PEG-coated folic acid-modified superparamagnetic MnFe2O4 nanoparticles for hyperthermia therapy and drug delivery

Superparamagnetic iron oxide-based nanoparticles (SPIONS) have attracted an enormous attention for their potential use in biomedical applications due to their good biocompatibility and low toxicity. Current study is about doxorubicin-loaded multifunctional MnFe2O4 nanoparticles surface-modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) & folic acid (FA) for multimodal cancer therapy. Infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric data confirmed this surface modification. Nanoparticles were of moderate colloidal dispersion due to PEG coating. Composite nanoparticles having mean diameter of about 22 nm were of core–shell structure having about 31% (wt) organic shell over the (remaining) magnetic core. MnFe2O4 core of about 16 nm was superparamagnetic due to the pseudo-single domain structure. Drug loading & releasing were efficient in the initial 8 h and gradual in later hours. Magnetic heating was studied by exposing the magnetic fluid to high frequency magnetic field. Temperature of the fluid rose to 45 °C from 25 °C in about 22 min, which is an effective and appropriate temperature for the localized hyperthermia treatment of cancer.

► Multifunctionality: drug delivery & magnetic hyperthermia.
► (Drug-loaded) PEG–folic acid shell on magnetic MnFe2O4 core.
► PEG used to enhance biocompatibility and colloidal dispersion of nanoparticles.
► Folic acid used as a ligand to target cancer cells.
► Efficient drug release by hyperthermia.