T.K. Indira and P.K.

Lakshmi : Magnetic Nanoparticles – A Review 1035

International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Nanotechnology

Volume 3 • Issue 3 • October - December 2010

Review Article
Magnetic Nanoparticles – A Review

T.K. Indira, P.K. Lakshmi

G. Pulla Reddy College of Pharmacy, Hyderabad, India.

ABSTRACT: In the recent past, the targeted drug delivery has gained more attention for various advantages. Amongst
the plethora of avenues explored for targeted drug delivery, magnetic nanoparticles backed foremost attention offering local
drug delivery, reduced side effects and controlled drug release for prolonged period of time addressing problems of healthy
tissue damage, drug wastage. An approach was made herein to review the history of magnetic guidance, concept of
magnetic nanoparticles, their advantages, methods of preparation, characterization, applications explored in various fields
of drug delivery. This review also deals up with the disadvantages of magnetic nanoparticles, the alternative way to
overcome. It also focuses on exemplifying different drug formulations formulated into magnetic nanoparticles.
Future prospectives, challenges faced in drug delivery and scope of magnetic nanoparticles have also been addressed.

KEY WORDS: magnetic nanoparticles; magnetic drug targeting; drug targeting; super paramagnetism

risk of particle aggregation (Ruiz-Hernandez et al., 2008).

Introduction
The concept of magnetic drug targeting (MDT) has been
around for over 30 years and simply entails retaining
specially designed magnetic drug carrier particles
(MDCPs) at a specific site in the body using an externally
applied magnetic field which was first used in early 1940s
as a new methodology in waste water treatment (Arias et
al., 2001). Nanotechnology is at the leading edge of the
rapidly developing new therapeutic and diagnostic
concepts in all areas of medicine (Veronica et al., 2008).
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are a class of engineered
particulate materials of <100nm that can be manipulated
under the influence of an external magnetic field. MNPs
are commonly composed of magnetic elements, such as
iron, nickel, cobalt and their oxides like magnetite
((Fe3O4), maghemite (٧-Fe2O3), cobalt ferrite (Fe2CoO4),
chromium di-oxide (CrO2) (Yang et al., 2006).
Advantages of Magnetic Nanoparticles
There had been a growing interest on the properties and
broad range of applications of colloids in recent years.
Magnetic biomaterials provide the ability to be directed
and concentrated within the target tissue by means of
external magnetic field and to be removed once therapy
was completed.
Magnetic nanoparticles display the phenomenon of
superparamagnetism, not keeping magnetized after the
action of magnetic filed, offering advantage of reducing
First, they have sizes that place them at dimensions
comparable to those of a virus (20±500 nm), a protein
(5±50 nm) or a gene (2 nm wide and 10±100 nm long)
(Tartaj et al., 2004). The magnetic nanoparticles, which
used in bio-applications are usually made from
biocompatible materials such as magnetite (Fe3O4) for
which susceptibility is large (Sachin Shaw et al., 2009).
Targeting of drugs by nanoparticles is intended to
reduce drug wastage, frequency of drug administration,
side effects providing prolonged, sustained drug delivery
to desired targeted organ (Ece Simsek and Mehmet Akif
Kilic, 2005). Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles present a
higher performance in terms of chemical stability and
biocompatibility compared with metallic nanoparticles.
(Ece Simsek and Mehmet Akif Kilic, 2005). Nanoparticles
have a large surface that may be properly modified to
attach biological agents (Tartaj et al., 2004).
Magnetic Nanoparticles: Magnetic property
The classification of a material's magnetic properties is
based on its magnetic susceptibility (χ), which is defined
by the ratio of the induced magnetization (M) to the
applied magnetic field (H). In ferri- and ferromagnetic
materials, magnetic moments align parallel to H, coupling
interactions between the electrons of the material result in
ordered magnetic states. The susceptibilities of these
materials depend on their temperature, external field H and
atomic structures. At small sizes (in the order of tens of

1035
1036 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Nanotechnology
nanometers), ferri-or ferro-magnetic materials, such as
MNPs, become a single magnetic domain and therefore
maintain one large magnetic moment. However, at
sufficiently high temperatures (i.e., blocking temperature,
TB) thermal energy is sufficient to induce free rotation of
the particle resulting in a loss of net magnetization in the
absence of an external field (Conroy Sun et al., 2008).
