Synthesis and characterization of a new gold-coated magnetic nanoparticle decorated with a thiol-containing dendrimer for targeted drug delivery, hyperthermia treatment and enhancement of MRI contrast agent

A unique multi-functional magnetic nanocarrier containing thiol groups was designed and applied in drug delivery, hyperthermia and as a contrast agent in MRI. The polymeric nanoparticles were prepared by modification of Fe3-δO4@Au magnetic nanoparticles with a thiol-ended dendrimer. This platform introduces suitable carriers through the grafting of thiol-ended dendrimer for the further binding of an anticancer drug as 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP). The drug is released when exposed to the reductive environmental conditions of cancer cells. Cytotoxicity of the MNP-CC2-6-MP with human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was examined. Also, the MNP, [email protected], and MNP-CC2 nanomaterials were used as magnetic hyperthermia tools and as a contrast agent in MRI and the results were compared with each other. The effect of RF hyperthermia and the released drug in cancer cells were simultaneously investigated as well and confirmed the therapeutic efficiency of those new composite nanomaterials. This magneto dendrimer with multimodal cancer therapy can be selected as an ideal source for biomedicine study.