A companion magnetic sensor for in operando detection of magnetic biosynthesis in cancer and neurodegenerative models

Iron is essential for all life forms as it is a core component of many vital metabolic processes. In humans, iron homeostasis is controlled by sophisticated processes regulating its storage, transport, and export. More recently, the role of iron in diseases also emerged with ferroptosis being a form of cell death that is implicated for instance in the onset and progression of cancer or neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we focus on another intriguing type of iron in the body: the magnetic iron, which seems to be involved in both homeostasis and crippling pathologies, but which goes largely unnoticed to date. And yet, the presence and role of such biomagnetic iron offer a significant opportunity for novel therapeutic approaches. One explanation as to why this an unmet need most certainly stems from the lack of existing technologies that can detect the signature of biomagnetic iron in live human cells in real time. The solution brought by BioMag PoC project is to make possible the in operando monitoring of intracellular biogenesis of magnetic iron in human cells, in advanced cancer and Alzheimers models. To do so, the project proposes a unique (ultra)sensitive magnetic sensor integrated with bioreactors to enable the real-time measurement of magnetic nanoparticles biosynthesis in the cellular environment. The usefulness of this device goes well beyond the scope of our main ERC research, as it can have a significant impact on (i) identifying novel therapeutic approaches to diseases by detecting iron-based new druggable targets, (ii) addressing key questions related to iron metabolism towards novel diagnostics, and (iii) proposing a novel type of biogenic nanomedicines.