AC magnetic fields for magnetic hyperthermia

Magnetic nanoparticles can be inserted into biological systems such as the human body and then used for particular medical or diagnostical purposes. The ferromagnetic functionality can be used for manipula­tion in deep lay­ers of (human) tissue since they provide a unique way to penetrate tissue non-inva­sively and with­out known adverse effects. External static magnetic fields fix the ferromagnetic nanoparticles at a pre­cise po­si­tion; gradient fields move them and alternating (AC) fields lead to local heating. The latter can be utilized for so-called “hyperthermia”, i.e. a therapeutic anti-cancer treatment to raise the temperature of tumor tissue in-vivo. This method applies the fact that a cancer cell-killing effect is caused when a temperature above 41–42 °C is maintained in the target volume. In order to be ablte to assess the feasibility of nanomaterials for such purpose, the response in high-frequency alternatinng magnetic field has to be studied. Our device allows studying the specific absorption rate of nanomaterials by using a high-frequency generator with an impedance matching network and a water-cooled magnetic coil system. The device provides magnetic field strengths of uop to 120 kA/m at frequencies around 120 kHz.

Selected literature:

Magnetic Silica Nanotubes: Synthesis, drug release and feasibility for magnetic hyperthermia
X. Chen, R. Klingeler, M. Kath, A.A. ElGendy, E. Mijowska, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 4 (2012) 2303

Carbon-coated nanomagnets: synthesis, characterisation and feasibility for magnetic hyperthermia
Ahmed A. El-Gendy, PhD thesis, U Heidelberg 2011

Carbon Nanotubes for Biomedical Applications (Springer, 2011)
R. Klingeler, R.B. Sim (Ed.), 2011

Y. Krupskaya, C. Mahn, A. Parameswaran, A. Taylor, K. Kraemer, S. Hampel, A. Leonhardt, M. Ritschel, B. Buechner, R. Klingeler
Magnetic study of iron-containing carbon nanotubes: Feasibility for magnetic hyperthermia, Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 321 (2009) 4067