Browse
Submit Data
Databases
API
Help

Dataset Information

0 Views

0 Connections

0 Citations

0 Reanalyses

0 Downloads

Omics score: 0

Versatile magnetic hydrogel soft capsule microrobots for targeted delivery.

ABSTRACT: Maintaining the completeness of cargo and achieving on-demand cargo release during long navigations in complex environments of the internal human body is crucial. Herein, we report a novel design of magnetic hydrogel soft capsule microrobots, which can be physically disintegrated to release microrobot swarms and diverse cargoes with almost no loss. CaCl₂ solution and magnetic powders are utilized to produce suspension droplets, which are put into sodium alginate solution to generate magnetic hydrogel membranes for enclosing microrobot swarms and cargos. Low-density rotating magnetic fields drive the microrobots. Strong gradient magnetic fields break the mechanical structure of the hydrogel shell to implement on-demand release. Under the guidance of ultrasound imaging, the microrobot is remotely controlled in acidic or alkaline environments, similar to those in the human digestion system. The proposed capsule microrobots provide a promising solution for targeted cargo delivery in the internal human body.

SUBMITTER: Xu Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10192936 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Json Xml

Publications

Versatile magnetic hydrogel soft capsule microrobots for targeted delivery.

Xu Zichen Z Wu Zehao Z Yuan Mingzhe M Chen Yuanhe Y Ge Wei W Xu Qingsong Q

iScience 20230425 5

Maintaining the completeness of cargo and achieving on-demand cargo release during long navigations in complex environments of the internal human body is crucial. Herein, we report a novel design of magnetic hydrogel soft capsule microrobots, which can be physically disintegrated to release microrobot swarms and diverse cargoes with almost no loss. CaCl<sub>2</sub> solution and magnetic powders are utilized to produce suspension droplets, which are put into sodium alginate solution to generate m ...[more]

PMID: 37216105

Similar Datasets

IRONSperm: Sperm-templated soft magnetic microrobots.

Project description:We develop biohybrid magnetic microrobots by electrostatic self-assembly of nonmotile sperm cells and magnetic nanoparticles. Incorporating a biological entity into microrobots entails many functional advantages beyond shape templating, such as the facile uptake of chemotherapeutic agents to achieve targeted drug delivery. We present a single-step electrostatic self-assembly technique to fabricate IRONSperms, soft magnetic microswimmers that emulate the motion of motile sperm cells. Our experiments and theoretical predictions show that the swimming speed of IRONSperms exceeds 0.2 body length/s (6.8 ± 4.1 µm/s) at an actuation frequency of 8 Hz and precision angle of 45°. We demonstrate that the nanoparticle coating increases the acoustic impedance of the sperm cells and enables localization of clusters of IRONSperm using ultrasound feedback. We also confirm the biocompatibility and drug loading ability of these microrobots, and their promise as biocompatible, controllable, and detectable biohybrid tools for in vivo targeted therapy.

| S-EPMC7450605 | biostudies-literature

Magnetic Microrobots with Folate Targeting for Drug Delivery.

Project description:Untethered microrobots can be used for cargo delivery (e.g., drug molecules, stem cells, and genes) targeting designated areas. However, it is not enough to just reach the lesion site, as some drugs can only play the best therapeutic effect within the cells. To this end, folic acid (FA) was introduced into microrobots in this work as a key to mediate endocytosis of drugs into cells. The microrobots here were fabricated with biodegradable gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and modified with magnetic metal-organic framework (MOF). The porous structure of MOF and the hydrogel network of polymerized GelMA were used for the loading of enough FA and anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) respectively. Utilizing the magnetic property of magnetic MOF, these microrobots can gather around the lesion site with the navigation of magnetic fields. The combination effects of FA targeting and magnetic navigation substantially improve the anticancer efficiency of these microrobots. The result shows that the cancer cells inhibition rate of microrobots with FA can be up to 93%, while that of the ones without FA was only 78%. The introduction of FA is a useful method to improve the drug transportation ability of microrobots, providing a meaningful reference for further research.

| S-EPMC10202387 | biostudies-literature

Soft Capsule Magnetic Millirobots for Region-Specific Drug Delivery in the Central Nervous System.

Project description:Small soft robotic systems are being explored for myriad applications in medicine. Specifically, magnetically actuated microrobots capable of remote manipulation hold significant potential for the targeted delivery of therapeutics and biologicals. Much of previous efforts on microrobotics have been dedicated to locomotion in aqueous environments and hard surfaces. However, our human bodies are made of dense biological tissues, requiring researchers to develop new microrobotics that can locomote atop tissue surfaces. Tumbling microrobots are a sub-category of these devices capable of walking on surfaces guided by rotating magnetic fields. Using microrobots to deliver payloads to specific regions of sensitive tissues is a primary goal of medical microrobots. Central nervous system (CNS) tissues are a prime candidate given their delicate structure and highly region-specific function. Here we demonstrate surface walking of soft alginate capsules capable of moving on top of a rat cortex and mouse spinal cord ex vivo, demonstrating multi-location small molecule delivery to up to six different locations on each type of tissue with high spatial specificity. The softness of alginate gel prevents injuries that may arise from friction with CNS tissues during millirobot locomotion. Development of this technology may be useful in clinical and preclinical applications such as drug delivery, neural stimulation, and diagnostic imaging.

| S-EPMC8340882 | biostudies-literature

Generation of magnetic biohybrid microrobots based on MSC.sTRAIL for targeted stem cell delivery and treatment of cancer.