Lack of remnant magnetization after removal of external
fields enables the particles to maintain their colloidal
stability and avoids aggregation making it feasible for their
use in biomedical applications. The coupling interactions
in single magnetic domains result in much higher magnetic
susceptibilities than paramagnetic materials (Lu et al.,
2007).
Synthetic Routes of Preparation of Magnetic
nanoparticles:
Precipitation from solution
Uniform particles are usually prepared via homogeneous
precipitation reactions, a process that involves the
separation of the nucleation and growth of the nuclei
(Sugimoto T, 2000).
Co-precipitation
This method may be the most promising one because of its
simplicity and productivity (ZHAO Yuanbi et al., 2008). It
is widely used for biomedical applications because of ease
of implementation and need for less hazardous materials
and procedures (Patnaik, 2004). Co-precipitation is
specifically the precipitation of an unbound "antigen along
with an antigen-antibody complex" in terms of medicine
(Patnaik, 2004).The reaction principle is simply as:
Fe2+ + 2Fe3+ + 8OH– ⇔ Fe (OH)2 + 2Fe(OH)3 →
Fe3O4 + 4H2O (Guo et al., 2009).
There are two main methods for the synthesis in
solution of magnetite spherical particles in the nanometer
range. In the first, ferrous hydroxide suspensions are
partially oxidized with different oxidizing agents
(Sugimoto T and Matijevic E, 1980). For example,
spherical magnetite particles of narrow size distribution
with mean diameters between 30 and 100 nm can be
obtained from Fe(II) salt, a base and a mild oxidant (nitrate
ions) (Sugimoto T and Matijevic E, 1980).
The other method consists in ageing stoichiometric
mixtures of ferrous and ferric hydroxides in aqueous
media, yielding spherical magnetite particles homogeneous
in size (Massart R and Cabuil V, 1987). It has been shown
that by adjusting the pH and the ionic strength of the
precipitation medium, it is possible to control the mean
size of the particles over one order of magnitude (from 15
to 2 nm) (Jolivet J P, 2000). The size decreases as the pH
and the ionic strength in the medium increases (Jolivet J P,
Volume 3 • Issue 3 • October-December 2010
2000). Both parameters affect the chemical composition of
the surface and consequently, the electrostatic surface
charge of the particles. Under these conditions, magnetite
particles are formed by aggregation of primary particles
formed within a Fe(OH)2 gel. This ordered aggregation
gives rise to spherical crystalline particles (Sugimoto T and
Matijevic E, 1980). The smallest particles can also be
generated after adding polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to the iron
salts (Lee J et al., 1996). Modifications of this method
allow for synthesis in the presence of dextran or any other
substance that renders the magnetic nanoparticles
biocompatible and thus make this method especially
appropriate for in vivo applications (Molday R S and
Mackenze D, 1982; Palmacci S and Josephson L, 1993).
Nanosized magnetic particles can be obtained by
transferring an acidic iron (II)/iron (III) salt solution into
iron (II, III)-carbonate by adding equivalent amounts of
alkaline carbonate, followed by thermal oxidation
(Bergemann C, 1996). The size of the particles can be
controlled by the thermal reaction velocity and
concentration of the iron salts. This method was used
widely for magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles for waste water
purification where three samples were prepared by
different methods in which first sample was prepared by
this method (Shen et al., 2009). There was evidence of
direct binding of YADH (yeast alcohol dehydrogenase)
magnetite nanoparticles via carbodiimide activation using
this method (Dong-Hwang Chen, Min-Hung Liao, 2002).
Iron oxide nanoparticles prepared by the displacement of
air by N2 gas during preparation-prevented oxidation of
ferrous ion in the aqueous solution and controlled the
particle size (Aslam Khan, 2008). By the use of magnetic
nanoparticles (Fe3O4) and measurement of magnetic
susceptibility, a new UF (ultra filtration) membrane
integrity test is presented and evaluated (Guo et al., 2009).
