# Magnetic Detection of Cancer Cells Using Tumor-Homing Peptide-Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles

## TL;DR

Researchers developed a method to detect cancer cells using magnetic nanoparticles modified with peptides that target tumor cells, allowing for rapid and label-free detection.

## Contribution

The novel use of tumor-homing peptide-modified magnetic nanoparticles for selective and sensitive cancer cell detection is introduced.

## Key findings

- THP-MNPs preferentially bind to cancer cells and show distinct magnetic signals.
- PL3-MNPs outperformed PL1-MNPs in distinguishing cancerous from non-cancerous cells.
- SQUID magnetometry with THP-MNPs enables rapid, label-free detection of cancer cells.

## Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) provide a platform for target detection because of their magnetic responsiveness to alternating magnetic fields (AMFs). We developed a detection method using MNPs modified with tumor-homing peptides (THPs), PL1 and PL3, which selectively bind to protein components enriched in malignant tissues. THP-MNPs were synthesized using maleimide-PEG-NHS linkers and characterized using transmission electron microscopy. Human glioblastoma cancer U87MG and normal tissue-derived HEK293 cells were incubated with THP-MNPs, and the magnetic signals were measured using a high-temperature superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer under an AMF (1.06 kHz). Dark-field microscopy confirmed the preferential binding of THP-MNPs to U87MG cells. In the absence of cells, THP-MNPs exhibited AMF-dependent signal enhancement, which correlated with particle size reduction due to THP release. This increase was completely suppressed in the presence of U87MG cells, indicating a strong THP-mediated interaction. PL3-MNPs exhibited superior discrimination between malignant and non-malignant cells. These results demonstrate that SQUID-based magnetic measurements using THP-MNPs enable rapid and label-free cancer cell detection.