Project description:BackgroundCombining the power of magnetic guidance and the biological activities of stem cells transformed into biohybrid microrobots holds great promise for the treatment of several diseases including cancer.ResultsWe found that human MSCs can be readily loaded with magnetic particles and that the resulting biohybrid microrobots could be guided by a rotating magnetic field. Rotating magnetic fields have the potential to be applied in the human setting and steer therapeutic stem cells to the desired sites of action in the body. We could demonstrate that the required loading of magnetic particles into stem cells is compatible with their biological activities. We examined this issue with a particular focus on the expression and functionality of therapeutic genes inside of human MSC-based biohybrid microrobots. The loading with magnetic particles did not cause a loss of viability or apoptosis in the human MSCs nor did it impact on the therapeutic gene expression from the cells. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of the gene products was not affected, and the cells also did not lose their migration potential.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that the fabrication of guidable MSC-based biohybrid microrobots is compatible with their biological and therapeutic functions. Thus, MSC-based biohybrid microrobots represent a novel way of delivering gene therapies to tumours as well as in the context of other diseases.

| S-EPMC7615227 | biostudies-literature

Magnetic-Driven Hydrogel Microrobots Selectively Enhance Synthetic Lethality in MTAP-Deleted Osteosarcoma.

Project description:Background: Drugs based on synthetic lethality have advantages such as inhibiting tumor growth and affecting normal tissue in vivo. However, specific targets for osteosarcoma have not been acknowledged yet. In this study, a non-targeted but controllable drug delivery system has been applied to selectively enhance synthetic lethality in osteosarcoma in vitro, using the magnetic-driven hydrogel microrobots. Methods: In this study, EPZ015666, a PRMT5 inhibitor, was selected as the synthetic lethality drug. Then, the drug was carried by hydrogel microrobots containing Fe3O4. Morphological characteristics of the microrobots were detected using electron microscopy. In vitro drug effect was detected by the CCK-8 assay kit, Western blotting, etc. Swimming of microrobots was observed by a timing microscope. Selective inhibition was verified by cultured tumors in an increasing magnetic field. Results: Genomic mutation of MTAP deletion occurred commonly in pan-cancer in the TCGA database (nearly 10.00%) and in osteosarcoma in the TARGET database (23.86%). HOS and its derivatives, 143B and HOS/MNNG, were detected by MTAP deletion according to the CCLE database and RT-PCR. EPZ015666, the PRMT5 inhibitor, could reduce the SDMA modification and inhibition of tumor growth of 143B and HOS/MNNG. The hydrogel microrobot drug delivery system was synthesized, and the drug was stained by rhodamine. The microrobots were powered actively by a magnetic field. A simulation of the selected inhibition of microrobots was performed and lower cell viability of tumor cells was detected by adding a high dose of microrobots. Conclusion: Our magnetic-driven drug delivery system could carry synthetic lethality drugs. Meanwhile, the selective inhibition of this system could be easily controlled by programming the strength of the magnetic field.

| S-EPMC9299081 | biostudies-literature

Magnetic control of soft microrobots near step-out frequency: Characterization and analysis.

Project description:Magnetically actuated soft microrobots hold promise for biomedical applications that necessitate precise control and adaptability in complex environments. These microrobots can be accurately steered below their step-out frequencies where they exhibit synchronized motion with external magnetic fields. However, the step-out frequencies of soft microrobots have not been investigated yet, as opposed to their rigid counterparts. In this work, we develop an analytic model from the magneto-elastohydrodynamics to establish the relationship between the step-out frequency of soft sperm-like microrobots and their magnetic properties, geometry, wave patterns, and the viscosity of the surrounding medium. We fabricate soft sperm-like microrobots using electrospinning and assess their swimming abilities in mediums with varying viscosities under an oscillating magnetic field. We observe slight variations in wave patterns of the sperm-like microrobots as the actuation frequency changes. Our theoretical model, which analyzes these wave patterns observed without exceeding the step-out threshold, quantitatively agrees with the experimentally measured step-out frequencies. By accurately predicting the step-out frequency, the proposed model lays a foundation for achieving precise control over individual soft microrobots and enabling selective control within a swarm when executing biomedical tasks.

| S-EPMC11630648 | biostudies-literature

Spatially selective delivery of living magnetic microrobots through torque-focusing.

