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Review
. 2022 Oct 12;12(20):3567.
doi: 10.3390/nano12203567.

Smart and Multi-Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment Applications: Clinical Challenges and Future Prospects

Elham Aram  1   2 , Masome Moeni  3 , Roya Abedizadeh  1 , Davood Sabour  1 , Hamid Sadeghi-Abandansari  1   4 , Jabbar Gardy  3 , Ali Hassanpour  3
Affiliations
Review

Smart and Multi-Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment Applications: Clinical Challenges and Future Prospects

Elham Aram et al. Nanomaterials (Basel). .

Abstract

Iron oxide nanoparticle (IONPs) have become a subject of interest in various biomedical fields due to their magnetism and biocompatibility. They can be utilized as heat mediators in magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) or as contrast media in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US). In addition, their high drug-loading capacity enabled them to be therapeutic agent transporters for malignancy treatment. Hence, smartening them allows for an intelligent controlled drug release (CDR) and targeted drug delivery (TDD). Smart magnetic nanoparticles (SMNPs) can overcome the impediments faced by classical chemo-treatment strategies, since they can be navigated and release drug via external or internal stimuli. Recently, they have been synchronized with other modalities, e.g., MRI, MHT, US, and for dual/multimodal theranostic applications in a single platform. Herein, we provide an overview of the attributes of MNPs for cancer theranostic application, fabrication procedures, surface coatings, targeting approaches, and recent advancement of SMNPs. Even though MNPs feature numerous privileges over chemotherapy agents, obstacles remain in clinical usage. This review in particular covers the clinical predicaments faced by SMNPs and future research scopes in the field of SMNPs for cancer theranostics.

Keywords: cancer; smart magnetic nanoparticles; theranostics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Types of materials applied as coating agents for MNPs.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Preparation of di-block copolymer based on PEG and PCL. Reprinted with permission from [201]. Elsevier, 2018.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Enzyme-responsive, glycine-coated, MTX-conjugated Fe3O4 NPs. Redrawn from [209].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic representation of a triple stimuli-responsive MNP drug carrier. Redrawn from [261].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic representation of an in vivo experimental procedure and the active targeting of DOX, and the cellular uptake by 4T1 cells following the administration. Redrawn from [282].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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