Advances in Magnetic Nanoparticle-Mediated Cancer Immune-Theranostics

Cancer immunotherapy is a cutting-edge strategy that eliminates cancer cells by amplifying the host's immune system. However, the low response rate and risks of inducing systemic toxicity have raised uncertainty in the treatment. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as a versatile theranostic tool can be used to target delivery of multiple immunotherapeutics and monitor cell/tissue responses. These capabilities enable the real-time characterization of the factors that contribute to immunoactivity so that future treatments can be optimized. The magnetic properties of MNPs further allow the implementation of magnetic navigation and magnetic hyperthermia for boosting the efficacy of immunotherapy. The multimodal approach opens an avenue to induce robust immune responses, minimize safety issues, and monitor immune activities simultaneously. Thus, the object of this review is to provide an overview of the burgeoning fields and to highlight novel technologies for next-generation immunotherapy. The review further correlates the properties of MNPs with the latest treatment strategies to explore the crosstalk between magnetic nanomaterials and the immune system. This comprehensive review of MNP-derived immunotherapy covers the obstacles and opportunities for future development and clinical translation.

Estimation of Magnetic Anisotropy of Individual Magnetite Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia

Ideal interaction-free magnetite nanoparticles were prepared, and their magnetic properties were measured to clarify the true nature of magnetic anisotropy of individual magnetite nanoparticles at the nanoscale and to analyze the shape, surface, and crystalline anisotropy contributions. Spherical (17.7 nm), cubic (10.6 nm), and octahedral-shaped magnetite nanoparticles with average sizes ranging from 7.6 to 23.4 nm were synthesized using solution techniques. Then, these nanoparticles were coated with silica at appropriate shell thicknesses to prepare magnetic interaction-free samples, and their noninteractive nature was confirmed through first-order reversal curve diagrams. For these well-isolated nanoparticles, remanent magnetizations of the hysteresis loops are just equal to a half of the saturation magnetization. This result clearly indicates that uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is predominant in each nanoparticle. In order to clarify the details of the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, the analysis of blocking temperature-switching field distribution diagrams is constructed based on thermal decay curves of isothermal remanent magnetization at various applied fields. The obtained effective magnetic anisotropy constant K_eff is distributed around 10-20 kJ/m³ and has insignificant size dependence. This result seems inconsistent with the inverse proportion relation of K_eff with size predicted for surface magnetic anisotropy. The theoretical calculation suggested that the crystalline magnetic anisotropy plays a major role in magnetic properties of the magnetite nanoparticles at lower temperatures. However, it should be noted that K_eff seems slightly different for the different shapes. The above study indicates that control size, shape, and interparticle interactions is required to strictly discuss such delicate differences of magnetic anisotropy of individual magnetite nanoparticles for the design of thermal seeds for magnetic hyperthermia.

Greener synthesis of chemical compounds and materials

Modern trends in the greener synthesis and fabrication of inorganic, organic and coordination compounds, materials, nanomaterials, hybrids and nanocomposites are discussed. Green chemistry deals with synthesis procedures according to its classic 12 principles, contributing to the sustainability of chemical processes, energy savings, lesser toxicity of reagents and final products, lesser damage to the environment and human health, decreasing the risk of global overheating, and more rational use of natural resources and agricultural wastes. Greener techniques have been applied to synthesize both well-known chemical compounds by more sustainable routes and completely new materials. A range of nanosized materials and composites can be produced by greener routes, including nanoparticles of metals, non-metals, their oxides and salts, aerogels or quantum dots. At the same time, such classic materials as cement, ceramics, adsorbents, polymers, bioplastics and biocomposites can be improved or obtained by cleaner processes. Several non-contaminating physical methods, such as microwave heating, ultrasound-assisted and hydrothermal processes or ball milling, frequently in combination with the use of natural precursors, are of major importance in the greener synthesis, as well as solventless and biosynthesis techniques. Non-hazardous solvents including ionic liquids, use of plant extracts, fungi, yeasts, bacteria and viruses are also discussed in relation with materials fabrication. Availability, necessity and profitability of scaling up green processes are discussed.

