Background: Advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck region were often treated with combined radio-chemotherapy. Radiotherapy allows a focused treatment of the tumor, and healthy tissue can be protected from radiation. Chemotherapy, however, is mostly given systemically and the unwanted negative side effects also develop in many other organs.
Aim of the study: Locoregional application of chemotherapeutic agents with Magnetic Drug Targeting on an animal experimental study.
Methods and results: Magnetic Drug Targeting is a new approach to the locoregional treatment of tumors. Ferrofluids (colloidal dispersion of magnetic nanoparticles) were reversibly bound to chemotherapeutic agents and injected intra-arterially, while focused with an external magnetic field to a certain body compartment (i.e. the tumor). With only 20% or 50% percent of the regular systemic chemotherapeutic dose, we achieved an up to 26 times higher concentration in the tumor region with this application compared to the usual systemic administration.
Conclusion: Magnetic Drug Targeting offers an unique opportunity to treat tumors locoregionally with chemotherapeutic agents.