Egyptian Scientist Develops Magnetic Nanoparticles That Shrink Tumors in Animal Studies
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An Egyptian scientist and his research team have developed superparamagnetic iron-carbon nanoparticles that produced significant tumor regression in animal models of breast and prostate cancer, offering a promising new direction for externally activated cancer therapy.
The study, published in Acta Biomaterialia, tested the nanoparticles in mouse models carrying prostate and breast cancer tumors. Researchers injected the particles directly into the tumors and then exposed them to an alternating magnetic field. Higher nanoparticle concentrations produced more pronounced tumor regression in both cancer models.
Ahmed A. El-Gendy, an associate professor of physics at the University of Texas at El Paso, was among the researchers behind the work. His research focuses on magnetic nanomaterials and their medical applications, including cancer therapy, drug delivery and MRI technologies.
One of the study’s most notable findings was that the treatment reduced tumors without detectable bulk heating of the tissue. The researchers said the therapeutic effect appears to come from nanoscale magnetic activity rather than conventional magnetic hyperthermia, which typically relies on heating tumor tissue.
The research builds on earlier work by El-Gendy’s team on magnetic nanoparticles. In a separate 2026 study, UTEP and Alexandria University researchers found that manganese ferrite nanoparticles generated about 57% more heating power than cobalt ferrite particles, although those experiments were conducted in laboratory conditions rather than in animals.
Despite the encouraging findings, the new approach remains experimental and is not yet an approved cancer treatment for patients. The latest study provides proof-of-concept evidence from animal models, and further safety and clinical research would be required before the technology could be considered for use in humans.
