Translational Insights into Stimuli-Responsive Magnetic Nanoparticles for Breast Cancer Treatment

Breast cancer (BC) remains the most prevalent malignancy worldwide, predominantly affecting women, and is often accompanied by significant treatment-related side effects. Despite the availability of multiple therapeutic modalities, including chemotherapy, survival rates have shown concerning stagnation or decline. A key limitation of current treatments is their lack of specificity, which leads to off-target toxicity and damage to healthy tissues. In recent years, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising frontier in cancer diagnosis and therapy, offering enhanced precision in drug delivery. Among various nanocarriers, stimuli-responsive magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have garnered increasing attention due to their nanoscale size, excellent colloidal stability, high cytocompatibility, and tumor-targeting capabilities. Additionally, MNPs can generate localized hyperthermia upon exposure to an external magnetic field, augmenting their therapeutic efficacy. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of stimuli-responsive MNPs, including their surface functionalization strategies and mechanisms of action in BC therapy. It further highlights recent preclinical advancements, evaluates their therapeutic performance, and discusses relevant patents. Finally, the review explores future perspectives and translational potential, underscoring the role of MNPs in the next generation of BC therapeutics.