Recent Advances in Biomedical Applications of Magnetic Nanomaterials

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 5409

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Physics-Biophysics, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pasteur 6, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: magnetic nanoparticles; magnetic hyperthermia; plasmonic nanoparticles; vibrational spectroscopy; Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS); liposomes
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Guest Editor
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Interests: target thrombolysis; nanomedicine; nano-biointerface; pharmacology; hemodynamics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have emerged as promising candidates for a wide array of biomedical applications due to their unique responsiveness to external magnetic fields, which enables remote control and manipulation.

In recent years, extensive research efforts have been dedicated to exploring the applications of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in biomedical fields, including their use as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or more recently using the magnetic particle imaging technique. Additionally, MNPs have shown promise in cancer therapy through magnetic hyperthermia, where they are subjected to radiofrequency magnetic fields to induce heating for therapeutic purposes. Moreover, the fabrication of hybrid nanostructures by combining MNPs with polymers, fluorophores, liposomes, and plasmonic or silica shells has opened up new possibilities for both diagnosing and treating medical conditions. These multifaceted nanomaterials offer the unique capability of remote control over their positioning and activation, positioning them as a highly investigated class of theranostic materials.

We aim for this Special Issue, titled "Recent Advances in Biomedical Applications of Magnetic Nanomaterials", to provide a platform for researchers to share their latest experimental and theoretical findings related to the development and application of magnetic nanomaterials in the medical field, where we welcome both reviews and research papers focused on distinct aspects of medical applications of MNPs.

Prof. Dr. Constantin Mihai Lucaciu
Prof. Dr. Yunn-Hwa Ma
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • magnetic hyperthermia
  • magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles
  • targeted drug delivery
  • magnetoliposomes
  • magnetic resonance imaging
  • magnetic particle imaging