Project description:Rotating magnetic fields enable biomedical microrobots to overcome physiological barriers and promote extravasation and accumulation in tumors. Nevertheless, targeting deeply situated tumors requires suppression of off-target actuation in healthy tissue. Here, we investigate a control strategy for applying spatially selective torque density to microrobots by combining rotating fields with magnetostatic selection fields. Taking magnetotactic bacteria as diffuse torque-based actuators, we numerically model off-target torque suppression, indicating the feasibility of centimeter to millimeter resolution for human applications. We study focal torque application in vitro, observing off-target suppression of actuation-dependent effects such as colonization of bacteria in tumor spheroids. We then design and construct a mouse-scale torque-focusing apparatus capable of maneuvering the focal point. Applying this system to a mouse tumor model increased accumulation of intravenously injected bacteria within tumors receiving focused actuation compared to non-actuated or globally actuated groups. This control scheme combines the advantages of torque-based actuation with spatial targeting.

| S-EPMC10924878 | biostudies-literature

Bubble-Inspired Multifunctional Magnetic Microrobots for Integrated Multidimensional Targeted Biosensing.

Project description:Microrobots possessing multifunctional integration are desired for therapeutics and biomedicine applications. However, existing microrobots with desired functionalities need to be fabricated through complex procedures due to their constrained volume, limited manufacturing processes, and lack of effective in vivo observation methods. Inspired by bubbles exhibiting various abilities, we report magnetic air bubble microrobots with simpler structures to simultaneously integrate multiple functions, including microcargo delivery, multimode locomotion, imaging, and biosensing. Contributed by buoyancy and magnetic actuation to overcome obstacles, flexible three-dimensional locomotion is implemented, guaranteeing the integrity of micro-objects adsorbed on the surface of the air bubble microrobot. Introducing air microbubbles enhances the ultrasound imaging capability of microrobots in the vascular system of mice in vivo, facilitating ample medical applications. Moreover, air-liquid reactions endow microrobots with rapid pH biosensing. This work provides a unique strategy to utilize relatively simple air bubbles to achieve the complex functions of microrobots for biomedical applications.

| S-EPMC11544691 | biostudies-literature

Doxorubicin-Loaded Microrobots for Targeted Drug Delivery and Anticancer Therapy.

Project description:Micro-sized magnetic particles (also known as microrobots [MRs]) have recently been shown to have potential applications for numerous biomedical applications like drug delivery, microengineering, and single cell manipulation. Interdisciplinary studies have demonstrated the ability of these tiny particles to actuate under the action of a controlled magnetic field that not only drive MRs in a desired trajectory but also precisely deliver therapeutic payload to the target site. Additionally, optimal concentrations of therapeutic molecules can also be delivered to the desired site which is cost-effective and safe especially in scenarios where drug dose-related side effects are a concern. In this study, MRs are used to deliver anticancer drugs (doxorubicin) to cancer cells and subsequent cell death is evaluated in different cell lines (liver, prostate, and ovarian cancer cells). Cytocompatibility studies show that MRs are well-tolerated and internalized by cancer cells. Doxorubicin (DOX) is chemically conjugated with MRs (DOX-MRs) and magnetically steered toward cancer cells using the magnetic controller. Time-lapsed video shows that cells shrink and eventually die when MRs are internalized by cells. Taken together, this study confirms that microrobots are promising couriers for targeted delivery of therapeutic biomolecules for cancer therapy and other non-invasive procedures that require precise control.

| S-EPMC10753031 | biostudies-literature

Layer-by-Layer Fabrication of Hydrogel Microsystems for Controlled Drug Delivery From Untethered Microrobots.

Project description:Targeted drug delivery from untethered microrobots is a topic of major interest in current biomedical research. The possibility to load smart materials able to administer active principles on remotely in vivo guidable microdevices constitutes one of the most attractive opportunities to overcome the drawbacks of classical untargeted delivery methodologies. Hydrogels, in particular, are ideal candidates as drug-carrying materials due to their biocompatibility, low cost, and ease of manufacturing. On the other hand, these polymers suffer from poor control over release rate and overall released amount. Starting from these premises, the present article demonstrates the possibility to tune the release of hydrogels applied on magnetically steerable microrobots by fabricating microsystems via layer-by-layer self-assembly. By doing this, the diffusion of chemicals from the hydrogel layers to the external environment can be optimized and the phenomenon of burst release can be strongly limited. The microrobotic platforms employed to transport the hydrogel active material are fabricated by employing 3D printing in combination with wet metallization and present a gold layer on their surface to enhance biocompatibility. The maneuverability of microdevices coated with both thin and thick multilayers is investigated, individuating optimized parameters for efficient actuation.

| S-EPMC8548779 | biostudies-literature

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

OmicsDI is an Elixir interoperability service. Learn more ›

Tweets

OmicsDI Databases

PRIDE
PeptideAtlas
MassIVE
JPOST Repository
Physiome Model Repository

EGA
EVA
ENA
LINCS
PAXDB
Cell Collective

MetaboLights
Metabolomics Workbench
MetabolomeExpress
GNPS
BioModels
FAIRDOMHub

ArrayExpress
dbGaP
ExpressionAtlas
GEO
NODE

Information

Databases
Help
API
Contact us
Code on GitHub
Terms of use
Submit Data