Combination of Photodynamic Therapy with Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy

Abstract

New magnetic stimulus-responsive nanoconjugate materials has attracted much interest in recent research because of the disease cell targeting impact on cancer and bacterial infections. These magnetic nanoconjugate materials, embedded in the disease site, are employed in magnetic hyperthermia applications to raise the temperature to 40–45 °C by application of a high frequency alternating magnetic field. This innovative novel technology has the advantage that it can be applied to deep-seated disease because the high frequency alternating magnetic field easily radiates through human tissue, without being hindered by obstructions that typically prevent light from penetrating deep into the body. It has moved beyond its earlier approach of mixing the photosensitizer and magnetic nanoparticles to form a magnetic nanoparticle–photosensitizer fluid complex which is then administered to the disease cells. Nowadays, the photosensitizer is incorporated into the magnetic nanoparticles to form the nanoconjugate system which is applied to the disease cells typically by magnetic and other biochemical targeting. The design, engineering and fabrication of nanoconjugate systems by incorporation into the same nanoparticle to yield a multifunctional nanoconjugate system is a highly dynamic area of research that is the main preoccupation of current research. The most common approaches that are being explored today include direct linking to nanoparticles, incorporation into micelles and liposomes, and polymer encapsulation. Stimulus-responsive nanoconjugates for the combination of photodynamic therapy and magnetic hyperthermia can enhance magnetic targeting, taking it down to cellular targeting.