2D magnetic titanium carbide MXene for cancer theranostics

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) materials, particularly MXenes, show promise in nanomedicine but often have limited functionality.
• Single-functionality of current 2D MXenes restricts their broad applications, especially in complex medical treatments like cancer theranostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel superparamagnetic 2D Ti3C2 MXene-based nanocomposites for efficient cancer theranostics.
• To investigate the potential of these magnetic MXene composites for combined diagnostic imaging and therapeutic applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) in situ on the surface of Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets.
• Characterized the magnetic properties, T2 relaxivity, and photothermal conversion efficiency of the Ti3C2-IONPs MXene composites.
• Evaluated the efficacy of the composites for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) both in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

• The Ti3C2-IONPs MXene composites demonstrated high T2 relaxivity (394.2 mM-1 s-1), enabling enhanced contrast in MRI for tumor visualization.
• Achieved a high photothermal conversion efficiency (48.6%), leading to effective in vitro and in vivo cancer cell killing and tumor ablation.
• The synthesized magnetic MXene composites exhibited excellent biocompatibility, suggesting suitability for clinical translation.

Conclusions:

• Superparamagnetic Ti3C2-IONPs MXene composites represent a significant advancement in theranostic nanomedicine.
• This functionalization strategy, leveraging MXene surface chemistry, opens new avenues for developing advanced 2D nanosystems for cancer treatment and diagnosis.
• The developed magnetic MXene platform holds considerable promise for future clinical applications in oncology.