High Biocompatibility, MRI Enhancement, and Dual Chemo- and Thermal-Therapy of Curcumin-Encapsulated Alginate/Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

Abstract

(1) Background: Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles have great potential for biomedical applications, including hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging. In this study, we aimed to identify the biological activity of nanoconjugates composed of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with alginate and curcumin (Fe3O4/Cur@ALG) in cancer cells. (2) Methods: The nanoparticles were evaluated for the biocompatibility and toxicity on mice. The MRI enhancement and hyperthermia capacities of Fe3O4/Cur@ALG were determined in both in vitro and in vivo sarcoma models. (3) Results: The results show that the magnetite nanoparticles exhibit high biocompatibility and low toxicity in mice at Fe3O4 concentrations up to 120 mg/kg when administered via intravenous injection. The Fe3O4/Cur@ALG nanoparticles enhance the magnetic resonance imaging contrast in cell cultures and tumor-bearing Swiss mice. The autofluorescence of curcumin also allowed us to observe the penetration of the nanoparticles into sarcoma 180 cells. In particular, the nanoconjugates synergistically inhibit the growth of sarcoma 180 tumors via magnetic heating and the anticancer effects of curcumin, both in vitro and in vivo. (4) Conclusions: Our study reveals that Fe3O4/Cur@ALG has a high potential for medicinal applications and should be further developed for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

New insights into nanosystems for non-small-cell lung cancer: diagnosis and treatment

“…This approach aims to simplify the composition of the multifunctional nanosystem while retaining the required properties. Many inorganic nanosystems have both imaging and treatment feasibility, such as SIONs used for MRI and thermal therapy, 168 AuNPs for CT and radiation therapy, 169 gold nanorods for CT contrast enhancement, and PTT. 170 …”

Advances in the Optimization of Fe Nanoparticles: Unlocking Antifungal Properties for Biomedical Applications

“…A variety of techniques have been used to assess biocompatibility in vitro, including trypan blue exclusion, MTT, and LDH cytotoxicity assays. Additionally, methods like confocal microscopy and flow cytometry allow for a thorough examination of the interactions between cells and Fe NPs [177]. A study has revealed that optimally synthesized Fe NPs typically exhibit lower toxicity and better biocompatibility [178].…”

Core-Shell Fe3O4@C Nanoparticles as Highly Effective T2 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

“…Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs) have attracted considerable attention in many application areas, including environmental treatment [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], food analysis [ 4 , 5 , 6 ], biosensors [ 7 , 8 ], protein immobilization [ 9 ], targeted drug delivery [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ], separation [ 15 , 16 , 17 ], magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], magnetofection [ 28 , 29 ], tissue engineering [ 30 ], and hyperthermia [ 31 , 32 ]. In particular, their good biocompatibility, as verified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [ 33 ], facilitates their commercialization.…”