Detection of the characteristic magnetic signal of paclitaxel and its application in the inhibition of glioma cells.

Glioma, a type of brain tumor, is one of the most challenging cancers for human beings due to its genetic heterogeneity, high recurrence rate and difficulty of effective treatment. To explore a novel treatment method for glioma, a scientific hypothesis was proposed that a chemical substance or biological agent may generate a characteristic magnetic signal, and this signal is the fundamental reason that the chemical substance or biological agent works for cancer treatment. Based on this hypothesis, a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) using the stochastic resonance (SR) method was established, and the characteristic magnetic signal of paclitaxel was detected and clearly visualized for the first time. Then, cell experimental results demonstrated that the detected characteristic magnetic signal of paclitaxel was as effective as paclitaxel for the inhibition of glioma cells. Our study suggested that the application of paclitaxel's characteristic magnetic signal might provide an ideal treatment direction for glioma patients due to its lack of side effects, high focusable penetration and effectiveness.