Abstract: A magnetic microparticle drug carrier comprising mesoporous iron oxide is described. The drug carrier has an average diameter in a range of 0.5-1.2 ?m, a BET surface area ranging from 50-300 m2/g, and a pore volume ranging from 0.15-0.65 cm3/g. The drug carrier is made using a hard mesoporous silica template which is completely removed from the deposited iron oxide. The drug carrier may be loaded with high amounts of hydrophilic anticancer chemotherapeutic drugs and/or hydrophobic hormonal anticancer drugs, and released in a pH-controlled manner inside cancerous cells. Compared to free drugs, the drug microparticle carrier displays enhanced drug accumulation inside tumor tissues, deeply penetrates into a tumor region and kills the tumor cells inside. The designed carriers described here entrap and release different kinds of anticancer drugs in a controlled manner for synergistic combinatorial chemo/hormonal cancer therapy.

Abstract: A magnetic microparticle drug carrier comprising mesoporous iron oxide is described. The drug carrier has an average diameter in a range of 0.5-1.2 ?m, a BET surface area ranging from 50-300 m2/g, and a pore volume ranging from 0.15-0.65 cm3/g. The drug carrier is made using a hard mesoporous silica template which is completely removed from the deposited iron oxide. The drug carrier may be loaded with high amounts of hydrophilic anticancer chemotherapeutic drugs and/or hydrophobic hormonal anticancer drugs, and released in a pH-controlled manner inside cancerous cells. Compared to free drugs, the drug microparticle carrier displays enhanced drug accumulation inside tumor tissues, deeply penetrates into a tumor region and kills the tumor cells inside. The designed carriers described here entrap and release different kinds of anticancer drugs in a controlled manner for synergistic combinatorial chemo/hormonal cancer therapy.