Home Need for a Change Ferrofluids Dynamics of MDT Future References

Text Box: Ferrofluid as a Drug Transporter Magnetic Drug Targeting provides a minimally invasive procedure to treat illnesses that would otherwise be inoperable or highly invasive. This method for drug delivery utilizes the magnetic behavior of ferrofluids to direct particles to a certain location within the human body. Ferrofluids serve as an excellent material in MDT for many reasons. First, ferrofluids are colloidal fluids with magnetic nanoparticles suspended within a nonmagnetic liquid. These particles, usually Ni, Co, Mg, or Zn; are typically 10-15nm and are small enough to navigate even the smallest capillaries while providing negligible interactions with the surrounding vasculature. Additionally, the small size allows the particles to be naturally excreted from the body. Secondly, ferrofluids exhibit superparamagnetism and do not have properties of a permanent magnet. Another words, the fluid will only demonstrate magnetic properties when in proximity to an external magnet. This property is favorable because the particles will not be seen to aggregate in undesirable locations such as up or downstream from the target. Additionally the aggregation of particles can be isolated to a single point and instantly dispersed with the removal of the magnet. The FDA currently approves magnetic fields up to 5T on limbs and 2T for the entire body. The approved fields are rather large and should be able to manipulate the flow of ferrofluids with relative ease. Third, ferrofluids are both biocompatible and nontoxic and therefore will not be the cause of undesirable side effect. Finally and possibly most importantly, the nanoparticles are able to be functionalized with both organic and inorganic materials such as chemotherapeutic agents. This can be accomplished by coating the particles with the drug and possibly some other inorganic material if needed. This property allows for the nanoparticles to act as a carrier for the drug and release the treatment after a certain time.  The reversibility of cross-linking and releasing the drug is a key factor in MDT success. Additionally, by functionalizing the drug with different materials, various degradation times can be achieved thus the optimal release time may be provided.  Due to the fact that the drug release time can be accurately defined, higher concentrations of drugs can be administered to the necessary location without a global effect on the body.   Text Box: [7. knight-rider.org]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BME 240

Jaime Schmieg