A new study has found for the first time that magnetoelectric nanoparticles — tiny, wirelessly controlled particles activated by magnetic fields — can both locate and destroy pancreatic tumors in preclinical models, offering a potential new approach to minimally invasively treating one of the deadliest cancers.
The study was led by scientists and engineers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of Miami College of Engineering, Moffitt Cancer Center and Cellular Nanomed, Inc. The findings appeared in the issue of Advanced Science.
In the study, a single intravenous dose of these magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs), when activated by a magnetic field inside an MRI machine, caused pancreatic tumors to shrink to one-third their size and completely disappear in one-third of the treated models. The treatment also more than doubled survival time, all without damaging healthy organs.
Unlike chemotherapy or surgery, this approach uses no drugs, heat, or invasive procedures. Instead, MENPs are injected into the bloodstream, guided by a small magnet to the tumor site, and then activated by the magnetic field of a standard MRI scanner. When switched “on,” the particles generate tiny electric fields that disrupt cancer cell membranes and trigger natural cell death — leaving nearby healthy tissue unharmed.
The approach could overcome key limits of existing electric-field-based therapies, such as tumor treating fields (TTFs) and irreversible electroporation (IRE), which require either wearable devices or surgical electrodes.
“This study brings us one step closer to connecting to the human body wirelessly to help it heal in real time,” said Sakhrat Khizroev, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Engineering and the study’s co-senior author. “We hope it opens a new era in medicine where technology can precisely target diseases that were once considered untreatable.”
The research shows how MENPs can be delivered directly to pancreatic tumors, where they are remotely activated by a magnetic field inside an MRI scanner. Once activated, the nanoparticles generate local electric fields that distinguish between healthy and cancerous cells based on their molecular properties, causing only the malignant cells to undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
MRI scans confirmed that this treatment reduced tumor size and produced clear imaging signals, supporting MENPs as a powerful therapy and diagnostic, or “theranostic,” tool. Because the particles function without pharmaceutical drugs or biological reagents, the approach minimizes side effects and could eventually be applied to other difficult-to-treat diseases.
The idea of using MENPs to wirelessly control local electric fields was first proposed by Khizroev and Liang in 2011. Over the past decade, the concept evolved through global research partnerships and technological breakthroughs, culminating in this study.
Despite major advances in oncology, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate below 10%. It is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States by 2030. Traditional methods, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, often harm healthy tissue, while newer approaches such as immunotherapy have shown limited success.
One of the greatest challenges in treating PDAC lies in controlling the electric fields that influence cancer cell growth. Because human tissue conducts electricity, it has been nearly impossible to manipulate these fields precisely inside the body.
The new findings suggest that MENP therapy could one day give patients a safer, more precise option.
