REVIEW

Synthesis and application of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in targeted therapy and imaging of cancer

  • Liangqian Tong ,
  • Ming Zhao ,
  • Shu Zhu ,
  • Jing Chen
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  • Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China

Received date: 27 Jun 2011

Accepted date: 28 Sep 2011

Published date: 05 Dec 2011

Copyright

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Abstract

Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles have become a popular strategy of cancer treatment and molecular imaging because of their versatile properties and biocompatibility. A variety of studies have shown the exciting potential of functionalized SPIO nanoparticles, such as surface-coated, targeted ligand-conjugated, and/or drug-loaded SPIO nanoparticles, as powerful tools for targeted imaging and therapy. Moreover, the applications of SPIO nanoparticles that integrate diagnosis and therapy in SPIO nanoparticles facilitate the monitoring of therapeutic efficacy during treatment. In the present review, we primarily concentrate on the recent advancements in the field of SPIO nanoparticles in terms of synthesis, targeted therapy, and cancer imaging.

Cite this article

Liangqian Tong , Ming Zhao , Shu Zhu , Jing Chen . Synthesis and application of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in targeted therapy and imaging of cancer[J]. Frontiers of Medicine, 2011 , 5(4) : 379 -387 . DOI: 10.1007/s11684-011-0162-6

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (Grant No. 2009HBKJH1).
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