Over the years, we have discovered and invented several things that have benefited our lives in many ways. And amongst such findings, the concept of magnetism has been one scientific property that almost borders on being magic. Moreover, the applications of magnets extends to multiple fields. But most recently, researchers have shown that it can be used in a field that it had very little influence over previously. With the new properties of magnetic nanostructures that researchers have observed, they believe that it can play a major role in the biomedical domain by enhancing novel applications in medical diagnosis and opening doors to explore new therapeutic methods. 

The researchers observed that an exotic nanodisc configuration called vortex state exhibits a property wherein its magnetic moments get arranged into a curly geometry. They believe that this specific feature can be used in medical applications such as gene therapy or cancer diagnosis wherein the separation of cells from a blood or tissue sample is key. Regular procedures do not allow the separation of calls that have similar densities or sizes. But with the magnetic nanodiscs, this problem could potentially be solved. 

There are several ways in which these magnets can help. The first one involves coating spherical iron oxide beads with antibodies that specifically bind the cells of interest. The required cells are then separated using applied magnetic fields. This method has one drawback though. It can require high magnetic fields which can make it a problem. For this purpose, as an alternative, nanowires have been used to avoid such requirements. 

There is also a third method that involves nanodiscs, either in a vortex state  or a synthetic antiferromagnetic configuration. The mechanism used consists of two ferromagnetic layers separated by one nanomagnetic layer. Moreover, the surface of the small structure can be treated with fluorescent probes allowing investigators to observe the movement of particles in reply to the applied magnetic field.

With such a variety of implementations, it is easy to see why such methods have a wide variety of applications. From improving MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to targeting cell annihilation for cancer treatments, the possibilities are many. A lot of progress has been made in its cancer related applications as well. Researchers have shown that weak magnetic fields can increase tumor death rate through the production of strong magnet induced mechanical forces that ultimately kills tumor cells. Moreover, as we continue to delve deeper into this field, there is no doubt that mankind will make many more strides in healthcare in the years to come.