicity of nickel nanoparticles in rats after intravenous injection

“…9,10 The physicochemical properties of magnetic nanoparticles, such as Ni, are constantly being improved for other biological applications, which includes magnetically-guided delivery systems for different therapeutics. 11 An in vitro study has also shown that functionalized Ni nanoparticles capped with positively charged tetraheptylammonium can efficiently enhance the permeation and uptake of quercetin into hepatocellular carcinoma cells (SMMC-7721), implying that Ni nanoparticles have potential for cancer biomedical and chemotherapeutic applications. 12 Other groups have also investigated the use of Ni nanoparticles for chemotherapeutic applications, such as the accumulation of the anticancer drug daunorubicin in leukemia cells.…”

Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery: Effect of Bovine Serum Albumin and Magnetic Nanoparticles Addition on Drug Encapsulation and Release

“…Magnetic targeting has the advantage of not requiring complex chemical modification of targeting ligands on the surface of nanocarriers when compared with conventional tumor targeting. Exploiting a magnetic field as a driving force represents a noninvasive therapeutic approach [10,11].…”