Development of novel magnetic nano-adsorbent using iron
oxide nanoparticles as cores and polyacrylic acid (PAA) as
ionic exchange groups (Liao MH, Chen DH, 2002)
possessed a high ion-exchange capacity and was quite
effective for the enzyme recovery by the adsorption of
methylene blue (MB) from an aqueous solution by
polyacrylic acid-bound iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles
(Sou-Yee Mak, 2004). Preparation of magnetic
nanoparticles Fe3O4, coating with amino silane for
immobilizing them with the pseudomonas putida esterase
via glutaraldehyde coupling reaction was reported (Shyh-
Yu Shaw, 2006). Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles with
narrow size distribution can be obtained by controlling the
titrating rate of ammonium hydroxide (Zhao Yuanbi et al.,
2008). The effect of Fe3O4 content in Fe3O4/ZnO
core/shell magnetic nanoparticles on the photocatalytic
degradation was studied (R.Y. Hong et al., 2008). It is well
known that the NH2 group on chitosan molecules may
interact with Fe2+in aqueous solution, So, for the purpose
 T.K. Indira and P.K. Lakshmi : Magnetic Nanoparticles – A Review
of lipase immobilization, chitosan nanoparticles were
firstly prepared by cross-linking with TPP in HCl solution
then oxidizing in aqueous solution (Yujun Wang et al.,
2009).Using the above method, ultra-stable biocompatible
magnetic fluids using citrate-coated cobalt ferrite
nanoparticles to evaluate colloidal stability using four
different biocompatible magnetic fluid samples, namely
S25P2, S25P5, S60P2, and S60P5 which showed a long-
term colloidal Stability, though sample S25P5 revealed a
higher fluctuation on the nanoparticle concentration over
the time were reported (Morais et al., 2006).
The difficulty in preparing Fe3O4 magnetic
nanoparticles by chemical co-precipitation is the tendency
of agglomeration of particles because of extremely small
particle size leading to great specific surface area and high
surface energy, consideration of effect of alkali, emulsifier,
and reaction temperature are the decisions making factors
of final product (ZHAO Yuanbi et al., 2008). Controlled
syntheses of magnetic Fe3O4–chitosan nanoparticles under
UV irradiation in aqueous system were also reported where
irradiation under UV light did not result in a phase change
and average size in aqueous solution measured was 64 nm
(Lian-ying Zhang et al., 2009). Immobilized protease on
the magnetic nanoparticles was recently investigated for
the hydrolysis of rapeseed meals (Xin Jin, Ju-Fang Li et a.,
2010).
High-temperature decomposition of
organic precursors
The decomposition of iron precursors in the presence of
hot organic surfactants has yielded markedly improved
samples with good size control, narrow size distribution
and good crystallinity of individual and dispersible
magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Hyeon et al., 2003). For
example, injecting solutions of FeCup3 (Cup:N-
nitrosophenylhydroxylamine) in octylamine into long-
chain amines at 250–300˚C yielded nanocrystals of
maghemite ranging from 4 to 10 nm in diameter, are
crystalline, and are dispersible in organic solvents
(Rockenberger J et al., 1999). Monodispersed magnetite
nanoparticles with sizes from 3-20 nm by the high-
temperature (265˚C) reaction of iron (III) acetylacetonate
in phenyl ether in the presence of alcohol, oleic acid, and
oleylamine were prepared (Shen S and Zeng H, 2002). In
particular, magnetite nanoparticles around 4 nm were
obtained by the thermal decomposition of the iron
precursor but to obtain diameters up to 20 nm a seed-
mediated growth method was required (Pedro Tartaj et al.,
2003). For preparation of maghemite nanoparticles of 13
nm, Fe(CO)5 was injected into a solution containing
surfactants and a mild oxidant (trimethylamine oxide)
(Hyeon T et al., 2001). Fe3O4 nanoparticles prepared by
hydrothermal method with a ferrous complex using H2O2
1037
as an oxidizer and the adsorption of Saccharomyces
cerevisiae mandelated dehydrogenase (SCMD) protein on
the surface-modified magnetic nanoparticles coated with
chitosan studied in a batch adsorption system has been
reported. Functionalization of surface-modified magnetic
particles have been performed by the covalent binding of
