Magnetic nanocarriers have attracted increasing attention for multimodal cancer therapy due to the possibility to deliver heat and drugs locally. The present study reports the development of magnetic nanocomposites (MNCs) made of an iron oxide core and a pH- and thermo-responsive polymer shell, that can be used as both hyperthermic agent and drug carrier. The conjugation of anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) to the pH- and thermo-responsive MNCs via acid-cleavable imine linker provides advanced features for the targeted delivery of DOX molecules via the combination of magnetic targeting, and dual pH- and thermo-responsive behaviour which offers spatial and temporal control over the release of DOX. The iron oxide cores exhibit a superparamagnetic behaviour with a saturation magnetization around 70 emu g(-1). The MNCs contained 8.1 wt% of polymer and exhibit good heating properties in an alternating magnetic field. The drug release experiments confirmed that only a small amount of DOX was released at room temperature and physiological pH, while the highest drug release of 85.2% was obtained after 48 h at acidic tumour pH under hyperthermia conditions (50 °C). The drug release kinetic followed Korsmeyer-Peppas model and displayed Fickian diffusion mechanism. From the results obtained it can be concluded that this smart magnetic nanocarrier is promising for applications in multi-modal cancer therapy, to target and efficiently deliver heat and drug specifically to the tumour.

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A novel theranostic controlled drug delivery platform that binds the drug to the nanocarrier by utilising Schiff base bonds to achieve high spatial and temporal control over drug release.

Lumbar disc herniation arises when the annulus fibrosus of the vertebral disc fails, thus allowing displacement of the nucleus pulposus and other tissue. The term far lateral is used variably in the literature and usually refers to an extraforaminal displacement in the peridiscal zone peripheral to the sagittal plane of the most lateral part of the pedicle at the same level. Non-surgical treatments of far lateral disc herniation include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, and corticosteroid injections. Where these conservative measures fail, surgical intervention may be required. Several surgical techniques for the treatment of far lateral herniations have been investigated, including total or medial facetectomy, laminectomy, hemilaminectomy, approaches through the pars interarticularis, and lateral approaches between the transverse processes via the intertransverse muscle and ligament. We present our far lateral microdiscectomy technique which involves accessing the nerve root lateral to the foramen through a small paramedian incision and use of an operating microscope. Far lateral microdiscectomy offers the prospect of better long-term results than other surgical techniques because of less extensive muscle dissection and preservation of the integrity of the facet joint.