Development of magnetic nanocomposites for cancer treatment

• Grant number: 18/05422-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2018
• End date: May 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Rondinelli Donizetti Herculano
• Grantee: Letícia Crippa Asenha
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticle mediated intracellular hyperthermia is promising in therapies against cancers, both for generating heat only in tumors, with the ability to accumulate itself at the desired local, and for healthy cells to sit heat out more than tumors, wherein at a temperature about 42ºC, cancer cells lysis occurs while healthy cells remain viable. Thus, it promotes the possible cure of the patient, without generating the various side effects of traditional treatments. These nanoparticles may be associated with a carrier, such as liposomes that are capable of enhancing their biocompatibility and biodegradability, besides they can be modified with the association of hydrophilic compounds, such as polymers, allowing long circulation times and, therefore, more time in the search for tumor. In this way, this project aims for developing magnetic nanoparticles, close to the critical size, with supermagnetic power, encapsulated by PEGylated liposomes, of sizes that are capable of accumulating only in tumor regions, for the purpose of treating cancer by hyperthermia. For this, both the non-encapsulated nanoparticles and the magnetic nanocomposites will be characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Biological characterization will be performed by indirect cytotoxicity assays (MTT) and transfection tests of magnetic nanoparticles in tumor cell culture.