SPIONS: SYNTHESIS AND

CLINICAL POTENTIALS

IBRAHIM ABDULKADIR
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation of matter at
the atomic or molecular level.
1959 Noble price winner Richard Feynman “There’s
Plenty of room at the bottom” suggesting creation of
molecular machines
Nanomaterials refer to materials with basic structural unit,
particles, grains, rods, tubes, fibres, crystals, quantum
dots.
Also include a lot of porous unit.
Nano refers to x10-9 (a billionth)
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Introduction
Size is between 1-99nm in at least one dimension.
Nanotechnology employs Nano chemistry which in turn
employs synthetic/material chemistry to generate these
materials.
Chemist use the fact of the radical improvement/change in
material behaviour as size changes from bulk to micro- to
nano-.
Some even display completely different characteristics
from one scale to another

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Synthetic routes
Various synthetic routes have been developed by chemist
to control size, morphology and even properties (i.e.
electrical, photolytic and magnetic properties). These
include:
Precipitation/coprecipitation
Hydro/solvothemal synthesis
Solgel methods
Microemulsion
High energy milling ball (Mechanochemical method)
Other more specialized methods

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Synthesis

Plasma arcing
Vapour deposition
Electrodeposition
Polyol synthesis e.t.c.

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Some applications of Nanotech
Nanomaterials are synthesised for various applications
e.g.
Nanomaterials for Electronics, Optoelectronics and
Spintronics (charge carriers replaced by electron spin)
For optics, photonics and sensors (used in communication
technology, optical computers, data storage and sensors)
Nanomaterials for batteries
For catalysis, textiles e.t.c.

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SPIONS
Acronym for Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide
Nanoparticles.
These include Hematite α-Fe2O3, Magnetite Fe3O4 and
Maghemite γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles
Synthesis mostly via precipitation (FeOOH precursor) and
solgel (soluble Iron salts). Also microemulsion method
suitable.
Hydrothermal route for mesoporous particles
Post-synthesis modification (core/shell NPs).
Shape, size surface charges matter

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Characterization
• First point of call PXRD PXRD for maghemite

PXRD for hematite

PXRD for magnetite

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Next; SEM TEM or HRTEM

Hematite nanoparticles Ni doped Goethite nanorods

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Characterization cont…

Doped Hem. nanocubes Eu doped Hem. rods

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Next; SEM TEM or HRTEM

Hematite nanofibers or nanowires

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BET Isotherms

Hematite BET isotherm

BET for perovskites annealed at diff. temps.

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Vibrating Sample Magnetometer
Magnitic properties of hematite showing superparamagnetic properties

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VSM Cont …
Doped perovskites showing high coercive fields

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SPIONS core/shell Nanos

Igepal=octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol. Others are

APTES= (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane
EDTA, PEGylated starch etc

Jonas wendel 2011. (a) silica-coated core (b) Dual shell Nanoparticle core b

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Applications

MRI for improve anatomic depictions, lesion

characterization, studies of vascular volumes and PH
maps.
MFH (Magnetic fluid hyperthermia) for cancer treatment.
Particles injected into tumor then radio waves applied.

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   Application of an MRI SE pulse sequence.

Bitar R et al. Radiographics 2006;26:513-537

©2006 by Radiological Society of North America 17

SPIONS and Drug delivery

SPIONS designed for drug delivery. Can also deliver DNA molecules, Peptides and other chemoterapeutics

Stephen Hanessian , Justyna A. Grzyb , Feride Cengelli , Lucienne Juillerat-Jeanneret

Synthesis of chemically functionalized superparamagnetic nanoparticles as delivery vectors for chemotherapeutic drugs

Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Volume 16, Issue 6 2008 2921 - 2931

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2007.12.051

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 a

b2

b1

(a) Wang et.al 2012 Dual-purpose magnetic micelles for MRI and gene delivery. (b1-2) Hwang et.al 2011. SPION for Virus and DNA
Transdution

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c. SPIONs labeled with Cy3.5 taken up by cells (microglia) can be visualized
by confocal microscope (Photo: McGill University, Montreal, Canada).

d. In vivo setup: Particles were injected in the joint of the sheep and were
maintained at injection site by permanent magnets (blue pouches

Margarethe Hofmann-Amtenbrink et al. 2009

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 Radiolabelling for Tumor treatment

Ripen Misri , Dominik Meier , Andrew C. Yung , Piotr Kozlowski , Urs O. H?feli

Development and evaluation of a dual-modality (MRI/SPECT) molecular imaging bioprobe

Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine Volume 8, Issue 6 2012 1007 - 1016

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2011.10.013

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Fig.?3 Investigation of some nanorods for (a) tumor imaging and (b) change in tumor volume following photothermal therapy

Huang-Chiao Huang , Sutapa Barua , Gaurav Sharma , Sandwip K. Dey , Kaushal Rege

Inorganic nanoparticles for cancer imaging and therapy

Journal of Controlled Release Volume 155, Issue 3 2011 344 - 357

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2011.06.004

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SPIONS Applications

Mahmoudi et.al. 2011

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Advantages
Ability to target specific locations in the body
Reduction of the quantity of drug needed to attain a
particular concentration in the vicinity of the target
 Reduction of harmful side effects due to targeted delivery
(reduced concentration of the drug at nontarget sites)
Potentially decreased amount of drug needed;
 Decreased number of dosages and possibly less invasive
dosing
 Facilitation of drug administration for pharmaceuticals
with short in vivo half-lives (for example peptides and
proteins)

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Advantage cont…
In hyperthermia cancer treatment, minimally invassive
procedure. Unlike laser, microwave and ultrasound
hyperthermia.
Minimize heat on healthy tissue e.t.c.
Metabolised in the liver and used to form red blood cells
or extracted via kidney.

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Disadvantage
Low solubility (precipitate, accumulate unless sufficiently
small in size)
Cytotoxicity low (below 100μg/ml) but high dosage could
leed to cell death
Fears of DNA damage/lesion which could also lead to
carcinogenesis.
Fe accumulation implicated in some form of tumor
formations in rat.
Altered cellular response (cellular stress)
Changes in gene expression
Fear regarding SPIONS-Protien interaction

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Disadvantages cont…
Could accumulate in Liver, spleen, lungs and even the
brain as particles are small enough to traverse the BBB.

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 CONCLUSION
SPIONs do have a lot of clinical potencials but care must
be taking in while administering.
More studies to unravel long term effect. And if possible
clean up proccesses developed to remove excess load
from system.

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THANK YOU

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