Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are currently in the research spotlight, with many potential applications in the field of the life sciences: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast enhancement, tissue repair, immunoassay, detoxification of biological fluids, drug delivery, hyperthermia and cell separation. The scientific literature reports the use of MNPs in routine laboratory and clinical protocols, such as cell sorting, DNA separation, MRI and gene therapy. Applications of MNPs currently being in pre-clinical stages include cell-targeted delivery of anticancer agents and molecular diagnosis.

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Since cancer represents nowadays one of the biggest challenges in medicine, there is a need for developing new treatment therapies capable to save millions of lives and new approaches relying on nanotechnology have been proposed.

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A new therapeutic concept, called magnetic hyperthermia (MH), has been proposed. It relies on the heat released by the MNPs exposed to an externally applied alternating magnetic field (AMF), which is used to increase the temperature of the cancer cells, up to a level at which apoptosis can be initiated.

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The successful application of MH in clinical practice demands magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with highly improved magneto-caloric properties, able to provide controlled intratumoral heat exposure, at safety levels of the magnetic fields, being biocompatible in order to easily circulate through the blood stream, as well.

In this project we would like to develop a new class of MNPs with considerably improved magneto-caloric properties by further extending the polyol based synthesis method at elevated temperatures.