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SUMMARY:Magnetic Materials in Medicine: Applications in Diagnosis\, Manage
 ment\, and Treatment of Disease - Professor Tim St Pierre - University of 
 Western Australia
DTSTART:20140703T130000Z
DTEND:20140703T140000Z
UID:TALK52834@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Linda Whyles
DESCRIPTION:Scientists working in the field of magnetic materials are incr
 easingly focusing their attention on new applications of magnetic detectio
 n and magnetic transduction techniques in the biomedical sciences. Iron is
  a key functional element in the human body and surpasses all other natura
 lly occurring elements in the body in terms of both the variety and magnit
 udes of its magnetic states. In many diseases\, the quantity and the magne
 tic state of iron are altered by the disease. Hence\, detecting and measur
 ing the magnetic properties of the iron in vivo or in samples of body flui
 ds can give insights into the state of health of a human subject. Example 
 applications include assessing the risk of organ damage in hereditary hemo
 chromatosis [1]\, determining the dose of iron chelator drugs required for
  patients with thalassemia [2]\, and identifying infectious forms of the m
 alarial parasite in finger-prick blood samples [3]. Scientists are also wo
 rking on the development of synthetic magnetic particles that can be injec
 ted into the human body for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The pa
 rticles used are generally in the size range of 10 to 100 nm. They can be 
 used to enhance the contrast in magnetic resonance images to help identify
  tumors in tissue [4]\, to act as local heat sources to treat cancer [5]\,
  and to carry\, concentrate\, and release drugs more specifically than dru
 gs without a magnetic carrier [6]. In this presentation\, the physical and
  chemical principles behind these biomedical applications and their impact
  on medicine will presented at a level suitable for a generalist audience.
LOCATION:Small Lecture Theatre (Bragg Building)\, Cavendish Laboratory
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