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 5326 KiB  
Article
Improving the Theranostic Potential of Magnetic Nanoparticles by Coating with Natural Rubber Latex for Ultrasound, Photoacoustic Imaging, and Magnetic Hyperthermia: An In Vitro Study
by Thiago T. Vicente, Saeideh Arsalani, Mateus S. Quiel, Guilherme S. P. Fernandes, Keteryne R. da Silva, Sandra Y. Fukada, Alexandre J. Gualdi, Éder J. Guidelli, Oswaldo Baffa, Antônio A. O. Carneiro, Ana Paula Ramos and Theo Z. Pavan
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(11), 1474; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16111474 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1265
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have gained attention in theranostics for their ability to combine diagnostic imaging and therapeutic capabilities in a single platform, enhancing targeted treatment and monitoring. Surface coatings are essential for stabilizing MNPs, improving biocompatibility, and preventing oxidation that could compromise [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have gained attention in theranostics for their ability to combine diagnostic imaging and therapeutic capabilities in a single platform, enhancing targeted treatment and monitoring. Surface coatings are essential for stabilizing MNPs, improving biocompatibility, and preventing oxidation that could compromise their functionality. Natural rubber latex (NRL) offers a promising coating alternative due to its biocompatibility and stability-enhancing properties. While NRL-coated MNPs have shown potential in applications such as magnetic resonance imaging, their effectiveness in theranostics, particularly magnetic hyperthermia (MH) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI), remains underexplored. Methods: In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized via coprecipitation, using NRL as the coating agent. The samples were labeled by NRL amount used during synthesis: NRL-100 for 100 μL and NRL-400 for 400 μL. Results: Characterization results showed that NRL-100 and NRL-400 samples exhibited improved stability with zeta potentials of −27 mV and −30 mV, respectively and higher saturation magnetization values of 79 emu/g and 88 emu/g of Fe3O4. Building on these findings, we evaluated the performance of these nanoparticles in biomedical applications, including magnetomotive ultrasound (MMUS), PAI, and MH. NRL-100 and NRL-400 samples showed greater displacements and higher contrast in MMUS than uncoated samples (5, 8, and 9 µm) at 0.5 wt%. In addition, NRL-coated samples demonstrated an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in PAI. SNR values were 24.72 (0.51), 31.44 (0.44), and 33.81 (0.46) dB for the phantoms containing uncoated MNPs, NRL-100, and NRL-400, respectively. Calorimetric measurements for MH confirmed the potential of NRL-coated MNPs as efficient heat-generating agents, showing values of 43 and 40 W/g for NRL-100 and NRL-400, respectively. Conclusions: Overall, NRL-coated MNPs showed great promise as contrast agents in MMUS and PAI imaging, as well as in MH applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biomedical Applications of Magnetic Nanomaterials)
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15 pages, 4031 KiB  
Article
Magnetic Nanoparticles with On-Site Azide and Alkyne Functionalized Polymer Coating in a Single Step through a Solvothermal Process
by Romualdo Mora-Cabello, David Fuentes-Ríos, Lidia Gago, Laura Cabeza, Ana Moscoso, Consolación Melguizo, José Prados, Francisco Sarabia and Juan Manuel López-Romero
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(9), 1226; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16091226 - 19 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1706
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNPs) are becoming more important every day. We prepared MNPs in a simple one-step reaction by following the solvothermal method, assisted by azide and alkyne functionalized polyethylene glycol (PEG400) polymers, as well as by PEG6000 [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNPs) are becoming more important every day. We prepared MNPs in a simple one-step reaction by following the solvothermal method, assisted by azide and alkyne functionalized polyethylene glycol (PEG400) polymers, as well as by PEG6000 and the polyol β-cyclodextrin (βCD), which played a crucial role as electrostatic stabilizers, providing polymeric/polyol coatings around the magnetic cores. Methods: The composition, morphology, and magnetic properties of the nanospheres were analyzed using Transmission Electron and Atomic Force Microscopies (TEM, AFM), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), X-ray Diffraction Diffractometry (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM). Results: The obtained nanoparticles (@Fe3O4-PEGs and @Fe3O4-βCD) showed diameters between 90 and 250 nm, depending on the polymer used and the Fe3O4·6H2O precursor concentration, typically, 0.13 M at 200 °C and 24 h of reaction. MNPs exhibited superparamagnetism with high saturation mass magnetization at room temperature, reaching values of 59.9 emu/g (@Fe3O4-PEG6000), and no ferromagnetism. Likewise, they showed temperature elevation after applying an alternating magnetic field (AMF), obtaining Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values of up to 51.87 ± 2.23 W/g for @Fe3O4-PEG6000. Additionally, the formed systems are susceptible to click chemistry, as was demonstrated in the case of the cannabidiol-propargyl derivative (CBD-Pro), which was synthesized and covalently attached to the azide functionalized surface of @Fe3O4-PEG400-N3. Prepared MNPs are highly dispersible in water, PBS, and citrate buffer, remaining in suspension for over 2 weeks, and non-toxic in the T84 human colon cancer cell line, Conclusions: indicating that they are ideal candidates for biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biomedical Applications of Magnetic Nanomaterials)
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15 pages, 3790 KiB  
Article
Targeted Thrombolysis with Magnetic Nanotherapeutics: A Translational Assessment
by Ming-Lu Lin, Siao-Yun Wu, Jyh-Ping Chen, Yi-Ching Lu, Shih-Ming Jung, Shiaw-Pyng Wey, Tony Wu and Yunn-Hwa Ma
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(5), 596; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16050596 - 27 Apr 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1534
Abstract
Plasminogen activators, such as recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activators (rtPAs), while effective in treating thromboembolic diseases, often induce hemorrhagic complications due to non-specific enzyme activities in the systemic circulation. This study evaluated the targeting efficiency, efficacy, biodistribution, and potential toxicity of a rtPA covalently [...] Read more.
Plasminogen activators, such as recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activators (rtPAs), while effective in treating thromboembolic diseases, often induce hemorrhagic complications due to non-specific enzyme activities in the systemic circulation. This study evaluated the targeting efficiency, efficacy, biodistribution, and potential toxicity of a rtPA covalently attached to chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (chitosan-MNP-rtPA). The thrombolytic activity of a chitosan-MNP-rtPA was preserved by protection from an endogenous plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in whole blood and after circulation in vivo, as examined by thromboelastometry. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) demonstrated real-time retention of a 99mTc-MNP-rtPA induced by magnet application in a rat embolic model; an 80% reduction in rtPA dosage for a chitosan-MNP-rtPA with magnetic guidance was shown to restore blood flow. After treatment, iron deposition was observed in the reticuloendothelial systems, with portal edema and neutrophil infiltration in the liver at a ten-fold higher dose but not the regular dose. Nevertheless, no liver or renal toxicity was observed at this higher dose. In conclusion, the liver may still be the major deposit site of rtPA nanocomposites after targeted delivery; chitosan-coated MNPs are potentially amenable to target therapeutics with parenteral administration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biomedical Applications of Magnetic Nanomaterials)
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