Whither Magnetic Hyperthermia? A Tentative Roadmap

TLDR

Over the past two decades, magnetic hyperthermia research has advanced from nanoparticle synthesis to in‑vivo testing, yet clinical trials have lagged, though recent international collaboration and lessons from early trials suggest a more promising future for this cancer nanotherapy. This review aims to highlight critical aspects and provide future insights into magnetic hyperthermia, considering its evolving science and technology. The authors synthesize current literature and project future developments in magnetic hyperthermia technology. Despite progress, clinical translation of magnetic hyperthermia has not progressed as quickly as anticipated.

Abstract

The scientific community has made great efforts in advancing magnetic hyperthermia for the last two decades after going through a sizeable research lapse from its establishment. All the progress made in various topics ranging from nanoparticle synthesis to biocompatibilization and in vivo testing have been seeking to push the forefront towards some new clinical trials. As many, they did not go at the expected pace. Today, fruitful international cooperation and the wisdom gain after a careful analysis of the lessons learned from seminal clinical trials allow us to have a future with better guarantees for a more definitive takeoff of this genuine nanotherapy against cancer. Deliberately giving prominence to a number of critical aspects, this opinion review offers a blend of state-of-the-art hints and glimpses into the future of the therapy, considering the expected evolution of science and technology behind magnetic hyperthermia.