Targeting cancer with guided iron nanowires

This is the claim of researchers at KAUST, Saudi Arabia and CIC biomaGUNE, Spain whose iron nanowires are said to release their drug cargo inside cancer cells while penetrating the cell's membrane and delivering a blast of heat. While the combination therapy maximises cancer cell death, its highly targeted nature should minimise side effects. The findings are published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

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Iron was the obvious material to make the nanowires, said Jürgen Kosel, who leads the group at KAUST, which includes Jasmeen Merzaban and Boon Ooi, and who co-led the work with researchers from CIC biomaGUNE in San Sebastian.

"Iron, in molecular form, is a native material in our bodies, essential for oxygen transport," Kosel said in a statement. The nanowires comprise an iron core, coated with an iron oxide shell. "Iron-oxide-based nanomaterials have been approved by regulatory bodies for use in magnetic resonance imaging and as a dietary supplement in cases of nutrition deficiency," he said.