Effect of magnetite nanoparticles on living rate of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells

Superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic magnetite nanoparticles, with diameters of approximately 13 and 44 nm, respectively, were synthesized and their uptake amount and heating efficiency were evaluated for application to magnetic hyperthermia. Both nanoparticles had almost the same zeta-potential (+10.2 mV) and hydrodynamic size (∼1 μm) and there was no significant difference in their uptake amount 18 h after they were added to the medium. After internalization, the ferromagnetic nanoparticles incorporated in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) showed a higher heating efficiency than the superparamagnetic nanoparticles when an external magnetic field (4 kW, 250 kHz) high enough to produce heat by hysteresis loss was applied, followed by cellular death of MCF-7 with high ferromagnetic nanoparticle content.

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► Superpara- and ferro-magnetic magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized.
► They were synthesized from ferrous and/or ferric chloride with spermine
► Ferromagnetic MNPs heating efficiency > Superparamagnetic MNPs heating efficiency
► Superpara- and ferro-magnetic MNPs had almost identical cellular uptakes.
► Ferromagnetic MNPs killed cancer cells by uptake and heat.