ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the advances in biocomposites for hyperthermia applications. Hyperthermia has attracted considerable attention as a method for the treatment of malignant tumors. Hydrothermal method is used to obtain many fine metal oxide particles with various shapes and morphologies, which have an important influence on their properties. Kawai et al. demonstrated that hyperthermia using magnetic cationic liposomes (MCLs) is an effective therapy for prostate cancer, by acting directly to kill the rat prostate cancer cells in vivo by heating at 45°C, but also indirectly, by inducing an immune response. For biomedical applications, iron oxide MNPs must be pre-coated with substances that assure their stability, biodegradability, and non-toxicity in the physiological medium in order to achieve combined properties of high magnetic saturation, biocompatibility, and interactive functions on the surface. Hyperthermia is a technology used in the fight against cancer, which is based on the magnetic behavior of biocomposites, mainly INPs.