chitosan onto the surface of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles
and kinetics of adsorption were studied (Gui-Yin Li et al.,
2008). Saccharomyces cerevisiae alcohol dehydrogenase
(SCAD) immobilized to the magnetic Fe3O4-chitosan
nanoparticles via glutaraldehyde coupling reaction has
been reported The size, structure and magnetic property of
the particles before and after binding to the SCAD, the
kinetic constants, thermal stability and reusability of
SCAD immobilized on the magnetic Fe3O4-chitosan
nanoparticles using phenylglyoxylic acid as substrate were
also reported (Gui Yin Li et al., 2008). Fe3O4 particles and
Fe3O4–chitosan nanocomposites prepared by this method
were regular, sphere with a mean diameter of 23 nm and
25 nm (Gui Yin Li et al., 2008) and covalent binding of
alpha-ketoglutaric acid chitosan (KCTS) onto the surface
of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles via carbodiimide
activation were also reported (Gui Yin Li et al., 2008). The
colloidal dispersion of magnetite nanoparticles, of triiron
dodecacarbonyl (Fe3(CO)12) in diethyleneglycol
diethylether as a continuous phase and oleic acid as a
stabilizer were reported. The obtained nanoparticles
annealed at 300, 700 and 9000C and the annealing
temperature allowed control of size and size distribution of
the particles, as well as their composition and magnetic
properties (Daniel Amara et al., 2009). Carbon-
encapsulated iron (Fe@C) nanoparticles with core/shell
structure have been synthesized by detonation method,
using a composite explosive precursor where the
detonation reaction was ignited by a non-electric detonator
in nitrogen gas in an explosion vessel and results showed
that detonation products were made up of the body
centered cubic iron core and the graphitic carbon core
diameter in the range of 15–50 nm (Luo Ning et al.,
2009). Epithelial internalization of superparamagnetic
nanoparticles and response to external magnetic field were
reported by using modified precipitation method (Kenneth
Dormer et al., 2005).
Other solution techniques
Methods for the production of magnetic nanoparticles for
in vivo applications were reported. A variety of protein
components that function as carriers or storage devices for
metal components is been developed by nature. Of these
systems, the iron-storage protein ferritin is probably the
most intensively studied and best understood (Chasteen N
D and Harrison P M, 1999). Ferritin consists of a central
core of hydrated iron (III) oxide encapsulated with a multi
subunit protein shell. As a result of the inner diameter of
1038 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Nanotechnology
the nanoreactors, magnetite (Meldrum F C et al., 1992) and
magnetite/maghemite nanoparticles (Wong K K W et al.,
1998) of about 6–7 nm in diameter. The
magnetite/maghemite particles were generated by
oxidation of apoferritin (empty ferritin) with
trimethylamino-N-oxide, which was loaded with various
amounts of iron (II) ions.
Use of dendrimers as templating hosts for the
production of magnetic nanoparticles for in vivo
applications were reported by using carboxylated poly
(amidoamine) PAMAM dendrimers (generation 4.5) for
the synthesis and stabilization of ferrimagnetic iron oxide
nanoparticles where oxidation of Fe (II) at slightly elevated
pH and temperature resulted in the formation of highly
soluble nanocomposites of iron oxides and dendrimer,
which are stable under a wide range of temperatures and
pH were reported (Strable E et al., 2001). FePt
nanoparticles with narrow size-distribution were prepared
by simple chemical reduction method at room temperature
using PAMAM-OH as dendrimers in which metal ions are
coordinated in, and NaBH4 as reductant. The as-made FePt
nanoparticles are spherical with an average size of ∼3 nm
and have the chemically disordered face-center-cubic (fcc)
structure. The FePt nanoparticles can be transformed to the
face-center-tetragonal (fct) phase after annealing at 7000C
for 1 h. The prepared fcc FePt nanoparticles are found to
be superparamagnetic at room temperature. After
annealing in a reducing atmosphere, they transformed to
ferromagnetic and showed high covercivity (Litao Bai et
al., 2009).
