Magnetic nanoparticle carrier for targeted drug delivery: perspective, outlook and design

The primary challenge in the delivery of a drug to a tumour site is to target the anticancer drug specifically into and around tumours at concentrations that will decrease their growth and/or viability. Excellent vehicles to achieve targeted drug delivery are magnetic nanocarriers. A approach to accomplish this objective is to fabricate a novel temperature and pH-responsive magnetic nanocarrier that combines tumour targeting and controlled release. In addition to controlled release, these carriers simultaneously offer the possibility of imaging the delivery process by magnetic resonance imaging. The novel aspect of this approach is the combination of thermal and pH sensitivity of the drug containing shell with magnetic properties of the core in a single unit. Furthermore, application of an external magnetic field will heat the nanoparticles and thus nanoparticle containing cells. The targeted heat will aid in the killing of tumour cells.