The activation of magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) by an alternating magnetic field (AMF) is currently being explored as technique for targeted therapeutic heating of tumors. Various types of superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic particles, with different coatings and targeting agents, allow for tumor site and type specificity. Magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia is also being studied as an adjuvant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This review provides an introduction to some of the relevant biology and materials science involved in the technical development and current and future use of mNP hyperthermia as clinical cancer therapy.

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It is established that heat can enhance the effect of radiation cancer treatment. Due to the ability to localize thermal energy using nanoparticle hyperthermia, as opposed to other, less targeted, hyperthermia modalities, it appears such enhancement could be accomplished without complications normally associated with systemic or regional hyperthermia. This study employs non-curative (suboptimal), doses of heat and radiation, in an effort to determine the therapeutic enhancement potential for IONP hyperthermia and radiation. Methods MTG-B murine breast adenocarcinoma cell are inoculated into the right flanks of female CH3/HEJ mice and grown to volumes of 150mm3 +/− 40 mm3. A single dose of 15 Gy (6 MeV) radiation was uniformly delivered to the tumor. A pre-defined thermal dose is delivered by direct injection of iron oxide nanoparticles into the tumor. By adjusting the field strength of the 160 KHz alternating magnetic field (AMF) an intra-tumoral temperature between 41.5 and 43 degrees Celsius was maintained for 10min. The alternating magnetic field was delivered by a water-cooled 36mm diameter square copper tube induction coil operating at 160 kHz with variable magnet field strengths up to 450 Oe. The primary endpoint of the study is the number of days required for the tumor to achieve a volume 3 fold greater than the volume at the time of treatment (tumor regrowth delay). Results Preliminary results suggest the addition of a modest IONP hyperthermia to 15 Gy radiation achieved an approximate 50% increase in tumor regrowth delay as compared to a 15 Gy radiation treatment alone. The therapeutic effects of IONP heat and radiation combined were considered additive, however in mice that demonstrated complete response (no tumor present after 30 days), the effect was considered superadditive or synergistic. Although this data is very encouraging from a multimodality cancer therapy standpoint, additional temporal and dose related information is clearly necessary to optimize the therapy.

Advances in magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia are opening new doors in cancer therapy. As a standalone or adjuvant therapy this new modality has the opportunity significantly advance thermal medicine. Major advantages of using magnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles are their highly localized power deposition and the fact that the alternating magnetic fields (AMF) used to excite them can penetrate deeply into the body without harmful effect. One limitation, however, which hinders the technology, is the problem of inductive heating of normal tissue by the AMF if the frequency and fields strength are not appropriately matched to the tissue. Restricting AMF amplitude and frequency limits the heat dose which can be selectively applied to cancerous tissue via the magnetic nanoparticle, thus lowering therapeutic effect. In an effort to address this problem, particles with optimized magnetic properties must be developed. Using particles with higher saturation magnetizations and coercivity will enhance hysteresis heating increasing particle power density at milder AMF strengths and frequencies. In this study we used oil in water microemulsions to develop nanoparticles with zero-valent Fe cores and magnetite shells. The superior magnetic properties of zero-valent Fe give these particles the potential for improved SAR over pure magnetite particles. Silane and subsequently dextran have been attached to the particle surface in order to provide a biocompatible surfactant coating. The heating capability of the particles was tested in-vivo using a mouse tumor model. Although we determined that the final stage of synthesis, purification of the dextran coated particles, permits significant corrosion/oxidation of the iron core to hematite, the particles can effectively heat tumor tissue. Improving the purification procedure will allow the generation Fe/Fe3O4 with superior SAR values.

Hyperthermia, as an independent modality or in combination with standard cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, has been established in vitro and in vivo as an effective cancer treatment. However, despite efforts over the past 25 years, such therapies have never been optimized or widely-accepted clinically. Although methods continue to improve, conventionally-delivered heat (RF, ultrasound, microwave etc) can not be delivered in a tumor selective manner. The development of antibody-targeted, or even nontargeted, biocompatible iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) now allows delivery of cytotoxic heat to individual cancer cells. Using a murine mouse mammary adenocarcinoma (MTGB) and human colon carcinoma (HT29) cells, we studied the biology and treatment of IONP hyperthermia tumor treatment. Methods Cancer cells (1 × 106) with or without iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) were studied in culture or in vivo via implanted subcutaneously in female C3H mice, Tumors were grown to a treatment size of 150 mm3 and tumors volumes were measured using standard 3-D caliper measurement techniques. Mouse tumors were heated via delivery of an alternating magnetic field, which activated the nanoparticles, using a cooled 36 mm diameter square copper tube induction coil which provided optimal heating in 1.5 cm wide region of the coil. The IONPs were dextran coated and had a hydrodynamic radius of approximately 100 nm. For the in vivo studies, intra-tumor, peritumor and rectal (core body) temperatures were continually measured throughout the treatment period. Results Although some eddy current heating was generated in non-target tissues at the higher field strengths, our preliminary IONP hyperthermia studies show that whole mouse AMF exposure @160 KHz and 400 or 550 Oe, for a 20 minutes (heat-up and protocol heating), provides a safe and efficacious tumor treatment. Initial electron and light microscopic studies (in vitro and in vivo) showed the 100 nm used in our studies are rapidly taken up and retained by the tumor cells. Additional in vitro studies suggest antibodies can significantly enhance the cellular uptake of IONPs.