Microemulsions
Water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsions systems, a fine micro
droplets of the aqueous phase trapped within assemblies of
surfactant molecules dispersed in a continuous oil phase.
(Pedro Tartaj et al., 2003). The surfactant-stabilized micro
cavities (typically in the range of 10 nm) provide a
confinement effect that limits particle nucleation, growth,
and agglomeration (Pileni M P, 1993). Nanosized magnetic
particles were prepared with average sizes from 4 to 12 nm
by using ferrous dodecyl sulfate, Fe(DS)2, micellar
solution to produce nanosized magnetic particles whose
size is controlled by the surfactant concentration and by
temperature (Feltin N and Pileni M P, 1997). Magnetite
nanoparticles around 4 nm in diameter have been prepared
by the controlled hydrolysis with ammonium hydroxide of
FeCl2 and FeCl3 aqueous solutions within the reverse
micelle nanocavities generated by using Aerosol Optical
Thickness (AOT) as surfactant and heptane as the
continuous oil phase (Lopez-Quintela and Rivas, 1993).
Reverse micelle reaction carried out using Cetyl Trimethyl
Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) as the surfactant, octane as
the oil phase, and aqueous reactants as the water phase was
Volume 3 • Issue 3 • October-December 2010
also reported (Boutonnet M, 1982). β-FeOOH
nanoparticles prepared in a microemulsion system with
nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene(4)nonylphenylether
with 20–30 nm length nanorods with a crystal structure,
where the size and shapes of β-FeOOH nanoparticles can
be manipulated by the surfactant has been reported
recently (Y.X. Yang et al., 2008). In situ preparation of
magnetic chitosan/Fe3O4 composite nanoparticles in tiny
pools of water-in-oil microemulsion where the chitosan
particle size varied from 10 nm to 80 nm with different
molecular weight of chitosan has been reported (Zhi Jia et
al., 2006). Magnetically responsive micro gel that consists
of a small iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (∼15 nm in
diameter) embedded in a biocompatible micro gel varying
from ∼65 to ∼110 nm in diameter has been reported
(Aslam Khan, 2006). The chitosan-coated magnetic
nanoparticles (CSMNPs) prepared as carriers of 5-
Fluorouracil (CS–5-FuMNPs) through a reverse
microemulsion method were spherical in shape with an
average size of 100±20 nm, low aggregation and good
magnetic responsivity (Long zhang Zhu et al., 2009).
Polyols
Fine metallic particles can be obtained reduction of
dissolved metallic salts and direct metal precipitation from
a solution containing a polyol (Matijevic E, 1989).
In the polyol process, the liquid polyol acts as the
solvent of the metallic precursor, the reducing agent and in
some cases as a complexing agent for the metallic cations.
The metal precursor can be highly or only slightly soluble
in the polyol. The solution is stirred and heated to a given
temperature reaching the boiling point of the polyol for
less reducible metals. By controlling the kinetic of the
precipitation, nonagglomerated metal particles with well-
defined shape and size can be obtained. In vitro
cytotoxicity assessment, and in vivo visualization of
multimodal, RITC-labeled, silica-coated magnetic
nanoparticles for labeling human cord blood–derived
mesenchymal stem cells have been reported (Ki-Soo Park
et al., 2010). Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles prepared with
the co-precipitation method combining a surface
decoration process, and the polyol process, and the factors
influencing the adsorption of metal ions, e.g., pH,
temperature, amount of adsorbent, and contacting time
were been reported (Shen et al., 2009).
Aerosol/vapor methods
Spray and laser pyrolysis have been shown to be excellent
techniques for the direct and continuous production of
well-defined magnetic nanoparticles under exhaustive
control of the experimental conditions (Tartaj et al., 2003).
