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Insight into the Internal Structure of High-Performance Multicore Magnetic Nanoparticles Used in Cancer Thermotherapy
Tom Roussel1, Daniel Ferry1, Artemis Kosta2
1Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 13288 Marseille, France.
ACS Materials Au
|September 16, 2024
Summary
Multicore magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with well-dispersed iron oxide cores show strong heating for cancer treatment. Their structure, particularly core spacing, is key to this function, guiding future nanomaterial design.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Multicore magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are promising for magnetic hyperthermia cancer therapy.
- Understanding the relationship between MNP structure and magnetic heating properties is crucial for optimizing their clinical application.
- Previous studies have lacked detailed investigations into the internal structure and magnetic interactions of high-performance MNPs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structure-property relationships of multicore magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) used in a pancreatic cancer clinical study.
- To elucidate the role of internal core-core magnetic interactions in determining the magnetic heating capabilities of these MNPs.
- To identify key structural features for the design of future nanomaterials for hyperthermia treatment.
Main Methods:
- Multimodality transmission electron microscopy (TEM), including conventional, high-resolution, scanning, cryogenic, and liquid-phase imaging.
- Cryogenic electron tomography to determine nanorod morphology and lamellar structure.
- Magnetic remanence Henkel-plot analysis to quantify core-core magnetic interactions.
- Theoretical modeling using a point-dipole approximation to estimate core-to-core separation.
Main Results:
- TEM revealed irregular dextran lamellae with well-dispersed iron oxide cores (ca. 3.7 nm diameter).
- Cryogenic TEM indicated nanorods were edge-on lamellae, with dried samples showing collapsed forms.
- Magnetic analysis showed a weak core-core interaction field (ca. 4.8 kA/m), corresponding to a core-to-core separation of ca. 5 nm.
- Liquid-cell TEM confirmed core-to-core separation distances in the range of 4-6 nm.
Conclusions:
- The study identifies the well-dispersed multicore structure of the RCL nanoparticles as the critical factor for their strong magnetic heating capability.
- The observed core-to-core separation distance directly correlates with the observed magnetic interactions and heating efficiency.
- These findings provide essential design principles for developing advanced nanomaterials tailored for hyperthermia cancer therapy.
