Abstract
Since magnetic nanoparticles generate heat in a high–frequency alternating magnetic field, researchers have conducted magnetic hyperthermia, in which magnetic nanoparticles are delivered to tumors and magnetic–field– induced heating is used to destroy the tumor. If magnetic nanoparticles can be delivered to tumors, tumors can be heated by irradiating an alternating magnetic field from outside the body, enabling specific hyperthermia to kill only cancer cells with heat. The authors have previously produced magnetite cationic liposomes in which magnetic nanoparticles are embedded in liposomes made of positively charged lipids, antibody–conjugated magnetite nanoparticles in which antibody drugs are bound to the surface of magnetic nanoparticles, and mitochondria–targeted magnetite nanoparticles in which magnetic nanoparticles are coated with a polymer containing a compound that specifically accumulates in mitochondria. In addition, we have developed melanoma–targeted magnetite nanoparticles in which NPrCAP, a drug that molecularly targets the mechanism by which melanoma is bound to magnetic nanoparticles. In this paper, we will describe these functional magnetic nanoparticles and discuss the future prospects.