Spray pyrolysis is a process in which a solid is obtained by
 T.K. Indira and P.K. Lakshmi : Magnetic Nanoparticles – A Review
spraying a solution into a series of reactors where the
aerosol droplets undergo evaporation of the solvent and
solute condensation within the droplet, followed by drying
and thermolysing of the precipitated particle at higher
temperature (Messing et al., 1993). Recently, this method
has been used to prepare colloidal aggregates of
superparamagnetic maghemite nanoparticles in the form of
hollow or dense spheres and with the possibility of having,
surface enriched in silica (Tartaj et al., 2001; Tartaj et al.,
2002; Tartaj et al, 2003; Tartaj et al., 2004). Of special
interest is that the method also allows the preparation of
air-stable superparamagnetic α-Fe metallic and FeCo
nanomagnets encapsulated in silica or alumina (Tarta et al.,
2004; Tarta et al., 2004). The laser pyrolysis method
involves heating a flowing mixture of gases with a
continuous wave carbon dioxide laser, which initiates and
sustains a chemical reaction (Cannon et al., 1982; Bomati-
Miguel et al., 2002). Above a certain pressure and laser
power, a critical concentration of nuclei is reached in the
reaction zone, which leads to homogeneous nucleation of
particles that are further transported to a filter by an inert
gas. Three characteristics of this method must be
emphasized: (a) the small particle size, (b) the narrow
particle size distribution, and (c) the nearly absence of
aggregation. Biocompatible magnetic dispersions have
been prepared from ۷-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (5 nm)
synthesized by continuous laser pyrolysis of Fe(CO)5
vapors (Bautista et al., 2004; Veintemillas-Verdaguer et
al., 2004). The laser pyrolysis technique seems to be a
good alternative to the coprecipitation method for
producing MRI contrast agents with the advantage of being
a continuous synthesis method that leads to uniform
particles capable of being dispersed and therefore
transformed in a biocompatible magnetic liquid (Pedro
Tartaj et al., 2003).
Characterization of magnetic nanoparticles:
Magnetic nanoparticles are characterized for its size and
shape using TEM, (Hong et al., 2008). Structural
characterization using XRD using Cu Kα radiation source
generated at 40 kV and 30 mA (Nan Wang et al., 2010).
Particle size distribution was measured by dynamic laser
scattering analyzer (DLS) (ZHAO Yuanbi et al., 2008).
The magnetic density of ferromagnet was measured by
SJZP-1 Gauss/Tesla-Meters (ZHAO Yuanbi et al., 2008).
Chemical composition determination using atomic
absorption spectroscopy (Morais et al., 2006). Magnetite
content determination is done by TGA, Inductively
coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES)
(Misara Hamoudeh et al., 2007) and magnetic property
using vibrating sample magnetometer (Lian-ying Zhang et
al., 2010). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is used
to analyze the structure of the copolymer block and to
determine the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the
1039
copolymers. Determination of magnetic drug loading and
encapsulation efficiency is done by calculating the weight
of drug encapsulated in the nanoparticles, gross weight of
the nanoparticles with that of total weight of the feeding
drug.
Invitro drug release studies were determined using an
in vitro apparatus-simulating human circulatory to test the
retentions of ferrofluids under various flow speeds of
medium, various magnetic fields with different magnitudes
and gradient. The retention of ferrofluids in the target was
obtained through measuring the content of magnetic
nanoparticles in the beaker by an atomic absorption
spectrometer (Hua Xu et al., 2005).
In vivo drug release was determined by using Healthy
male Sprague–Dawley rats of 280–300g (Hua Xu et al.,
2005), Sheep (Katja Schulze et al., 2005), mice as
experimental animals between 8 and 9 weeks of age (Ki-
Soo Park et al., 2010).
Applications of Magnetic Nanoparticles in
drug targeting
Magnetic nanoparticles have attracted the attention of
scientific community as potential materials for carriers of
drug or gene delivery, DNA, biomolecules separation,
hypothermal treatment of tumours, contrast agents for
magnetic resonance imaging, information storage, catalysis
and biomedical uses.
