Magneto-therapeutic functionalized carbon nanoparticles for interrogative medicine

Magnetic nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes have both attained a large amount of focus due to their versatile properties and numerous applications. Thus, interfacing magnetic nanoparticles with carbon nanotubes would generate a class of functional materials with broad potential towards nanoscale medicine. Here, a novel method is discussed of incorporating magnetic nanoparticles (iron oxides) onto carbon nanotubes (IONs+CNTs) as well as applying these IONs+CNTs as therapeutic strategies to promote targeted necrosis in cells which may be relevant towards directed cancer therapy, as well as antibacterial/viral applications. To determine the applicability of the IONs+CNTs, we investigated their effects on the expression of cytokines that regulate cellular stress and inflammation from in vitro RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line growth with the IONs+CNTs. In addition, we performed several characterization trials to confirm the presence of a IONs+CNTs interfacing including infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, we evaluated the effects of applying a magnetic field towards cells that internalized the IONs+CNTs through microscopic imagery. Furthermore, we exposed the IONs+CNTs to an external rotating magnetic field to determine its applicability to aid in directed cell death. The materials/applications realized through this study may provide an efficient method of producing IONs as well as a novel method towards directed cell death that could be implemented in both the fundamental and translational fields.