Gene transfer with the aid of magnetic nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles are applied today routinely as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging. In addition to medical diagnostics, there are also approaches to utilize magnetic nanoparticles for therapy. In these applications, the interaction of these nanometer sized particles with external magnetic fields is designed to give rise to a therapeutic effect on the surrounding tissue.

A new development is the use of magnetic nanoparticles for the support of gene transfer, i.e. the delivery of genetic material to living cells. Gene transfer can be achieved by, e.g., by using gene carriers that are derived from viruses.

Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt