Guwahati, Apr 10: In a major scientific breakthrough, researchers from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, and the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Nagaland have developed a novel method for cancer treatment using magnetic nanoparticles.

The technique, known as magnetic hyperthermia, involves the use of nanoparticles that generate heat when exposed to an alternating magnetic field. This heat selectively raises the temperature of cancerous tissues by up to 16°C, leading to the destruction of cancer cells while causing minimal harm to healthy tissues.

This innovation offers a cost-effective, targeted, and minimally invasive alternative to conventional cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation, which often have severe side effects.

The research was led by Prof. Devasish Chowdhury of IASST, with significant contributions from Mritunjoy Prasad Ghosh, a National Postdoctoral Fellow, and Rahul Sonkar, a research scholar. The findings were published in Nanoscale Advances, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Researchers emphasized the need for further studies and clinical trials to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the technique before it can be applied in clinical settings.