Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Electric field (e-field)-based therapies like tumor-treating fields (TTFields) are promising non-invasive cancer treatments, but their clinical utility is limited by shallow tissue penetration, low spatial specificity, and potential thermal side effects. This study presents surface-engineered tetragonal phase barium titanate nanoparticles (tBTO NPs) that locally amplify weak e-fields to improve therapy. Stable dispersion and targeted delivery of tBTO NPs in biological environments, without detectable cytotoxicity, are achieved through precise surface chemical modifications. Comparative experiments underscore the critical role of ferroelectricity: tBTO NPs exhibit superior microtubule disruption and cell growth inhibition than non-ferroelectric Au or low-ferroelectric cubic phase BTO NPs. Super-resolution microscopy and single-cell tracking quantitatively demonstrate how amplified e-fields perturb cellular behaviors, including migration, proliferation, and morphology. Overall, tBTO NPs may address TTField limitations and advance nanomaterial-based bioelectronic cancer therapies, broadening the use of electromagnetic technologies in precision medicine.
Source: npj Biomedical Innovations.
Authors: Juhyeong Cho, Yongdeok Ahn, Minsoo Park, Juhee Jang, Jiseong Park, Soo Jun Park, Hyung Ju Park, Daeha Seo
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W4417283878