Low-Field Dynamic Magnetic Separation by Self-Fabricated Magnetic Meshes for Efficient Heavy Metal Removal

Wastewater contaminated with heavy metals is a worldwide concern due to the toxicity to human and animals. The current study presents an incorporation of adsorption and low-field dynamic magnetic separation technique for the treatment of heavy-metal-contaminated water. The key components are the eco-fabricated magnetic filter with mesh architectures (constituted of a soft magnetic material (Ni,Zn)Fe₂O₄) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-coated quasi-superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs). PAA-coated Fe₃O₄ NPs possess high adsorption capacity of heavy metal ions including Pb, Ni, Co, and Cu and can be easily regenerated after the adjustment of pH. Moreover, magnetic mesh filter has shown excellent collection ability of quasi-superparamagnetic particles under a magnetic field as low as 0.7 kOe (0.07 T) and can easily release these particles during ultrasonic washing when small magnets are removed. In the end, after one filtration process, the heavy metal concentration can be significantly decreased from 1.0 mg L^-1 to below the drinking water standard recommended by the World Health Organization (e.g., less than 0.01 mg L^-1 for Pb). Overall, a proof-of-concept adsorption and subsequent low-field dynamic separation technique is demonstrated as an economical and efficient route for heavy metal removal from wastewater.

Novel room-temperature spin-valve-like magnetoresistance in magnetically coupled nano-column Fe3O4/Ni heterostructure

Herein, we design a room-temperature spin-valve-like magnetoresistance in a nano-column Fe3O4/Ni heterostructure without using a non-magnetic spacer or pinning layer. An Fe3O4 nano-column film is self-assembled on a Ni underlayer by the thermal decomposition method. The wet-chemical self-assembly is facile, economical and scalable. The magnetoresistance (MR) response of the Ni underlayer in the heterostructure under positive and negative out-of-plane magnetic fields differ by ∼0.25 at room temperature and ∼0.43 at 100 K. We attribute the spin-valve-like magnetoresistance to the unidirectional magnetic anisotropy of the Ni underlayer when being magnetically coupled by the Fe3O4 nano-column film. The out-of-plane negative-field magnetization is higher than the positive-field magnetization, affirming the unidirectional magnetic anisotropy of the Fe3O4/Ni heterostructure. Temperature-dependent magnetic and resistivity studies illustrate a close correlation between the magnetization transition of Fe3O4 and resistivity transition of Ni and prove a magnetic coupling between the Fe3O4 and Ni. First-principles calculations reveal that the Fe3O4/Ni model under a negative magnetic field is energetically more stable than that under a positive magnetic field. Furthermore, partial density of states (PDOS) analysis demonstrates the unidirectional magnetic anisotropy of the Ni 3d orbital. This is induced by the strong ferromagnetic coupling between Fe3O4 and Ni via oxygen-mediated Fe 3d-O 2p-Ni 3d hybridizations.

A comparative study on the in vitro cytotoxic responses of two mammalian cell types to fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and iron oxide nanoparticles

The present study was designed to evaluate and compare the time- and dose-dependent cellular response of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (hPDLFs), and mouse dermal fibroblasts (mDFs) to three different types of nanoparticles (NPs); fullerenes (C₆₀), single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and iron (II,III) oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles via in vitro toxicity methods, and impedance based biosensor system. NPs were characterized according to their morphology, structure, surface area, particle size distribution and zeta potential by using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, dynamic light scattering and zeta sizer analyses. The Mössbauer spectroscopy was used in order to magnetically characterize the Fe₃O₄ NPs. The hPDLFs and mDFs were exposed to different concentrations of the NPs (0.1, 1, 10, 50 and 100 μg/mL) for predetermined time intervals (6, 24 and 48 h) under controlled conditions. Subsequently, NP exposed cells were tested for viability, membrane leakage and generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Additional to in vitro cytotoxicity assays, the cellular responses to selected NPs were determined in real time using an impedance based biosensor system. Taken together, information obtained from all experiments suggests that toxicity of the selected NPs is cell type, concentration and time dependent.

Super-Paramagnetic Nanoparticles with Spinel Structure: A Review of Synthesis and Biomedical Applications

The study of ceramic materials has attracted the attention of many researchers due to the possibility of their use in nanotechnology. The spinel ferrites form a large group of materials with a broad range of applications. Some examples include electronic devices such as high-frequency transformer cores, antenna rods, induction-tuners, among many others. However, when the ferritic materials display superparamagnetic behavior, their potential for biological applications like drug delivery, hyperthermia, resonance magnetic imaging and magnetic separation, become amazingly high. Therefore, the superparamagnetism is a characteristic strongly desired for spinel ferrites. Since this phenomenon is size-dependent, the methodologies to synthesize these materials has emerged as a crucial step in order to obtain the desired properties. In this regarding, several synthetic processes have been developed. For example, co-precipitation is a fast and cheap method to synthesize superparamagnetic spinel ferrites. However, methodologies involving microwave, ultrasound or polymers frequently result in these kind of materials. Therefore, this review brings a brief historic introduction about spinel ferrites as well as essential concepts to understand their structure and magnetic properties. In addition to this, recent advances in synthesis and applications of the superparamagnetic spinel ferrites are mentioned. Contents of Paper