Recent Insights into the Potential of Magnetic Metal Nanostructures as Magnetic Hyperthermia Agents

Abstract

The advancements in magnetic nanoparticle mediated hyperthermia give so many optimistic and fruitful results that make it a promising and complementary approach for the existing treatment modalities of cancer. This thermotherapy is gaining wide acceptance among the medical community compared to the conventional treatment methods. The former provides a local heat generation in the malignant tumor cells and remains non-invasive to the adjacent healthy cells. The increased heating efficiency of magnetic nanoparticles and the control of local therapeutic temperature are the main challenges of hyperthermia. Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide nanoparticles have been intensively studied and dominating in magnetic hyperthermia. Recently many researchers successfully demonstrated high heating efficiency and biocompatibility of a wide variety of magnetic metal nanoparticles and proposed as the most promising alternative for traditional iron oxides, which opens up a new avenue for magnetic metal nanoparticles in magnetic hyperthermia. The review presents the recent advancements that occurred in the field of metal nanoparticle mediated magnetic hyperthermia. The theory underlying heat generation, synthesis methods, biofunctionalization, Specific Absorption Rate studies, challenges and future perspectives of magnetic metal nanoparticles are presented. This will inspire more in-depth research and advance practical applications of metal nanoparticles in magnetic hyperthermia.