Executive Summary : | Admitting that chemotherapy and radiotherapy are capable of killing the cancerous cells, but they also cause side effects such as diarrhea, dizziness, fertility issues, nausea etc. Cancer treatment by chemotherapy or radiotherapy is not confined to the tumor cells but instead they are affecting the normal cells which are not desirable. Hence this problem needs to be overcome, and many researchers are still working towards an effective treatment for cancer with minimum side effects. It is known that the cancerous cells are sensitive to the heat, which is being explored by many researchers as a potential tool for developing the cancer therapy. Hyperthermia therapy is inducing thermal energy at the tumor tissue that causes cell damage when the temperature range is 41-46°C. The challenge lies with the hyperthermia therapy is its inability to confinement of heat to the tumor tissues, and distribution of heat to the surrounding normal cells which leads to their damage. With the advent of ferromagnetic nanoparticles and their interaction with the electromagnetic fields produces localized heat, this known as magnetic fluid hyperthermia. The nanoparticles such as nano spinel ferrites (NSFs) have shown very effective biocompatibility properties and made them to be a potential choice for hyperthermia therapy. Dr.Vasundhara Mutta, Principle Scientist from polymers and functional materials of Indian Institute Of Chemical Technology, Maharashtra (IICT) has rich experience in the synthesis of different magnetic nanomaterials including NSFs, their characterisations using various techniques and their biocompatibility assessment. This study is aimed to develop suitable biocompatible NSFs for potential hyperthermia therapy to treat cancerous cells. One of the main requirements of this study is to design and development of a RF source generator with a temperature control system for measuring the inductive heating on the developed samples will be taken up. 2. Objectives a) Design and development of Radio Frequency source generator b) Design and development of a Temperature controller c) Development of biocompatible NSFs. d) In-vitro study of hyperthermia on the developed NSFs using the developed source generator and temperature controller. This study requires the RF energy source to apply high energy alternating magnetic field at 56 MHz is subjected to the ferromagnetic nanoparticles induces heat. The commercially available RF source generator involves in huge cost particularly for the invitro experimentation, it is not viable. This study aimed at designing and development of RF source generator prototype and it is used to study the hyperthermia therapy assessment on the developed NSFs. The main advantage of this mechanism is a more localized destruction of the diseased tissues. Additionally, it minimizes the possible side effects such as systemic toxicity or infection and is minimally invasive. |