Exploiting Unique Alignment of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles, Mild Hyperthermia, and Controlled Intrinsic Cobalt Toxicity for Cancer Therapy. Issue 45 (1st October 2020) - Balakrishnan, Preethi Bala
Abstract: Nanoparticle‐based magnetic hyperthermia is a well‐known thermal therapy platform studied to treat solid tumors, but its use for monotherapy is limited due to incomplete tumor eradication at hyperthermia temperature (45 °C). It is often combined with chemotherapy for obtaining a more effective therapeutic outcome. Cubic‐shaped cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (Co–Fe NCs) serve as magnetic hyperthermia agents and as a cytotoxic agent due to the known cobalt ion toxicity, allowing the achievement of both heat and cytotoxic effects from a single platform. In addition to this advantage, Co–Fe NCs have the unique ability to form growing chains under an alternating magnetic field (AMF). This unique chain formation, along with the mild hyperthermia and intrinsic cobalt toxicity, leads to complete tumor regression and improved overall survival in an in vivo murine xenograft model, all under clinically approved AMF conditions. Numerical calculations identify magnetic anisotropy as the main Co–Fe NCs' feature to generate such chain formations. This novel combination therapy can improve the effects of magnetic hyperthermia, inaugurating investigation of mechanical behaviors of nanoparticles under AMF, as a new avenue for cancer therapy. Abstract : Trimodal cancer therapy using cobalt ferrite nanocubes (Co–Fe NCs) is proposed. Heat damage by mild hyperthermia effect; mechanical damage by collective movement of unique chains formed during hyperthermia treatment; and intrinsic cobalt toxicity by the slow and controlled degradation of nanoparticle within a tumor, all lead to a reduced tumor burden and improved overall survival in a preclinical animal model.