proposed the low-cost hyaluronic acid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@HA
NPs) that could act as a multifunctional platform for diagnostic and therapeutic
applications. Hyaluronic acid simultaneously acts as a biocompatible coating layer
and as a targeting ligand CD44 receptor present on the surface of breast cancer cells.
The authors have synthesized highly uniform-sized particles along with colloidal
stability for more than 3 months at biological pH. Moreover, Fe3O4@HA NPs were
found to exhibit almost negligible toxicity, high heating efficacy, and 50 times
higher potential for MH applications as compared to commercially available
Fe3O4 NPs (Soleymani et al. 2020). Fotukian et al. successfully prepared
monodispersed CuFe2O4 NPs using triethylene glycol as a solvent, reductant, and
stabilizer. The CuFe2O4 NPs were found to exhibit higher heat generation capability
as compared to bare Fe3O4 NPs that could be attributed to the lower anisotropic
energy of CuFe2O4 NPs leading to higher Ms. (Fotukian et al. 2020). Umut et al.
proposed the coprecipitation method for the synthesis of uniformly distributed
tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)-coated NiFe2O4 nanoparticles to be
used as theranostic agents (Umut et al. 2019). Darwish et al. prepared magnetic
nanoparticles coated with oleic acid (MNPs-OA) and studied the effect of viscosity
of the carrier on hyperthermic properties. They found higher heating efficacy of the
MNPs-OA in less viscous aqueous medium as compared to more viscous ethanol
medium (Darwish 2017). Linh et al. reported well-dispersed, nontoxic, and biocom-
patible dextran-coated Fe3O4 NPs which were found to be appropriate for hyper-
thermia application. They clearly demonstrate that magnetic interactions between
coated nanoparticles strongly influence induction heating efficiency. Reducing the
Fe3O4 NPs concentration helps to decrease dipolar interaction field acting on
colloidal particles resulting into the easier movement of the colloidal particles
contributing to increasing heat capacity (Linh et al. 2018). Wang et al. reported a
highly efficient novel material HPMC/Fe3O4 composed of hydroxypropyl methyl-
cellulose (HPMC), polyvinyl alcohol, and Fe3O4 for the MH ablation of tumors. The
proposed material is believed to promote bench-to-bed translation of MH technology
besides bringing a new concept for biomaterial research field (Fig. 24.5) (Wang et al.
2017). Fopase et al. studied the effect of yttrium concentration on the MH properties
of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Doping of yttrium ion in the Fe3O4 nanoparticles helps to
tune the structural and hence magnetic properties of later such that highest
Ms. observed for a 0.5 molar ratio of yttrium. The synthesized nanoparticles were
explored for in vitro MH studies to ensure its suitability for MH-based cancer
treatment (Fopase et al. 2020).
24.7
Toxicity Associated With MNPs
MNPs are the potential elements in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of different
ailments. However, it is equally crucial to examine that whether these MNPs are
targeting the desired infected area or unnecessarily affecting the surrounding healthy
cells and thereby prompting long-term health issues. Moreover, when MNPs are
incorporated into the therapy and transplanted within the body, their behavior can be
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