Physiological aspects in magnetic drug-targeting

The efficacy of magnetically-controlled drug targeting (MDT) depends on phy siological parameters. To understand its mechanism of action on the tissue at the microcirculatory level, we identified the ferrofluids potential (its biological effects, its bioavailability and the in vivo desorption time of the anticancer drug epirubicin). Mechanical tumor embolization was possibl e, but successful tumor treatment was sometimes bypassed by a developing co llateral circulation. Thus, MDT-treatment was used successfully in mice and in man. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.