Multifunctional Magnetic Nanoparticles-A Promising Approach for Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Nanomedicine plays an important role for treating cancer over the conventional treatments or techniques and has marked over in the past few decades. This can be attributed to the studies between cancer and magnetic nanoparticles, established and reported over the past few years. The magnetic nanoparticles exhibit unique characteristics which make them an ideal candidate for the treatment of cancer under the biomedical applications. Magnetic Nanoparticles can be attracted magnetically by an external applied magnetic field and they act as drug carriers to the cancer cells. Magnetic nanoparticles are able to generate the heat in an alternating magnetic field, as the temperature increases (42-45 °C) it can be used to eradicate or inhibit cancer cell activities locally or even to release drugs in a precisely controlled manner and this effect of magnetic nanoparticles is called hyperthermia. Moreover, with the help of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic nanoparticles can also be used as a diagnostic tool by using contrast agents. This opinion provides the snapshot on the properties and application of magnetic nanoparticles in the treatment of cancer.