International Journal of Nanomedicine (Jun 2023)
How Magnetic Composites are Effective Anticancer Therapeutics? A Comprehensive Review of the Literature
Abstract
Mostafa Yusefi,1,2 Kamyar Shameli,3 Hossein Jahangirian,4 Sin-Yeang Teow,5 Leili Afsah-Hejri,6 Siti Nur Amalina Mohamad Sukri,1 Kamil Kuča1,7,8 1Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 2Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia; 3Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany; 4CaroGen Corporation, Farmington, CT, USA; 5Department of Biology, College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, 325060, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Food Safety and Quality, School of Business, Science and Technology, Lakeland University Plymouth, WI 53073, USA; 7Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; 8Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech RepublicCorrespondence: Kamyar Shameli; Hossein Jahangirian, Tel +4917646555701 ; +16178608429, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Chemotherapy is the most prominent route in cancer therapy for prolonging the lifespan of cancer patients. However, its non-target specificity and the resulting off-target cytotoxicities have been reported. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies using magnetic nanocomposites (MNCs) for magnetothermal chemotherapy may potentially improve the therapeutic outcome by increasing the target selectivity. In this review, magnetic hyperthermia therapy and magnetic targeting using drug-loaded MNCs are revisited, focusing on magnetism, the fabrication and structures of magnetic nanoparticles, surface modifications, biocompatible coating, shape, size, and other important physicochemical properties of MNCs, along with the parameters of the hyperthermia therapy and external magnetic field. Due to the limited drug-loading capacity and low biocompatibility, the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as drug delivery system has lost traction. In contrast, MNCs show higher biocompatibility, multifunctional physicochemical properties, high drug encapsulation, and multi-stages of controlled release for localized synergistic chemo-thermotherapy. Further, combining various forms of magnetic cores and pH-sensitive coating agents can generate a more robust pH, magneto, and thermo-responsive drug delivery system. Thus, MNCs are ideal candidate as smart and remotely guided drug delivery system due to a) their magneto effects and guide-ability by the external magnetic fields, b) on-demand drug release performance, and c) thermo-chemosensitization under an applied alternating magnetic field where the tumor is selectively incinerated without harming surrounding non-tumor tissues. Given the important effects of synthesis methods, surface modifications, and coating of MNCs on their anticancer properties, we reviewed the most recent studies on magnetic hyperthermia, targeted drug delivery systems in cancer therapy, and magnetothermal chemotherapy to provide insights on the current development of MNC-based anticancer nanocarrier.Keywords: magnetic nanoparticles, polymer-based magnetic nanocomposites, hyperthermia, external magnetic field, targeted cancer treatments
