Magnetically induced drug release from niosome-based nanocarriers loaded with doxorubicin.
Magnetically triggered drug release from niosome nanocarriers could revolutionize cancer treatment, delivering doxorubicin on demand and 4 orders faster than thermal release.
This study developed niosomes (non-ionic surfactant vesicles) co-loaded with the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin and magnetic nanoparticles. The niosomes had a size of 169 ± 69 nm and a zeta potential of -26.4 mV. Thermal release of doxorubicin followed first-order kinetics, but applying an alternating magnetic field triggered a rapid, 86% drug release within 3 hours - 4 orders of magnitude faster than thermal release. This magnetically controlled, on-demand drug delivery system has significant potential to improve the efficacy and safety of cancer chemotherapy, though further in vivo studies are needed to validate its clinical utility.