Nanoparticles for medical applications

Nanotechnologies and nanostructures are nowadays an option not only in analytical systems, but also in human applications. Nanoparticles have the potential to be used in many different biological and medical applications. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with a mean particle diameter of about 10 nm suspended in appropriate carrier liquids are commonly called ferrofluids and have outstanding properties. The particles contain only a single magnetic domain and can thus be treated as small, thermally agitated magnets in the carrier liquid. The special feature of ferrofluids is the combination of normal liquid behavior with superparamagnetic properties. This enables the use of magnetic forces for the control of properties and flow of the liquids, giving rise to numerous technical applications. The LTP is carring out research in the following fields of SPION applications:

Drug delivery/drug targeting

In the last decade the development of magnetic carriers and magnetic particles in the clinical application has increased due to their potential for improved diagnostic procedures and/or treatment modalities. Controlled drug delivery represents one frontier area of science, involving a multi-disciplinary approach with the aim of improving patient health care. A local controlled delivery system has the advantage that toxic side effects associated with systemic drug application can be drastically reduced or largely avoided. The most important inorganic carrier strategy in drug delivery uses magnetic approaches. Magnetic nanoparticles coupled with biological substances have gained a variety of biomedical applications, mostly based on their strong magnetic moment. The combination of superparamagnetic nanoparticles with an organic shell and further linked with drugs shows a high potential as a vehicle for both transport and imaging. The field of magnetic drug targeting has become well-established recently as nanotechnology has strongly penetrated into both pharmaceutics and biotechnology.

Hyperthermia

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) cancer treatment involves injecting a fluid containing magnetic nanoparticles directly into tumors. When placed in an alternating magnetic field with frequencies similar to FM radio signals, the nanoparticles generate heat and destroy the tumors.

This minimally invasive procedure, unlike laser, microwave, and ultrasound hyperthermia, prevents unnecessary heating in healthy tissues because only the magnetic nanoparticles absorb the magnetic field. Hyperthermia is a potent neoadjuvant widely used in combination with classical cancer treatments.

Separation

Under construction

Diagnostics: MRI contrast agent:

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a major, promising research topic worldwide because of its numerous potential applications (e.g. improved anatomic depiction, lesion characterization, study of blood flow changes in tissues, generation of pH maps, studies of vascular volume or permeability, denoting of gene expression, etc). SPIONs commonly exhibit specific uptake by macrophage-like cells, explaining why - provided they are not entirely captured by liver and spleen at first-pass - they are widely investigated as MRI markers for the diagnosis of inflammatory and degenerative disorders associated with high macrophage phagocytic activity.