Magnetoelectric Nanotherapy Achieves Complete Tumor Ablation and Prolonged Survival in Pancreatic Cancer Murine Models
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs), when activated by a magnetic field, are shown to provide a minimally invasive, drug‐free, theranostic approach to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) treatment. The magnetoelectric effect allows intravenously administered MENPs to be magnetically guided to PDAC tumors and remotely activated with a 7T‐MRI field to induce targeted, electrode‐free tumor ablation with real‐time imaging feedback. A single MENP treatment achieved a threefold median reduction in tumor volume and complete tumor responses in 33.3 % of mice at 300 and 600 µg doses ( N = 17) and significantly longer mean overall survival as compared to the control cohorts (54.1 vs 28.8 days, χ 2 = 40.14, p = 0.045), without evident toxicity in any imaged organ. In contrast, mice receiving subtherapeutic doses, non‐activated MENPs, or saline controls showed no significant response. MRI T 2 * relaxation time decreases closely correlated with tumor reduction (ρ = −0.73, p < 0.001), supporting MENPs as both a therapeutic and imaging biomarker. Mechanistically, MENPs preferentially target cancer cells via magnetic‐field‐driven electrostatic interactions specific to tumor cell membranes, in agreement with multiphysics numerical simulations. Flow cytometry confirmed that MENP activation primarily induces apoptosis, with minimal necrosis, and time‐course studies showed a progressive apoptotic response over 3‐hour post‐treatment. The findings establish MENPs as a versatile, image‐guided, theranostic platform with translational promise for minimally invasive oncology.
Source: Advanced Science
Authors: John Michael Bryant, Max Shotbolt, Emmanuel Stimphil, Victoria Andre, Elric Zhang, Veronica Estrella, Kazim Husain, Joseph Weygand, Doug Marchion, Alex Sebastian Lopez, Dominique Abrahams, Shawnus Chen, Mostafa Abdel‐Mottaleb, Skye Conlan, Ibrahim Oraiqat, Vaseem Khatri, Jose Alejandro Guevara, Shari Pilon‐Thomas, Gage Redler, Kujtim Latifi, Natarajan Raghunand, Kosj Yamoah, Sarah Hoffe, James Costello, Jessica M. Frakes, Ping Liang, Robert A. Gatenby, Mokenge Malafa, Sakhrat Khizroev
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,730
Funders: National Science Foundation, Radiological Society of North America, Florida International University, Moffitt Cancer Center, National Institutes of Health, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Cancer Institute, Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems
OpenAlex ID: W4415788534