Magnetic hyperthermia's potential in triple-negative breast cancer treatment
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: About 10-15% of all instances of breast cancer are triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBCs are not responsive to hormonal or anti-HER2 therapies because they lack estrogen and progesterone receptors and have low HER2 levels. TNBC is a highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer and has a prognosis often worse than that of other subtypes. Usually, chemotherapy and surgery are combined since this is a very efficient way to remove tumors. Chemotherapy medications that effectively remove cancer cells may adversely affect healthy cells and have severe repercussions, which can impair patients' psychological well-being and quality of life (QOL). To minimize adverse effects, improve patient quality of life, and maintain therapeutic efficacy, a more targeted therapy approach for TNBC should be explored. Magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) is a passive-targeting, minimally invasive treatment for TNBC that minimizes the requirement for other severe, well-established therapies having both short- and long-term toxicities for patients. MHT involves heating magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in an alternating magnetic field (AMF) to heat local tissues/cells without killing normal epithelial cells, as they are more temperature-resistant than tumor cells. Additionally, MNPs can bind chemotherapeutics, nucleic acids, synthetic antibodies, or radionuclide compounds, a strategy considered for drug delivery. This review summarizes the implications and current treatment options for TNBC, highlighting the use of MNPs for MHT as a potential treatment strategy.
Authors: Taslima Musa Zerin, Brian W. Booth
Institution: Clemson University
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,260
OpenAlex ID: W7127974224