Magnetoporation and magnetolysis of cancer cells via carbon nanotubes induced by rotating magnetic fields.

Weak magnetic fields (40 and 75 mT) were used either to enhance cell membrane poration (magnetoporation) or to ablate cultured human tumor cells (magnetolysis) by polymer-coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes, which form rotating bundles on exposure to magnetic fields. Findings of this study have potential clinical applications including enhanced tumor cell poration for targeted cancer chemotherapy and mechanical ablation of tumors.