Russian scientists create heat-seeking particles to burn up cancer

Scientists from the National University of Science and Technology MISIS (NUST MISIS) have developed a new type of magnetic nanoparticle capable of self-regulating its heating temperature within the therapeutically relevant range of 42-52 C.

In the future, this ability could eliminate the risk of damage to healthy tissues during magnetic hyperthermia cancer treatment, the university's press service told Sputnik.

Magnetic hyperthermia is a promising approach for local treatment of tumor tissues. One of the challenges remains the risk of uncontrolled tissue overheating, which can lead to damage and death of healthy cells. Iron oxide nanoparticles, spinel ferrites, metallic magnetic particles, and self-regulating magnetic materials are currently being studied for hyperthermia applications.

The key innovation by the NUST MISIS research team is the combination of several factors. Built on a strontium hexaferrite base, this material's temperature response is fine-tuned by indium doping. Its nanoparticles are produced via high-energy ball milling, a simple, scalable technique that is easy to implement.

The researchers successfully obtained nanoparticles approximately 10 nanometers in size, which remain stable in liquids thanks to a coating of biocompatible polymer. In laboratory experiments, the temperature threshold ranged from 42 to 52 C, depending on the material composition.

"The particles we have developed can be thought of as magnetic 'nano-heaters' with a built-in temperature-limiting mechanism. When exposed to an external magnetic field, they generate heat. However, once the set temperature level is reached, the magnetic properties of the material change, and the particles begin to absorb less energy from the field. As a result, further heating slows down, and the temperature stabilizes at a constant level within the therapeutically significant range," said Igor Shchetinin, head of the Laboratory of Multifunctional Magnetic Nanomaterials at NUST MISIS.

The development is currently at the stage of materials science and preliminary biological research. Further testing is required before potential medical application, including studies in biological fluid, on various cellular models, and subsequently in more complex preclinical models.

Sputnik