Egyptian physicist Ahmed El-Gendy, a researcher at the University of Texas, has developed an experimental nanotechnology that targets cancerous tumours through mechanical force generated by a low magnetic field, instead of the heating used in conventional magnetic therapy. El-Gendy said animal trials showed tumours disappearing without a rise in temperature.
The new approach moves beyond tumour heating
The technology uses a low field to generate mechanical movement in nanoparticles, damaging cancer cells without the need for high frequencies or tissue heating. The trials recorded a significant reduction in the size of solid tumours, particularly breast and prostate tumours.
The team expands testing and prepares for regulatory requirements
The team is currently modifying the surfaces of the nanoparticles to improve their targeting of cancer cells, while studying whether to load them with chemotherapy drugs to combine the mechanical and drug effects. El-Gendy said the current stage focuses on gaining a fuller understanding of how the technology works and testing it on larger numbers, while also meeting the requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration.
He did not set a date for the start of clinical trials, but said he hoped to move to them in the future.
El-Gendy was awarded the “Marie Curie 2026” Prize for Advanced Materials in Sweden, following a research career spanning more than 20 years that began at Alexandria University before taking him to Germany and then the United States. He stressed that integrating physics and medicine is fundamental to developing therapeutic devices and technologies.
