Surface functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy and diagnosis

Abstract In the last few decades, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have had significant interest and became more remarkable in the field of oncology. MNPs has been proven to be the most suitable and promising nanomaterials for tumor targeting. This is mainly due to its intrinsic magnetic property which makes them characteristic agents to inducing magnetic hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging. The MNPs have usually been employed for cancer imaging through a passive approach. The modern techniques have enabled multimodal imaging, drug delivery, and specific cells targeting by MNPs. To synthesize more extravagant MNPs, the design criteria considerations, such as core metal, hydrodynamic size, shape, surface coating, and molecular functionalization, become very essential. In this chapter, the design parameters of MNPs including surface functionalization and physiochemical properties are summarized to overcome biological barriers. Furthermore, the chemistry of MNPs surface modification is discussed in detail to describe its nature and binding type.