Magnetic particle targeting for diagnosis and therapy of lung cancers

Over the past decade, the growing interest in targeted lung cancer therapy has guided researchers toward the cutting edge of controlled drug delivery, particularly magnetic particle targeting. Targeting of tissues by magnetic particles has tackled several limitations of traditional drug delivery methods for both cancer detection (e.g., using magnetic resonance imaging) and therapy. Delivery of magnetic particles offers the key advantage of high efficiency in the local deposition of drugs in the target tissue with the least harmful effect on other healthy tissues. This review first overviews clinical aspects of lung morphology and pathogenesis as well as clinical features of lung cancer. It is followed by reviewing the advances in using magnetic particles for diagnosis and therapy of lung cancers: (i) a combination of magnetic particle targeting with MRI imaging for diagnosis and screening of lung cancers, (ii) magnetic drug targeting (MDT) through either intravenous injection and pulmonary delivery for lung cancer therapy, and (iii) computational simulations that models new and effective approaches for magnetic particle drug delivery to the lung, all supporting improved lung cancer treatment. The review further discusses future opportunities to improve the clinical performance of MDT for diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and highlights clinical therapy application of the MDT as a new horizon to cure with minimal side effects a wide variety of lung diseases and possibly other acute respiratory syndromes (COVID-19, MERS, and SARS).