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Tumor Discovery

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Magnesium-28: A theorical novel self-theranostic

strategy targeting metabolic enzyme disruption
and intracellular irradiation

Tran Van Luyen*

KLT Research and Application Center, Saigon Scientific and Technological Development Institute,
Ong Lanh bridge Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

The limitations of conventional cancer therapies, such as low selectivity and
significant side effects, necessitate innovative approaches. This study proposes a
pioneering self-theranostic strategy using magnesium-28 (Mg-28) alone, enabling
simultaneous diagnosis, therapy, and treatment monitoring. Exploiting the elevated
Mg ion demand in cancer cells, Mg-28 selectively targets Mg-dependent enzymes
(e.g., DNA/RNA polymerases, hexokinase, telomerase) within intracellular organelles,
such as the nucleus and mitochondria, without requiring biochemical carriers or
nanoparticles, as in recent methods. A theoretical model based on the Mg-uptake
coefficient predicts selective Mg-28 accumulation in tumors following intravenous
*Corresponding author:
Tran Van Luyen administration. The Mg-28 decay chain—progressing through Aluminum-28 to
(luyen.tranvan@gmail.com) stable Silicon-28—delivers highly localized irradiation through beta particles, Auger
electrons, and recoil ions to critical intracellular structures, while simultaneously
Citation: Luyen TV.
Magnesium-28: A theorical novel disrupting essential Mg-dependent enzymes. This results in a dual mechanism of
self-theranostic strategy targeting radiotherapy and multi-enzyme inactivation. Simulations of linear energy transfer,
metabolic enzyme disruption and radiation range, and absorbed dose show that nanogram-scale amounts of Mg-28
intracellular irradiation. Tumor
Discov. 2025;4(3):70-80. can deliver 60–400 Gy to tumors ranging from 0.03 mg to 500 g, suggesting potent
doi: 10.36922/TD025070010 cytotoxicity across a broad range of tumor sizes and stages. This potential is grounded
Received: February 10, 2025 in the universal metabolic reliance of cancer cells on Mg. Moreover, gamma emissions
from Mg-28 and its daughter isotopes support early tumor detection and real-time
1st revised: April 15, 2025
treatment monitoring, enhancing therapeutic precision. As the first proposed single-
2nd revised: May 2, 2025 isotope theranostic approach leveraging Mg dependency, this innovative strategy
3rd revised: May 19, 2025 provides a robust foundation for future pre-clinical and clinical investigations aimed
at validating its therapeutic efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and biosafety—thereby
Accepted: May 21, 2025
inaugurating a novel hypothesis for cancer therapy.
Published online: August 13, 2025
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). Keywords: Magnesium-28; Intracellular irradiation; Multienzyme inactivation; Precision
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the metabolic targeting; Self-theranostics; Magnesium uptake
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Cancer remains a paramount global health challenge, responsible for approximately
Publishing remains neutral with 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020. Despite significant progress in medical oncology,
1
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional conventional treatment modalities—such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and
affiliations. immunotherapy—are often limited by reduced efficacy in advanced stages, debilitating

Volume 4 Issue 3 (2025) 70 doi: 10.36922/TD025070010