The Biomedical Limitations of Magnetic Nanoparticles and a Biocompatible Alternative in the Form of Magnetotactic Bacteria
Natalia Lorela Paul, Rahela Carpa, Rodica Elena Ionescu, Cătălin Popa
Abstract
Nanotechnology has an increasing impact and a great potential in various biological and medical applications. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) stand out for their unique properties, a reason why they have a varied spectrum of applicability in different sectors of activity; in this paper we focus on the medical field. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a group of Gram-negative prokaryotes that migrate in one direction or another under the influence of an external magnetic field and are a category of microorganisms that constitutively perform the biomineralization of magnetic nanoparticles in the cytoplasm. This review focuses on the general and particular characteristics of magnetotactic bacteria in close correlation with their utility in the medical field, starting with the medical applications of magnetic nanoparticles and arriving at the potential role in nanomedicine of MNPs extracted from MTB.