Researchers develop magnetic nanoparticles for high-precision cancer treatment

Traditionally, the most common ways to remove and destroy malignant cells have been radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. However, because these treatments can also damage healthy cells, they often have significant side effects. Today, more precise and targeted treatments are emerging that aim to destroy cancer cells while sparing normal tissue.

Professor Eijiro Miyako and his research team at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) are pioneering such innovative approaches to cancer treatment. His team previously developed tumor-targeting bacteria that trigger the immune system to attack tumor cells. In a study published in Small Science on March 3, 2025, Professor Miyako and his team presented nanoparticles that can be magnetically targeted at tumor cells and then heated with a laser to kill the tumor cells.

This treatment method is based on photothermal therapy, which involves attaching photothermal nanoparticles (particles that absorb light and convert it into heat) to selectively kill cancer cells. When exposed to near-infrared (NIR) laser light, the nanoparticles generate heat, destroying the tumor. The team used biocompatible carbon nanorods (CNHs) as photothermal agents. CNHs are spherical graphene-based nanostructures that have previously been used for drug delivery and bioimaging. However, a key challenge in using CNHs is ensuring efficient accumulation of nanoparticles in tumors.

To solve this problem, the team modified the CHNs by adding a magnetic ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole tetrachloroferrate ([Bmim][FeCl4]), to their surface. Ionic liquids have anticancer properties and impart magnetic properties to nanoparticles, allowing them to be guided to tumor foci using an external magnet. However, in nature, CNHs are insoluble in water and [Bmim][FeCl4] is hydrophobic (being water repellent), which poses problems for use in the body. To improve the dispersibility of the particles in the body, the researchers added a polyethylene glycol coating to improve the particles’ solubility in water and their dispersibility in the body. In addition, a fluorescent dye indocyanine green is embedded in the nanoparticle, which serves as a visual sensor to track the nanoparticles’ position in real time.

“The innovative approach to creating nanocomplexes used in this study allows us to apply magnetic ionic liquids to cancer treatment for the first time,” explains Prof. Miyako. – This is a significant achievement that opens up new possibilities for cancer theranostics*.”

* Theranostics is a modern approach to creating drugs that are both a diagnostic tool and a therapeutic medication.

Nanoparticles as small as 120 nanometers had a photothermal conversion efficiency of 63%, superior to many conventional photothermal agents, and were sufficient to kill cancer cells. In laboratory tests, when added to colon carcinoma cells (Colon26) of mice, the nanoparticles effectively induced cell death when exposed to a NIR laser with a wavelength of 808 nm and a power of 0.7 W for 5 minutes. When injected into mice with Colon26 tumors, the researchers were able to guide the nanoparticles into the tumor using a magnet. The accumulated nanoparticles heated the tumors to 56°C, a temperature high enough to kill the cancer cells. The results were promising: in mice treated with the magnet-directed nanoparticles, the tumor completely disappeared after six laser treatments, and no recurrence occurred over the next 20 days. In contrast, when the nanoparticles were not magnetically guided, the tumors grew again after the laser treatment was stopped, indicating that the nanoparticles did not accumulate enough to completely kill the cancer cells.

This innovative treatment combines three powerful mechanisms: thermal destruction of cancer cells, the chemotherapeutic effect of ionic liquid directed at the tumor, and magnetic guidance. This multimodal approach offers a more effective alternative to traditional treatments that typically rely on a single mode of action. In addition, the study highlights the potential of magnetic ionic liquids in cancer treatment, paving the way for new therapeutic strategies.

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Published: 07.03.2025

Updated: 06.03.2025

Medical author, Medical editor:

Stepan Yuk

Medical expert:

PhD. Olexandr Voznyak