Treating Cancer With Magnetic Fields Essay Example

and electric currents have been studied to prove that they can be effective in the treatment of cancer. The fields are applied externally at frequencies that are harmful to the cancer cells and not harmful to cells that are healthy (Oliveira, et al. 837).

How it Works

Various researchers have proposed the mechanism of action of the magnetic fields to disrupt or self-destruct tumors. Magnetic fields is a form of drug-free therapy that works to disrupt replication of cancer cells by induction of an electric field that oscillates rapidly. The tissue affected by cancer is subjected to a strong magnetic field to cause the oscillations (Davis 442). The fields are only focused on the regions that require treatment and because cancer cells have a tensile strength that is smaller than that of the normal cells, they are destructed. Once replication of the cells is affected, they cannot be able to grow leading to induced apoptosis of the tumors. Depending on the type of cancer, a low or high frequency of cancer can be used. Exposure of cancer cells to magnetic fields is proposed to have an impact on the growth and progression of the tumor.Iva and Louis carried out a study to determine the effect of the magnetic field on breast cancer. They found out that applying magnetic fields 360 times in four weeks in mice with breast cancer led to suppression of growth of the tumor (Iva & Louis 339). The picture below illustrates how the iron nanoparticles oscillate in the tumor on application of magnetic fields.

Source: http://www.nanoprobes.com/newsletters/2013-08-Curing-Cancer-with-Magnetic-Nanoparticles/

This therapy involves creation of iron nanoparticles that are attached to antibodies. The nanoparticles bind to the tumor cells.

On application of a magnetic field, molecules on the surface of tumor cells are forced to cluster and the signal for apoptosis is triggered within the tumor. The target for this treatment are the cells resistant to automatic apoptosis leading to cancer (Nuccitelli, et al. 352). Some of the magnetic fields are applied to heat the tumors and kill the cells. This occurs at above 43 degrees Celsius to induce hyperthermia. At this temperature the tumors are destructed and the cells die. Other magnetic fields are applied to cause the tumor cells to be permeable for toxic drugs to be introduced. The study by Nuccitelli and colleagues led to the discovery that electric pulses that are ultra-short can be used to kill tumors without drugs or hypothermia. The efficacy of the magnetic field relies on two factors namely amplitude of the magnetic pulse and the duration of the pulse (Nuccitelli, et al. 353). The diagram below shows how tumors effectively undergo death treating cancer from within through magnetic fields.

Source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2214548/Cancer-cure-The-magnets-cause-cancer-cells-self-destruct.html
Previous and New Researches Done

Nuccitelli and colleagues carried out a study to determine the effect of nonionizing magnetic field on tumor cells. This brought significant light on the use of magnetic cancer therapy through the use of mice. It has taken researchers many years to get this to work without success. This study carried out in 2006 led to discovery of various aspects of magnetic field in relation to tumor growth suppression. In 2007, researchers at Nanoprobes Inc. studied magnetic fields as cancer therapy extensively. They found out that changing the iron particle and shielding it from the body would help to prevent recurrence of cancer after

treatment which was the main problem identified previously. After many years of research, they achieved 78-90% cure rate in the experimental mice (Nanoprobes.com). This was the most promising study carried out about magnetic fields in cancer therapy. The research has been published on the

International Journal of Nanomedicine.

Recently, scientists in Southern Korea have develop a method where magnetic pulses are used to cause tumor cells to kill themselves effectively. The scientists have proved that the process is efficacious in bowel cancer. The scientists are currently carrying out experiments to test the other cancers the process can work on to destroy tumors. In this research, bowel cells have been exposed to nanoparticles and then placed between two magnets. Untreated cells are not affected by the process while more than half of the treated cells are destroyed. This research has been published in the Journal of Nature Materials (Mail Online). Magnetic activation has proved that it can go a long way in curing cancer although the UK’s Cancer Research feels that there is a long way to go before it is ready for use in humans.

Experiments Done and Expected Results

The researches carried out have used experiments in vitro in laboratory animals such as mice through induction of cancer. Nuccitelli and colleagues conducted their research by use of mice with induced breast cancer. The mice are then subjected to magnetic and electric pulses that help to reduce the growth and progression of the tumors. Researchers in Nanoprobes Inc. also used laboratory experiments with mice and achieved 78-90% cure rate. Their study was on in vitro brain cancer. The South Korean scientists are also making use of the in vitro

systems to investigate the effect of magnetic fields on bowel cancer. The expected results for these studies is to attain an effective cancer therapy for cancer to be curable. The preliminary results have shown potential in cancer treatment predicting the achievement of a drug-free cancer therapy in future (Kozissnik, et al. 710). The increased deaths from cancer will be reduced in the coming years if the research on magnetic fields will be supported to get to clinical trials on humans.

Conclusion

Magnetic fields in either low or high frequencies can be used to treat cancer through tumor destruction. The mechanism of the magnetic fields can either be through hyperthermia, permeabilizing the tumor cells or to affect the nuclei of the tumor leading to death. Various studies have been carried out to show the effectiveness of the magnetic fields in cancer treatment although there is a long way to go for the process to be used in humans. Cancer Research Institutions should support these studies to ensure that they are continued from preliminary results.

References

1. "Curing Cancer With Magnetic Nanoparticles And Hyperthermia". Nanoprobes.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
2. "Powerful Magnets That Cause Cancer Cells To 'Self-Destruct' Could Offer Targeted Treatment For Tumours". Mail Online. N.p., 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
3. Davis, Mary Elizabeth. "Tumor Treating Fields-An Emerging Cancer Treatment Modality." Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing 17.4 (2013): 441-443. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
4. Ivan Tatarov, Louis J DeTolla. "Effect Of Magnetic Fields On Tumor Growth And Viability". Comparative Medicine 61.4 (2011): 339. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
5. Kozissnik, Bettina, et al. "Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia: Advances, Challenges, And Opportunity." International Journal Of Hyperthermia 29.8 (2013): 706-714. Academic Search
   

Premier. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.