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The non-magnetic coating of silicon oxide magnetic nanoparticles significantly increases the death of cancer cells. This conclusion was reached by Russian scientists as a result of the study. Such a shell does not allow the nanoparticles to combine, as a result, they retain effective magneto-mechanical properties in a low-frequency alternating magnetic field. The study is published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces.

Biocompatible magnetic nanomaterials have a wide range of applications, which makes them one of the most promising materials in biomedicine. Due to their sensitivity to an external magnetic field, they can be used for targeted drug delivery or targeted exposure to certain target molecules.

The cytotoxicity (the ability to kill living cells) of magnetic nanoparticles depends on the parameters of the magnetic field, its amplitude, frequency, as well as the duration of exposure. Under the influence of an alternating low-frequency magnetic field, magnetic nanoparticles begin to rotate, which leads to mechanical damage to cells.

Scientists from NUST MISIS, Lomonosov Moscow State University, FSBI "NMITS of Psychiatry and Narcology named after V. P. Serbsky", SibSMU, TPU, Skoltech, D. I. Mendeleev Russian State Technical University and N. I. Pirogov GNIMU managed to increase the magneto-mechanical effect of nanoparticles by applying an additional non-magnetic coating to their surface.

During the experiments, the researchers used two types of magnetic nanoparticles based on iron oxide with the same diameter of the magnetic core, one of which was additionally coated with a non-magnetic bioinert layer of silicon oxide. Then, the cytotoxic effect of magnetic nanoparticles of both types was evaluated on human prostate cancer cells in an alternating low-frequency magnetic field.

Scientists have found that the non-magnetic coating of magnetic particles not only allows for an increase in size, but also significantly affects their biological properties. In a low-frequency alternating magnetic field, nanoparticles coated with silicon oxide significantly reduce the viability of cancer cells, while nanoparticles without additional coating do not have a noticeable cytotoxic effect.

Under the influence of nanoparticles with a non-magnetic coating, cancer cells died from necrosis caused by a violation of the integrity of intracellular membrane structures.

According to the data obtained by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, it was concluded that magnetic nanoparticles without additional coating are exposed to the acidic environment of endosomes, as a result of which they aggregate and cannot rotate effectively in a viscous cellular environment.

The scientists came to the conclusion that the mobility of magnetic nanoparticles is the key to their effectiveness against cancer cells in a low-frequency alternating magnetic field. An additional coating based on silicon oxide ensures the stability of magnetic nanoparticles, preventing their aggregation and subsequent loss of mobility.

"This study is interesting both from a fundamental point of view and from a practical one. On the one hand, we found something that was not previously described in scientific articles, namely, the key influence of the non-magnetic phase, which allows maintaining the colloidal stability of nanoparticles, on the effectiveness of magneto-mechanical action on cells. In earlier works, the main attention was paid to the magnetic phase of nanoparticles: shape, size, composition. This is a good foundation for further study of what the structural features of nanoparticles should be in order to maximize their efficiency. On the other hand, we have shown that our nanoparticles work, they cause cell death. Thus, it is possible to continue the study, to test their effectiveness in vivo, " comments co-author of the study Artem Ilyasov, an engineer at the Biomedical Nanomaterials laboratory.

Author: MISiS

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