The recent, fast development of nanotechnology is reflected in the medical sciences. Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) are an excellent example. Thanks to their superparamagnetic properties, SPIONs have found application in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and magnetic hyperthermia. Unlike bulk iron, SPIONs do not have remnant magnetization in the absence of the external magnetic field; therefore, a precise remote control over their action is possible. This makes them also useful as a component of the advanced drug delivery systems. Due to their easy synthesis, biocompatibility, multifunctionality, and possibility of further surface modification with various chemical agents, SPIONs could support many fields of medicine. SPIONs have also some disadvantages, such as their high uptake by macrophages. Nevertheless, based on the ongoing studies, they seem to be very promising in oncological therapy (especially in the brain, breast, prostate, and pancreatic tumors). The main goal of our paper is, therefore, to present the basic properties of SPIONs, to discuss their current role in medicine, and to review their applications in order to inspire future developments of new, improved SPION systems.

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles—Current and Prospective Medical Applications

Preparation, surface functionalization and application of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are considered as chemically inert materials and, therefore, being extensively applied in the areas of imaging, targeting, drug delivery and biosensors. Their unique properties such as low toxicity, biocompatibility, potent magnetic and catalytic behavior and superior role in multifunctional modalities have epitomized them as an appropriate candidate for biomedical applications. Recent developments in the area of materials science have enabled the facile synthesis of Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) offering easy tuning of surface properties and surface functionalization with desired biomolecules. Such developments have enabled IONPs to be easily accommodated in nanocomposite platform or devices. Additionally, the tag of biocompatible material has realized their potential in myriad applications of nanomedicines including imaging modalities, sensing, and therapeutics. Further, IONPs enzyme mimetic activity pronounced their role as nanozymes in detecting biomolecules like glucose, and cholesterol etc. Hence, based on their versatile applications in biomedicine, the present review article focusses on the current trends, developments and future prospects of IONPs in MRI, hyperthermia, photothermal therapy, biomolecules detection, chemotherapy, antimicrobial activity and also their role as the multifunctional agent in diagnosis and nanomedicines.

/pdf/recent-advances-and-future-prospects-of-iron-oxide-2ltszn3dsd.pdf

Recent advances and future prospects of iron oxide nanoparticles in biomedicine and diagnostics.

In this work, we report the synthesis of hydrophilic and surface-functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs) to utilize them as nanomedicines for treating liver cancer via magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH)-based thermotherapy. For this purpose, initially, we have synthesized the SPIOs through co-precipitation/thermolysis methods, followed by in situ surface functionalization with short-chained molecules, such as 1,4-diaminobenzene (14DAB), 4-aminobenzoic acid (4ABA) and 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid (34DABA) and their combination with terephthalic acid (TA)/2-aminoterephthalic acid (ATA)/trimesic acid (TMA)/pyromellitic acid (PMA) molecules. The as-prepared SPIOs are investigated for their structure, morphology, water dispersibility, and magnetic properties. The heating efficacies of the SPIOs are studied in calorimetric MFH (C-MFH) with respect to their concentrations, surface coatings, dispersion medium, and applied alternating magnetic fields (AMFs). Although all of the as-prepared SPIOs have exhibited superparamagnetic behavior, only 14DAB-, 4ABA-, 34DABA-, and 4ABA-TA-coated SPIOs have shown higher magnetization values (Ms = 55-71 emu g-1) and good water dispersibility. In C-MFH studies, 34DABA-coated SPIO-based aqueous ferrofluid (AFF) has revealed faster thermal response to the applied AMF and reached therapeutic temperature even at the lowest concentration (0.5 mg mL-1) compared with 14DAB-, 4ABA-, and 4ABA-TA-coated SPIO-based AFFs. Moreover, 34DABA-coated SPIO-based AFF has exhibited high heating efficacies (i.e., specific absorption rate/intrinsic loss power values of 432.1 W gFe-1/5.2 nHm2 kg-1 at 0.5 mg mL-1), which could be mainly due to (i) enhanced π-π conjugation paths of surface-attached 34DABA coating molecules because of intrafunctional group attractions and (ii) improved anisotropy from the formation of clusters/linear chains of the SPIOs in ferrofluid suspensions, owing to interfunctional group attractions/interparticle interactions. Moreover, the 34DABA-coated SPIOs have demonstrated (i) very good cytocompatibility for 24/48 h incubation periods and (ii) higher killing efficiency of 61-88% (via MFH) in HepG2 liver cancer cells as compared to their treatment with only AMF/water-bath-based thermotherapy. In summary, the 34DABA-coated SPIOs are very promising heat-inducing agents for MFH-based thermotherapy and thus could be used as effective nanomedicines for cancer treatments.

