Moscow State University employees MV Lomonosov proposed an ultrasonic treatment method for obtaining magnetic organometallic frameworks based on sodium alginate. The resulting structures are promising magnetic carriers for cancer therapy and drug delivery systems. TASS referring to the university’s press service.
One of the main trends in biomedicine has been the use of nanoparticles for various diagnostic methods (e.g. MRI) in targeted drug delivery systems, as well as for hyperthermia, a method of treating cancer by heating certain parts of the body. The most popular nanoparticles of the mineral maghemite based on iron oxide (III) are not only safe for humans, but also have magnetic properties. This feature allows them to be controlled, configured and detected using an external magnetic field.
Often, due to magnetic and hydrophobic properties, nanoparticles tend to aggregate and lose their unique properties as a result. As one of the ways to stabilize magnetic nanoparticles, the scientists proposed placing them in a polymer framework based on natural compounds. The research results were published in Mendeleev Communications.
To create a polymeric material, the researchers chose alginates, which are mainly derivatives of alginic acid found in brown and red algae. They have high solubility and biocompatibility and are also bioabsorbable. As noted by the study’s authors, the combination of these qualities and the magnetic properties of nanoparticles makes the resulting organometallic framework ideal for selected tasks.
The scientists synthesized the composites using ultrasonic processing. This method was often used in the past, but when working with polymers and nanoparticles, some nuances emerged. Therefore, the nature of the polymer matrix used has a significant influence on the size of the nanoparticles formed during sonication.
“And the wrong size can lead to loss of magnetic properties or formation of nanoparticle clusters that lose their properties as nano-objects. Therefore, during the experiments, we evaluated the potential possibility of fabricating such nanocomposites by this method. Since the result was successful, the study of the properties of the resulting structure further strengthened our data. It allows us to use it in subsequent experiments,” he said.
Source: Gazeta
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