Magnetically triggered nanovehicles for controlled drug release as a colorectal cancer therapy

• We have fabricated smart multifunctional magnetic nanovehicles for targeting therapy.
• The magnetic nanovehicles has considerable encapsulation flexibility for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic low-molecular-weight drugs and protein-like drugs.
• The magnetic nanovehicles displayed obvious thermotherapeutic and chemotherapeutic effects toward tumor tissues.

Magnetic silica core/shell nanovehicles presenting atherosclerotic plaque-specific peptide-1 (AP-1) as a targeting ligand (MPVA-AP1 nanovehicles) have been prepared through a double-emulsion method and surface modification. Amphiphilic poly(vinyl alcohol) was introduced as a polymer binder to encapsulate various drug molecules (hydrophobic, hydrophilic, polymeric) and magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. Under a high-frequency magnetic field, magnetic carriers (diameter: ca. 50 nm) incorporating the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin collapsed, releasing approximately 80% of the drug payload, due to the heat generated by the rapidly rotating Fe3O4 nanoparticles, thereby realizing rapid and accurate controlled drug release. Simultaneously, the magnetic Fe3O4 themselves could also kill the tumor cells through a hyperthermia effect (inductive heating). Unlike their ungrafted congeners (MPVA nanovehicles), the AP1-grafted nanovehicles bound efficiently to colorectal cancer cells (CT26-IL4Rα), thereby displaying tumor-cell selectivity. The combination of remote control, targeted dosing, drug-loading flexibility, and thermotherapy and chemotherapy suggests that magnetic nanovehicles such as MPVA-AP1 have great potential for application in cancer therapy.

Magnetically controlled nanovehicles (MPVA-AP1) could bound strongly to the CT26-IL4Rα cells and displayed about 80% drug bursting under high frequency magnetic field (HFMF) treatment.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide