Abstract
The field of nanomedicine has recently emerged as a product of the expansion of a range of nanotechnologies into biomedical science, pharmacology and clinical practice. Due to the unique properties of nanoparticles and the related nanostructures, their applications to medical diagnostics, imaging, controlled drug and gene delivery, monitoring of therapeutic outcomes, and aiding in medical interventions, provide a new perspective for challenging problems in such demanding issues as those involved in the treatment of cancer or debilitating neurological diseases. In this review, we evaluate the role and contributions that the applications of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have made to various aspects of nanomedicine, including the newest magnetic particle imaging (MPI) technology allowing for outstanding spatial and temporal resolution that enables targeted contrast enhancement and real-time assistance during medical interventions. We also evaluate the applications of MNPs to the development of targeted drug delivery systems with magnetic field guidance/focusing and controlled drug release that mitigate chemotherapeutic drugs’ side effects and damage to healthy cells. These systems enable tackling of multiple drug resistance which develops in cancer cells during chemotherapeutic treatment. Furthermore, the progress in development of ROS- and heat-generating magnetic nanocarriers and magneto-mechanical cancer cell destruction, induced by an external magnetic field, is also discussed. The crucial roles of MNPs in the development of biosensors and microfluidic paper array devices (µPADs) for the detection of cancer biomarkers and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are also assessed. Future challenges concerning the role and contributions of MNPs to the progress in nanomedicine have been outlined.
Highlights
Considerable research effort has recently been extended into developing novel nanotechnologies aimed at biomedical advancements [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]
magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been successfully utilized in biosensor preparation, fluorescent-magnetic bioimaging probe design, as well as in the synthesis of drug delivery nanocarriers
The MNPs designed for controlled drug delivery and those for targeted activity require immobilization of drugs and targeting ligands on their surface
Summary
Considerable research effort has recently been extended into developing novel nanotechnologies aimed at biomedical advancements [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. Nanomedicine created in the process has become a powerhouse of innovative technologies [12,13] for diagnosing, monitoring, and treating the most challenging human diseases, such as neoplasia, neurological disorders, and others In this comprehensive review, novel applications of magnetic nanoparticles in nanomedicine are evaluated, including those in the area of controlled drug delivery, gene neutralizing or replacement therapy, medical imaging, drug distribution, extenuating drug side effects, mitigating multiple drug resistance, and assisting during invasive medical interventions. The MNPs designed for controlled drug delivery and those for targeted activity require immobilization of drugs and targeting ligands on their surface These active molecules must be attached to the nanocarrier shell or a surface-protecting film. Simultaneous detection of CTCs and cancer biomarkers in an immunomagnetic flow system was first described by Huang et al [46]
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