AsianScientist (June 28, 2011) – Scientists from Yonsei University in South Korea have found a way to optimize the magnetic properties of nanoparticles, engineering magnetic nanoparticles that can generate enough heat to destroy cancer cells inside mice when a magnetic field is applied.
Cancer hyperthermia, the use of heat therapy in cancer treatment, is currently being studied in many clinical trials as cancer cells can be killed when exposed to temperatures above 42 degrees Celsius.
Although heat-generating magnetic nanoparticles have been around for some time, there have been few practical applications because most nanoparticles do not convert electromagnetic energy into heat efficiently enough.
Now, in a paper published online in Nature Nanotechnology, the research team led by Prof. Cheon Jin-woo reports that their magnetic nanoparticles are significantly more efficient than conventional nanoparticles in converting electromagnetic energy into heat: about ten times more efficient according to their measurements.
Rather than making magnetic nanoparticles using a single iron-oxide component as is conventionally done, the team made nanoparticles with a core-shell structure. By doing this, they were able to take advantage of the exchange coupling between a magnetically hard core and magnetically soft shell to tune the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles and maximize conversion efficiency.
The team demonstrated the utility of their magnetic nanoparticles by testing its antitumor activity in mice. They found that their nanoparticles eliminated cancer cells more effectively than doxorubicin, a common anti-cancer drug, while hyperthermia treatment using iron-oxide nanoparticles had no antitumor activity.
Apart from disease treatment, heat-generating magnetic nanoparticles may also be used for drug release and other biomedical applications.
The article can be found at: Lee et al. (2011) Exchange-coupled magnetic nanoparticles for efficient heat induction.
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Source: Nature Nanotechnology.
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