Tiny super magnets could be the future of drug delivery
Microscopic crystals could soon be zipping drugs around your body, taking them to diseased organs.
In the past, this was thought to be impossible – the crystals, which have special magnetic properties, were so small that scientists could not control their movement. But now a team of Chinese researchers has found the solution, and opened new applications that use these crystals to save lives.
If some magnetic materials, such as iron oxides, are small enough – perhaps a few millionths of a millimetre across, smaller than most viruses – they have an unusual property: their magnetisation randomly flips as the temperature changes.
By applying a magnetic field to these crystals, scientists can make them almost as strongly magnetic as ordinary fridge magnets. It might seem odd, but this is the strongest type of magnetism known. This phenomenon is called superparamagnetism.
Superparamagnetic particles could be ideal for drug delivery, as they can be directed to a tumour simply by using a magnetic field. Their tiny size, however, has made them difficult to guide precisely. Until now. Kezheng Chen and Ji Ma from Quingdou University of Science and Technology, Quingdou, China have demonstrated a method of producing much larger superparamagnetic crystals and have recently published their findings in Physics Letters A.
These large crystals do not show the unwanted magnetic properties of the small crystals. “The largest superparamagnetic materials that we have been able to make before now were clusters of nanocrystals that were together about a thousand times smaller than these,” says Chen. The large crystals are about the width of a human hair.
This discovery paves the way for superparamagnetic bulk materials that could revolutionise drug delivery in the body. And this is just the beginning. Chen’s crystals might, for example, be useful in the many engineering projects that need “smart fluids” to build safer car parts or better human prostheses.
Learn more: Crystals to the rescue
The Latest on: Super magnets drug delivery
[google_news title=”” keyword=”super magnets drug delivery” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Super magnets drug delivery
- Nanotechnology in Therapeuticson April 20, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Although progress in the application of nanotechnology to drug delivery has been dramatic and successful, as evidenced by some nanodrugs now on the market, several main challenges remain in this ...
- Practical Considerations for Optimal Transdermal Drug Deliveryon April 19, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Medication patches are available in a limited number of dosage strengths. Occasionally, some patients require a different dosage of a medication than the dosages commercially available in patch ...
- Molecular Device Triggers Drug Delivery and Self-Healing Materialson April 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Our aim was to exploit these forces for transformative applications, particularly in material durability and drug delivery. “Although this is only a proof-of-concept design, we believe that our ...
- 10 Best Magnet Kitson March 27, 2024 at 5:01 pm
magnetic accessories, and activity guide Ideal for ages 5+ Super STEM Skills: From science and technology to engineering and math, STEM learning help kids build critical thinking and other skills ...
- Super-Strong Magnet Literally Blew the Doors Off a Tokyo Laboratoryon March 22, 2024 at 5:00 pm
There's a magnet in a secure room in central Tokyo. It's an electromagnet, the kind that generates a magnetic field when electrical current flows through it. The last time the scientists who ...
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineeringon November 6, 2023 at 7:21 pm
The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering efforts in Drug Delivery include efforts focused on the diseases of asthma, cancer, COPD, cystic fibrosis as well as infectious disease. We work ...
- Transdermal and Microneedle Drug Delivery 2023on October 11, 2022 at 5:00 pm
The 2023 Transdermal and Microneedle Drug Delivery Conference will explore real world applications of microneedles in drug delivery and strategies for advanced and user-centric device design.
- Drug Deliveryon June 17, 2022 at 4:51 am
Ultrasound contrast agent development (imaging, tumor targeting and triggered drug and oxygen delivery), controlled release technology (bioactive compounds), ex vivo gene therapy for spinal cord ...
- Hyundai’s Inaugural Move Into Healthcare: Enabling Prescription Drug Deliveryon May 16, 2022 at 6:34 pm
Now, in its latest venture, Hyundai is taking somewhat of an unprecedented step for a traditional car company: delving into healthcare delivery. Its latest move is a partnership with NowRx ...
via Bing News