The different applications of magnetic nanoparticles
include:
• Use of superparamagnetic iron oxide
nanoparticles+, coated with polyvinyl alcohol,
(PVA-SPION) and its fluorescently-functionalized
analogue (amino-PVA-Cy3.5-SPION) were
evaluated in the treatment of inflammatory joint
diseases (Katja Schulze et al., 2005).
• Effective targeting of selective tissue markers has
been demonstrated using derivatized super
paramagnetic nanoparticles. For example, Annexin
V-SPIO successfully targeted atherosclerotic
plaque, Hepama-1 (humanized monoclonal
antibody)-SPIO targeted liver cancer and HIV-1 tat
peptide-SPOI have demonstrated efficacy for
intracellular magnetic labeling and non-invasive
tracking of a large number of cell types. Targeting
galactose-terminal-ASPIO (amino-functionalized
SPIO) to the cell-surface of asialoglycoprotein
receptor (ASGPR) expressed by hepatocytes has
been reported (Guifang Huang et al., 2008).
• Biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles
includes cellular labeling/cell separation,
detoxification of biological fluids, tissue repair,
1040 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Nanotechnology
drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging,
hyperthermia, magnetofection (Arun Kumar et al.,
2009) were well addressed (Ajay Kumar Gupta,
Mona Gupta, 2005).
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Conroy Sun et
al., 2008) properties of novel oleic acid-coated iron
oxide and pluronic-stabilized MNPs of doxorubicin
(Jian-Bo Sun et al., 2007; Munnier et al., 2008;
Babita Gaihre et al., 2009; Kayal, Ramanujan,
2010), Magnetite/poly (alkylcyanoacrylate)
(core/shell) nanoparticles of 5-fluorouracil,
gemcitabine and cisplatin (Yang et al., 2006)
delivery systems for active targeting (Jose L. Arias
et al., 2008) and paclitaxel demonstrated highly
synergistic antiproliferative activity in MCF-7
breast cancer cells (Tapan K. Jain et al., 2008).
• Chemical conjugation of urokinase to magnetic
nanoparticles for targeted thrombolysis was studied
(Feng Bi et al., 2009).
• Development of hyaluronic acid–Fe2O3 hybrid
magnetic nanoparticles for targeted delivery of
peptides was reported (Arun Kumar et al., 2007).
• Cell targeting with multifunctional magnetic
nanoparticles was studied in Gene therapy (Akira
Ito et al., 2005).
• Antitumour immunity induction by hyperthermia
using magnetite nanoparticles were explored
(Helene Rahn et al., 2009).
• Transferrin derivatised particles to localize to the
cell membrane without instigating receptor-
mediated endocytosis, and also induce up-
regulation in the cells for many genes, particularly
in the area of cytoskeleton and cell signaling has
been investigated (Catherine C. Berry et al., 2004).
• Non-invasively targeting respiratory tract
deposition of high aspect ratio aerosols loaded with
magnetic nanoparticles by controlling particle
orientations through magnetic field alignment to
specific locations within the lung (Andrew R.
Martin, Warren H. Finlay, 2008).
• Folic acid–Pluronic F127 magnetic nanoparticle
clusters for combined targeting, diagnosis (Jia-Jyun
Lin et al., 2009) and therapeutical applications have
been studied recently.
Recent advances in Magnetic Nanoparticles
Due to magnetic forces, generally being short ranged and
underwhelming compared to hydrodynamic forces in the
body, the targeted collection of magnetic nanoparticles has
met with limited success. So, an attempt to overcome its
shortcomings, the notion
Volume 3 • Issue 3 • October-December 2010
of using a ferromagnetic implant, in conjunction with the
multi drug carrier particles (MDCPs) and an external
magnetic field, has been receiving considerable attention
in forth coming era termed as Implant assisted Magnetic
drug Targeting (Misael O. Aviles et al., 2008; P.J. Cregg et
al., 2009).
Conclusion
Magnetic Nanoparticles offer to open new vistas in the
area of drug delivery, and they promises as a prudent tactic
to overcome the drug delivery related problems when the
problems of toxicity, localization, cost are addressed.
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