MRIs Guide Magnetic “Seeds” to Destroy Cancer Cells

A recent Interesting Engineering article discussed a potential new function for MRI scanners: killing cancer. A team of researchers at the University College London used the machine to guide a magnetic “seed” through the brain, destroying cancer cells in its path. The novel therapy is called “minimally invasive image-guided ablation” (MINIMA). The “seeds'' are actually 2mm metal spheres called ferromagnetic thermoseeds. Magnetic propulsion generated by an MRI scanner guides them to the site of a tumor (tracked to within 0.3 mm accuracy) where they are remotely heated to kill nearby cancer cells.