Russian scientists have developed a magnetic liquid that can selectively destroy tumors

Russian chemists have developed a non-toxic liquid material based on water and stable nanoparticles of cobalt and iron, which quickly heats up under the influence of a magnetic field and is able to accelerate oxidative reactions like a natural enzyme - peroxidase. This allows it to be used in medical diagnosis and for the targeted destruction of tumors, writes sb.by.

According to TASS, the press service of the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) cites the words of a senior researcher at Sirius University Andrei Drozdov, who explains:

“Although there are many similar magnetic materials, ours has a simple chemical composition that makes it easy to work with.” Such highly stable solutions of nanoparticles can be used to replace expensive enzymes in the creation of biosensors or contrast agents for MRI, as well as in the development of devices where thin magnetic layers are needed.

Now chemists and materials scientists around the world are actively developing various magnetic liquids, the basis for which are metal nanoparticles or their oxides that react to magnetic fields. This allows them to be used for point delivery of drugs inside the patient's body, destroying tumors and solving other medical, engineering or physical tasks.

The wider use of magnetic liquids is hampered by the fact that their constituent particles of iron, cobalt, their alloys or other magnetic materials often stick together. This is theoretically preventable with special coatings, but many of them are toxic to humans or degrade the properties of nanoparticles and prevent scientists from modifying the structure and properties of their surfaces.

Russian researchers have developed an approach that makes it possible to obtain non-toxic nanoparticles from a mixture of cobalt and iron oxides, protected from adhesion due to the fact that when they enter a neutral or alkaline aqueous medium, their surface acquires a positive charge. Due to this, a protective shell is formed, which causes nanostructures to repel each other and prevents them from sticking together.

Subsequent experiments helped scientists to choose the optimal ratio of cobalt and iron, in which the nanoparticles are most heated under the influence of a magnetic field, and also accelerate oxidative reactions as much as possible. This will allow the use of such nanostructures for point therapy of tumors, as well as for the creation of various biosensors and highly sensitive test systems for the diagnosis of cancer and infectious diseases, the researchers concluded.