Nanorobots Navigate Human Bodies, Administering Medication with Accuracy
New Magnetic Microrobots Offer Promise for Targeted Drug Delivery and Minimally Invasive Surgeries
A groundbreaking collaboration between the University of Oxford and the University of Michigan has led to the development of innovative magnetic microrobots, set to revolutionize targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive surgeries. These microrobots, known as permanent magnetic droplet-derived microrobots (PMDMs), are fabricated using microfluidics to create biocompatible hydrogel droplets embedded with permanent magnetic microparticles.
The microrobots, measuring approximately 0.2 millimeters in diameter - about the size of two human hairs - have one side of gel to carry drugs or therapeutic cells, while the magnetic particles enable remote steering and self-assembly under external magnetic fields. This unique design offers the potential for precise and controlled drug release.
The development process involves rapid generation of hundreds of ferromagnetic hydrogel droplets per minute, forming Janus droplets with distinct magnetic and gel phases. The droplets are then polymerized and magnetized to create microrobots that can self-assemble into modular chains and adapt their shape dynamically, allowing navigation through complex biological environments like intestines or tissues. Chains of microrobots can move in three different ways: walking, crawling, or swinging, enhancing maneuverability in irregular biological terrain.
Tests of these microrobots have been conducted in vitro and in vivo under conditions simulating biological environments. In experiments mimicking inflammatory bowel disease, microrobots were delivered into a pig intestine via a catheter and successfully guided to target sites by magnetic fields. Upon gel dissolution, they released a dye representing the drug payload, confirming targeted delivery. The magnetic particles were later retrieved, demonstrating potential for repeated or multi-site treatments.
Additional studies explored biomimetic microrobots in a mouse spinal cord injury model, showing precise microglial modulation and inflammation control by delivering anti-inflammatory drugs under magnetic control. Microrobots have also been developed for other minimally invasive applications, such as dissolving kidney stones by steering enzyme-loaded strips through the urinary tract, combining magnetic control with real-time imaging.
The research team is currently developing new microrobots with different shapes for more efficient navigation in complex environments. Simulations at the University of Michigan have predicted the behavior of these microrobots in response to different frequencies of magnetic fields.
The study of these microrobots was published in Science Advances, offering a significant step forward in the field of targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive surgeries. These advances could pave the way for new treatments for inflammatory diseases and less invasive surgical interventions.
- The innovative magnetic microrobots, developed by a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the University of Michigan, have the potential to provide targeted medical treatments for various health-and-wellness conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease and spinal cord injuries, through their abilities in precise drug delivery and minimally invasive surgeries.
- As the research develops further, new therapies-and-treatments using biomimetic microrobots may emerge, offering hope for those suffering from a range of medical-conditions and promising less invasive interventions in science, particularly in the fields of targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive surgeries.
