Insights on magnetic spinel ferrites for targeted drug delivery and hyperthermia applications

Magnetic spinel ferrite nanoparticles (SFNPs) attract high scientific attention from researchers due to their broad area for biomedicine applications, comprising cancer magnetic hyperthermia and targeted drug delivery. Uniquely, its excellent performance, namely, tuning size and surface morphology, excellent magnetism, extraordinary magnetically heat induction, promising biocompatibility, and specific targeting capacity, is essential for their effective utilization in clinical diagnosis and therapeutics of diseases. This review emphasizes the anticancer properties of nanoparticles of spinel ferrites with extra focus on the most recent literature. A critical review is provided on the latest applications of SFNPs in cancer therapy. Based on the results obtained from this review, SFNPs have the indefinite ability in cancer therapy through two mechanisms: (1) hyperthermia, where SFNPs, used as a hyperthermia mediator, elevated the tumor cells heat post-exposure to an external magnetic field and radiosensitizer during cancer radiotherapy; and (2) targeted drug delivery of cytotoxic drugs in tumor treatment. SFNPs induced apoptosis and cell death of cancer cells and prevented cancer cell proliferation.

Радиопоглощающие свойства феррит-полимерных композитов поливиниловый спирт/Ni-Zn феррит

The electromagnetic and radio-absorbing characteristics of ferrite-polymer composites with conductive inclusions based on polyvinyl alcohol are investigated. The Ni-Zn spinel ferrite powder of 2000NN grade with composition Ni0.32Zn0.68Fe2O4 was used as filler. It is shown that the obtained composites are effective absorbers in the frequency range of 2⸺5 GHz with peak reflection loss less than –20 dB. Through the analysis of the permittivity spectra and permeability spectra, as well as the calculated reflection loss spectra, critical factors of the electromagnetic wave absorption in obtained composites are established.

Электромагнитные свойства полимерных композитов Li-=SUB=-0.33-=/SUB=-Fe-=SUB=-2.29-=/SUB=-Zn-=SUB=-0.21-=/SUB=-Mn-=SUB=-0.17-=/SUB=-O-=SUB=-4-=/SUB=-/П(ВДФ-ТФЭ) в области частот 100-7000 МГц

The article describes electromagnetic and microwave properties of the polymer composite with the lithium spinel ferrite inclusion of composition Li0.33Fe2.29Zn0.21Mn0.17O4 in the frequency range 100 MHz - 7000 MHz. It is shown that samples with a mass fraction of ferrite 60, 80% have pronounced radio-absorbing properties, measured using the reflection coefficient on a metal plate (return losses). For a composite with 80% ferrite, the minimum return loss was -37.5 dB at 2.71 GHz with an absorption width at -10 dB of 3 GHz. High absorption characteristics are directly related to the use of ferroelectric polymer P(VDF-TFE) as a binder, which is expressed in the combined action of the absorption mechanisms of the magnetic and ferroelectric phases.

Embedded three spinel ferrite nanoparticles in PES-based nano filtration membranes with enhanced separation properties

In this study, three types of ferrites nanoparticles including CoFe2O4, NiFe2O4, and ZnFe2O4 were synthesized by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were employed to analyze synthesized nanoparticles and fabricated membranes. The morphology of membrane surface was investigated by surface images. The ability of ferrite nanoparticles was evaluated to the separation of sodium salt and heavy metals such as Cr2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ from aqueous solutions. The modified membrane showed the enhancement of membrane surface hydrophilicity, porosity, and mean pore size. The results revealed a significant increase in pure water flux: 152.27, 178, and 172.68 L·m−2·h−1 for PES/0.001 wt% of CoFe2O4, PES/0.001 wt% NiFe2O4, and PES/0.001 wt% ZnFe2O4 NPs, respectively. Moreover, Na2SO4 rejection was reached 78% at 0.1 wt% of CoFe2O4 NPs. The highest Cr (II) rejection obtained 72% for PES/0.001 wt% of NiFe2O4 NPs while it was 46% for the neat PES membrane. The Pb(II) rejection reached above 75% at 0.1 wt% of CoFe2O4 NPs. The Cu(II) rejection was obtained 75% at 0.1 wt% of CoFe2O4 NPs. The ferrite NPs revealed the high potential of heavy metal removal in the filtration membranes.

Biocompatibility and cytotoxicity in vitro of surface-functionalized drug-loaded spinel ferrite nanoparticles

In this study, poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PMA)-coated spinel ferrite (MFe2O4, where M = Fe, Co, Ni, or Zn) nanoparticles (NPs) were developed as carriers of the anticancer drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and methotrexate (MTX). Physical characterizations confirmed the formation of pure cubic structures (14–22 nm) with magnetic properties. Drug-loaded NPs exhibited tumor specificity with significantly higher (p < 0.005) drug release in an acidic environment (pH 5.5). The nanoparticles were highly colloidal (zeta potential = −35 to −26 mV) in deionized water, phosphate buffer saline (PBS), and sodium borate buffer (SBB). They showed elevated and dose-dependent cytotoxicity in vitro compared to free drug controls. The IC50 values ranged from 0.81 to 3.97 μg/mL for HepG2 and HT144 cells, whereas IC50 values for normal lymphocytes were 10 to 35 times higher (18.35–43.04 µg/mL). Cobalt ferrite (CFO) and zinc ferrite (ZFO) NPs were highly genotoxic (p < 0.05) in cancer cell lines. The nanoparticles caused cytotoxicity via oxidative stress, causing DNA damage and activation of p53-mediated cell cycle arrest (significantly elevated expression, p < 0.005, majorly G1 and G2/M arrest) and apoptosis. Cytotoxicity testing in 3D spheroids showed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in spheroid diameter and up to 74 ± 8.9% of cell death after two weeks. In addition, they also inhibited multidrug resistance (MDR) pump activity in both cell lines suggesting effectivity in MDR cancers. Among the tested MFe2O4 NPs, CFO nanocarriers were the most favorable for targeted cancer therapy due to excellent magnetic, colloidal, cytotoxic, and biocompatible aspects. However, detailed mechanistic, in vivo cytotoxicity, and magnetic-field-assisted studies are required to fully exploit these nanocarriers in therapeutic applications.