Magnetic nanocomplexes and the physiological challenges associated with their use for cancer imaging and therapy

Magnetic nanoparticles offer potential advances in cancer treatment. One example is cancer theranostics, which refers to the combination of a diagnostic tool, i.e., magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and therapeutic entities such as drugs, oligonucleotides, antibodies, and peptides. They can be conjugated with bioactive molecules and have the ability to form a magnetic field gradient under an external magnetic field. They can offer a variety of active drug delivery and imaging strategies along with modalities such as magnetic hyperthermia. Imaging with magnetic nanoparticles can facilitate more effective cancer therapy through more well informed decision-making. In this article, we review notable progress in magnetic particle design, including surface modifications and multi-functionalization, and we discuss the recent bioapplications of magnetic nanoparticles in simultaneous cancer imaging and therapy.