Design of high-performance magnetic nanovectors for combined diagnostics and therapy

Prostate cancer is one of the major killers in British men today. There are approximately 30,000 new cases of prostate cancer per annum in the UK resulting in 10,000 reported deaths. The majority of these deaths however can be averted if prostate cancer is detected and treated early. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop safe and efficient methods for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate tumours for which existing detection and treatments have significant shortfalls. The combination of a diagnostic and therapeutic (termed theranostic) systems provides the potential to tailor the treatment for individual patients based on the initial test results.A promising approach for the development of cancer theranostics emerging from nanotechnology is to use tiny (5-10 nm) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), which can act as molecular-sized probes that identify tumour cells by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and destroy tumour tissue by heat with mild radiowave irradiation applied from outside the body (hyperthermia). However, in spite of considerable research efforts, current MNPs systems are neither sensitive enough to detect tumours in the important early-stages nor are they effective enough to produce sufficient heat to eradicate tumours using safe levels of microwave activation. A new method of MNP preparation has been pioneered at Leicester that can produce composite nanoparticles composed of a highly magnetic FeCo core and a non-toxic Au shell. We have also demonstrated the functionalisation of these MNPs can produce stable suspensions ready for the attachment of targeting molecules specific to prostate cancer. The objective of this proposal is to develop the first MNP theranostic system for prostate cancer, which will combine ultra-sensitive MR imaging with efficient and selective hyperthermia treatment. This project outlines the programme of in vitro studies required to get the technique ready for human clinical trials. To achieve this, we will prepare the FeCo@Au core shell nanoparticles with controllable size and optimize the magnetic properties. We will then link these MNPs with molecules that will target specific proteins displayed on the surface of prostate cancer cells and subsequently evaluate their MRI and hyperthermia performance. Successful implementation of this technology would provide attendant welfare benefits for patients and significant cost benefits for the UK health-care system.