Design of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Theranostic Nanoplatforms for Cancer Treatment

This chapter describes the structure and magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), which are currently being developed for biomedical applications, especially in the case of cancer treatment. Cancer is a major public health issue worldwide, with increasing incidence and mortality rates. According to the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), it is the second leading cause of death globally, after ischemic heart disease; responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Early diagnosis is essential for effective treatment and management. Patients with early-stage cancers have a better chance of survival and may require less aggressive treatments, leading to a better quality of life. However, detecting cancer at an early stage is challenging due to the lack of sensitive and specific diagnostic tools. Furthermore, conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy are efficient but show limitations due to the non-specific targeting of cancer cells and potential toxicity to healthy tissues. Therefore, there is a need for the development of both novel diagnostic methods that can accurately detect cancer at an early stage as well as novel therapeutic strategies that are more effective and less toxic. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) represent an interesting solution, offering implementation of a theranostic approach. Thanks to their magnetic properties, the particles act as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) but also as therapeutic agents for magnetic hyperthermia (MH) or as drug delivery systems. Here the different ways to synthesize nanoparticles are quickly described, the thermal decomposition method is emphasized as it allows a fine control of the nanoparticles size distribution. Then biological applications of nanoplatforms designed for theranostics will serve as examples to emphasize the interest of these materials.