Two major issues that currently face anticancer medication is that most drugs are poorly water soluble and they lack target specificity. This poses a problem because hydrophobic drugs are unable to reach hydrophilic target sites and their lack of specificity can cause unwanted side effects. In order to have an effective therapeutic delivery system, a magnetically targeted drug delivery system (MT-DDS) is under development. MT-DDS involves the encapsulation of magnetite nanoparticles along with an anticancer drug inside the hydrophobic cores of polymeric micelles. Magnetite nanoparticles are optimal for this system because of their superparamagnetic properties, small size, low toxicity and their contrast effect on magnetic resonance imaging. Monodisperse 2.4 � 1.3 nm magnetite nanoparticles were successfully synthesized through thermal decomposition of iron acetylacetonate in a high boiling point organic solvent in the presence of a reducing agent and surfactants. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were investigated and then they were encapsulated within polymeric micelles using a single emulsion method. Current investigations involve determining the NMR relaxation times for the magnetite nanoparticles and the cytotoxicity of the magnetic nanocarrier. Ultimately, we hope to develop a useful tool for co-encapsulating hydrophobic drugs and superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles in the polymeric micelles for anticancer therapeutic applications.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles inclusion in polymeric micelles for targeted drug delivery

248th National Meeting (2014)

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