Iron oxide nanoparticles applied for MRI of lymph nodes, liver tissue

Iranian researchers from Sharif University of Technology optimized the synthesis conditions and carried out biocompatibility studies and produced medicine by using iron oxide nanoparticles that can be applied in medical applications, specially MRI, drug delivery and cancer treatment through magnetic hyperthermia method. Dr. Reza Ahmadi, PhD in materials engineering from Sharif University of Technology, elaborated on the research. “The purpose of this research was to study properties and applications of iron oxide nanoparticles in medical purposes, specially MRI, drug delivery and cancer treatment through magnetic hyperthermia method. By optimizing synthesis conditions and by carrying out biocompatibility studies, drugs were synthesized that can be used in the abovementioned applications.” “One of the important characteristics in this project is obtaining superparamagnetic properties in iron oxide nanoparticles, which is available only in tiny scales of the particles. To put it in brief, as the size of the ferromagnetic or ferromagnetic reduces, the share of thermal energy (kT) increases in comparison with magnetic energy (KV). Therefore, thermal fluctuations increase and they avoid the formation of stable magnetization condition. The nanometric particles behave similarly as paramagnetic particles both in the presence and in the absence of magnetic field despite the fact that particles show ferromagnetic or ferromagnetic behavior in bulk condition," he added. The final result of the research is to deliver iron oxide nanoparticles to the desired tissues, including lymph nodes and liver, and MRI purposes, which was carried out successfully in animal phase. The use of the synthesized nanoparticles in clinical and humane phases can help the easier and on-time diagnosis of cancerous tissues by using MRI. So far, 11 ISI indexed papers and six domestic and international conference presentations have been released by using the results of this research.