Magnetic Bioadhesive for Tumor Therapy: Synergistic Magnetothermal and Chemodynamic Effects

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Developing injectable therapeutics for deep-tumor eradication is challenging.
• Existing treatments lack sufficient adhesion, magnetothermal responsiveness, and sustained efficacy.
• There is a need for safe and effective in situ therapeutic platforms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop injectable magnetic bioadhesives for in situ deep-tumor eradication.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of magnetothermal therapy (MHT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT).
• To evaluate the bioadhesives' adhesion, biocompatibility, and antitumor efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of zein/poly-lysine/Fe3O4 magnetic bioadhesives with pre-encapsulated genipin.
• Assessment of tissue adhesion strength in physiological environments.
• In vitro and in vivo evaluation of magnetothermal properties and antitumor efficacy under alternating magnetic field (AMF).
• Analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and synergistic therapeutic effects.

Main Results:

• The bioadhesives achieved strong, self-reinforced tissue adhesion (111.7 ± 23.5 kPa).
• Magnetothermal stimulation effectively ablated tumors and generated ROS via Fenton reaction.
• The synergistic MHT and CDT demonstrated potent antitumor efficacy, nearly eradicating tumors in mice within 2 weeks.
• The bioadhesives exhibited excellent biocompatibility, slow degradation, and minimized off-target thermal damage.

Conclusions:

• Injectable magnetic bioadhesives offer a promising platform for in situ deep-tumor eradication.
• The combination of MHT and CDT provides a synergistic approach for enhanced antitumor therapy.
• The developed bioadhesives show excellent adhesion, biocompatibility, and sustained therapeutic effects for long-term antitumor treatment.