Ondrej Hovorka, Assistant Professor in Computational Modelling, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment Boldrewood Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

The effect of aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles on performance of theranostic applications in medicine

In this talk we overview the recent progress in our understanding of the effects of aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles on performance of therapeutic and diagnostic technologies (theranostics) based on magnetic particle hyperthermia for cancer therapy, magnetic particle imaging, and magnetorelaxometry for disease detection. Employing large scale computational modelling of statistical aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles typically observed in intracellular environments [1], we show that depending on the structure of aggregates the theranostic performance may become considerably degraded. We also illustrate various memory effects spanning the superparamagnetic to hysteretic thermal fluctuation regime of the magnetic nanoparticle behaviour, and discuss their potential utilisation for optimising theranostic applications [2]. Understanding the effects of aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles is becoming increasingly important, as it implies that optimal theranostic designs of magnetic nanostructures need to take into consideration realistic biological environments. 

References:
[1] Etheridge et al., “Accounting for biological aggregation in heating and imaging of magnetic nanoparticles”, Technology 2, 214 (2014).

[2] O. Hovorka, “Thermal activation in statistical clusters of magnetic nanoparticles”, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 50, 044004 (2017).

Host: Associate professor Brigitte Städler, iNANO & Dept. og Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University

Coffee, tea and bread will served from 10:00 am in front of the auditorium.