Introduction: For many years, the controlled delivery of therapeutic compounds has been a matter of great interest in the field of nanomedicine. Among the wide amount of drug nanocarriers, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) stand out from the crowd and constitute robust nanoplatforms since they can achieve high drug loading as well as targeting abilities stemming from their remarkable properties (magnetic and biological properties). These applications require precise design of the nanoparticles regarding several parameters which must be considered together in order to attain highest therapeutic efficacy. Areas covered: This short review presents recent developments in the field of cancer targeted drug delivery using magnetic nanocarriers as drug delivery systems. Expert opinion: The design of nanocarriers enabling efficient delivery of therapeutic compounds towards targeted locations is one of the major area of research in the targeted drug delivery field. By precisely shaping the structural properties of the iron oxide nanoparticles, drugs loaded onto the nanoparticles can be efficiently guided and selectively delivered towards targeted locations. With these goals in mind, special attention should be given to the pharmacokinetics and in vivo behaviour of the developed nanocarriers.

Despite significant advances in cancer therapy over the years, its complex pathological process still represents a major health challenge when seeking effective treatment and improved healthcare. With the advent of nanotechnologies, nanomedicine-based cancer therapy has been widely explored as a promising technology able to handle the requirements of the clinical sector. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) have been at the forefront of nanotechnology development since the mid-1990s, thanks to their former role as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Though their use as MRI probes has been discontinued due to an unfavorable cost/benefit ratio, several innovative applications as therapeutic tools have prompted a renewal of interest. The unique characteristics of SPION, i.e., their magnetic properties enabling specific response when submitted to high frequency (magnetic hyperthermia) or low frequency (magneto-mechanical therapy) alternating magnetic field, and their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (either intrinsically or when activated using various stimuli), make them particularly adapted for cancer therapy. This review provides a comprehensive description of the fundamental aspects of SPION formulation and highlights various recent approaches regarding in vivo applications in the field of cancer therapy.

In the field of drug delivery, controlling the release of therapeutic substances at localized targets has become a primary focus of medical research, especially in the field of cancer treatment. Ma...

Because of their outstanding magnetic properties, iron oxide nanoparticles have already been the subject of numerous studies in the biomedical field, in particular as a negative contrast agent for T ₂ -weighted nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, or as therapeutic agents in hyperthermia experiments. Recent studies have shown that below a given particle size (i.e. 5 nm), iron oxide may be used to provide a significant positive (brightening) effect on T ₁ -weighted MRI. In such an application, not only the size of the crystal, but also the control of the coating process is essential to ensure optimal properties, especially at a very high field (> 3 T). In this work, we focused on the development of very small iron oxide nanoparticles as a potential platform for high field T ₁ magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) applications. The feasibility has been evaluated in vivo at 9.4 T, demonstrating the usefulness of the developed system for MRA applications.

This study reports the development of a continuous flow process enabling the synthesis of very small iron oxide nanoparticles (VSION) intended for T₁-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The influence of parameters, such as the concentration/nature of surfactants, temperature, pressure and the residence time on the thermal decomposition of iron(III) acetylacetonate in organic media was evaluated. As observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the diameter of the resulting nanoparticle remains constant when modifying the residence time. However, significant differences were observed in the magnetic and relaxometric studies. This continuous flow experimental setup allowed the production of VSION with high flow rates (up to 2 mL·min⁻¹), demonstrating the efficacy of such process compared to conventional batch procedure for the scale-up production of VSION.

Among the plethora of nanosystems used in the field of theranostics, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) occupy a central place because of their biocompatibility and magnetic properties. In this study, we highlight the radiosensitizing effect of two IONPs formulations (namely 7 nm carboxylated IONPs and PEG₅₀₀₀-IONPs) on A549 lung carcinoma cells when exposed to 225 kV X-rays after 6 h, 24 h and 48 h incubation. The hypothesis that nanoparticles exhibit their radiosensitizing effect by weakening cells through the inhibition of detoxification enzymes was evidenced by thioredoxin reductase activity monitoring. In particular, a good correlation between the amplification effect at 2 Gy and the residual activity of thioredoxin reductase was observed, which is consistent with previous observations made for gold nanoparticles (NPs). This emphasizes that NP-induced radiosensitization does not result solely from physical phenomena but also results from biological events.