STANFORD UNIVERSITY CENTER OF CANCER NANOTECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE, CALIFORNIA, USA. The use of external magnetic field and an implantable magnetizable mesh that creates local magnetic fields that are potent to trap nanoparticles at a specific tumor. This method is a good solution when magnetic fields drop off quickly with distance. Thus, making it impossible to reach tumors that are located more than a few centimeters from the skin.

A research team that were headed by Sanjiv Gambhir and Shan Wang developed this new method of magnetic targeting that used to be impossible to solve before. What they did to boost the strength of the magnetic field near a tumor was to use a micro mesh made of nickel that is commercially available . They implanted the micro mesh near the tumors that are growing in mice. That developed strong magnetic field gradients when a permanent magnet was situated next to the mice.

The gradients were enough to garner huge amounts of biocompatible magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles that were injected to the animals. The new method will be less invasive compared to surgical removal of tumors. Patients can now be treated with magnetic nanoparticles that have large doses of anti-tumor drug.

This innovation is a good solution to cases wherein the surgical removal of tumors is not possible. The research has also noted the effect of generating a localized magnetic field in the vicinity of a tumor was the same as when they have doubled the dose of anti-angiogenic nanoparticles without additional magnetization.