Functionalized Hydrophilic Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia Application in Liver Cancer Treatment

This work reports the fabrication of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (NPs) coated with various biocompatible surfactants such as glutamic acid (GA), citric acid (CA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP), ethylene diamine (EDA) and cetyl-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) via co-precipitation method and their comparative inductive heating ability for hyperthermia (HT) applications. X-ray and electron diffraction analyses validated the formation of well crystallined inverse spinel structured Fe3O4 NPs (crystallite size of ~ 8-10 nm). Magnetic studies confirmed the superparamagnetic (SPM) behaviour for all the NPs with substantial magnetisation (63-68 emu/g) and enhanced magnetic susceptibility is attributed to the greater number of occupations of Fe2+ ions in the lattice as revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Moreover, distinctive heating response (specific absorption rate, SAR from 130 to 44 W/g) of NPs with similar size and magnetisation is observed. The present study was successful in establishing a direct correlation between relaxation time (~ 9.42-15.92 ns) and heating efficiency of each surface functionalised NPs. Moreover, heat dissipated in different surface grafted NPs is found to be dependent on magnetic susceptibility, magnetic anisotropy and magnetic relaxation time. These results open very promising avenues to design surface functionalised magnetite NPs for effective HT applications.

/pdf/assessing-magnetic-and-inductive-thermal-properties-of-os7tjj1xtb.pdf

Assessing magnetic and inductive thermal properties of various surfactants functionalised Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles for hyperthermia

Systematic investigations on heating effects of carboxyl-amine functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) based ferrofluids for in vitro cancer hyperthermia therapy

Systematic magnetic fluid hyperthermia studies of carboxyl functionalized hydrophilic superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles based ferrofluids.

Multifunctional magnetic-polymeric nanoparticles based ferrofluids for multi-modal in vitro cancer treatment using thermotherapy and chemotherapy

In the last few decades, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs—particularly magnetite (Fe3O4)/maghemite (Fe2O3) nanoparticles) have gained a great deal of attention in many biomedical applications, including magnetic targeting based cell isolation/sorting, tissue engineering, gene delivery, and magnetofection, due to their unique magnetic properties, excellent chemical stability, biodegradability, and low toxicity as compared to other magnetic materials (for instance, Co, Mn, and Ni). But recently, SPIONs (in the form of ferrofluids—i.e., SPIONs dispersed in a carrier fluid) have become a highly promising candidate for their use as therapeutic and diagnostic (theranostic) agents in cancer treatment applications such as magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), respectively. However, the theranostic efficacies of the SPIONs (or ferrofluids) might alter due to the differences in their physicochemical/dispersibility/magnetic properties that are significantly impacted by their synthesis methods and their stabilization process. In this chapter, we have initially discussed the crystal structure/composition and different synthesis methods of the SPIONs. Then, we have described the role of the SPIONs in the formation of the ferrofluids along with their stabilization process via diverse interactions. Finally, we have discussed about their (1) intrinsic cancer theranostic applications of SPIONs such as magnetic fluid hyperthermia, magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic nanoparticle-based drug delivery and (2) combined cancer theranostics applications including MRI as an adjuvant to fluorescence imaging, thermo-chemotherapy, thermo-radiotherapy, and thermo-immunotherapy.

Atul Sudame

Papers

Functionalized Hydrophilic Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia Application in Liver Cancer Treatment

Systematic investigations on heating effects of carboxyl-amine functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) based ferrofluids for in vitro cancer hyperthermia therapy

Systematic magnetic fluid hyperthermia studies of carboxyl functionalized hydrophilic superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles based ferrofluids.

Multifunctional magnetic-polymeric nanoparticles based ferrofluids for multi-modal in vitro cancer treatment using thermotherapy and chemotherapy

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Cancer Theranostic Applications