Translational Hurdles with Magnetic Nanoparticles and Current Clinical Scenario in Hyperthermia Applications

Abstract

Magnetic Nanoparticles (MNPs) are becoming increasingly popular for biomedical imaging and drug delivery, particularly cancer theranostics. Due to their excellent inherent properties and the accessibility to be tailor-made according to specific requirements, they stand out from the crowd and are close, yet so far. While the number of publications related to MNPs’ drug-delivery systems reported in the literature increases yearly, relatively more minor conversion has been observed from the bench to the bedside. It is of paramount importance to understand and work on the shortcomings and redesign the strategies to increase the clinical translatability of MNPs. ‘Supply as per Demand’ should be followed while designing an MNP-based delivery system. To achieve this, a better understanding of the clinical issues should be addressed early, and downstream methods should be prepared to resolve them. More significantly, all clinical problems in one delivery system should be eliminated, and one problem and one solution should be pursued. This opinion review explores the current limitations in evaluating magnetic nanoparticle performance, suggesting a promising standardized pathway to clinical translation.