Indian Researchers Develop Nanoparticles for Cancer Hyperthermia Therapy

Researchers at IASST, in collaboration with NIT Nagaland, have developed nanocrystalline cobalt chromite magnetic nanoparticles to treat cancer through magnetic hyperthermia.

A team of Indian scientists has developed an efficient magnetic system using nanocrystalline cobalt chromite magnetic nanoparticles to treat cancer through magnetic hyperthermia. This process selectively heats tumor cells to destroy them.

The research was conducted by the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, in collaboration with the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Nagaland.

The team was led by Prof. Devasish Chowdhury and included Dr. Mritunjoy Prasad Ghosh, a National Post-Doctoral Fellow, and Mr. Rahul Sonkar, a research scholar from IASST Guwahati.

A Heat-Based Approach to Cancer Therapy

Cancer continues to be one of the most critical health concerns globally. Traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapies are associated with several limitations, including side effects like nausea, fatigue, hair loss, and increased infection risk.

Additionally, these treatments may not be suitable for all cancer types and often involve high costs, reducing accessibility.

The newly developed magnetic nanoparticles enable a technique called magnetic hyperthermia. In this method, nanoparticles generate heat when subjected to an external alternating magnetic field. The localized heating can raise the temperature of tumor cells up to 46°C for a specific time period, inducing necrosis at the targeted site.

The nanoparticles were synthesized with varying concentrations of rare-earth gadolinium (Gd) dopants using the chemical co-precipitation method. Their inhomogeneous fluid form was suitable for generating heat when exposed to magnetic fields. Researchers note that the nanoparticles act as nano-heaters and offer a controlled, external method to increase cell temperature without affecting surrounding healthy tissues.

Focus on Efficiency and Safety

One of the major challenges in using magnetic nanoparticles for hyperthermia is tuning their physical properties to enhance heat generation while ensuring bio-compatibility. The study addresses this by engineering particles that achieve efficient self-heating under magnetic influence, improving their application potential in cancer therapy.

The findings have been published in Nanoscale Advances, a peer-reviewed journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK. The work presents a possible alternative cancer treatment path that may offer reduced side effects and increased control compared to conventional therapies.

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