Hyperthermia Efficacy of PEGylated-PLGA Coated Monodisperse Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Magnetic nano hyperthermia (MNH) is a promising technique for the treatment of a variety of malignancies. This non-invasive technique employs magnetic nanoparticles and alternating magnetic fields to generate local heat at the tumor location, which activates cell death pathways. However, the efficacy of MNH is dependent on the physicochemical properties of the magnetic nanoparticles, such as size, size distribution, magnetic properties, biocompatibility, and dispersibility in the medium. In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the heating capacity of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)-poly (ethylene glycol) di-block copolymer (PLGA-b-PEG) coated monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) as an effective mediator for MNH application. For this purpose, monodisperse IONs with a narrow size distribution and a mean particle size of 8.6 nm have been synthesized via the thermal decomposition method. The resulting IONs were then coated with the PEGylated-PLGA polymer and homogeneously dispersed in the polymeric matrix, which had a clearly defined spherical shape. Additionally, the specific absorption rate (SAR), reflecting the amount of heat dissipation from the NPs to the surrounding medium, was calculated for different concentrations (10, 5, 2.5, and 1.25 mg/mL) of PEGylated-PLGA-IONs. At 5 mg/mL PEGylated-PLGA-IONs (125 μgFe/mL) were found to have a maximum SAR value of 313 W/g. In conclusion, the homogenous dispersion of IONs in PEGylated-PLGA matrix may be one of the critical parameters to enhance the SAR value for MNH-based cancer therapy.