Potential therapeutic use of magnetic nanocarriers in brain tumors

Nanobubbles with polymeric membrane containing fluids with high oxygen solubility and able to deliver drugs can be stably coated with superparamagnetic iron oxides nanoparticles (SPIONs) and acquire suitable magnetic properties to allow driving toward targeted tissues by magnetic fields generated by external permanent magnets. Tumors close to the walls of the cerebral ventricles could be reached by nanobubbles injected into the cerebrospinal fluid and properly guided, in order to release locally their contents in a sustained and continuous manner, allowing the optimization of the radio-chemotherapy treatment of these aggressive tumor forms. To validate this approach, a laboratory setup aimed to simulate the brain environment and supported by in silico modelling of magnetic fields is proposed.