Abstract
Biohybrid micro- and nanorobots are integrated tiny machines from biological components and artificial components. They can possess the advantages of onboard actuation, sensing, control, and implementation of multiple medical tasks such as targeted drug delivery, single-cell manipulation, and cell microsurgery. This review paper is to give an overview of biohybrid micro- and nanorobots for smart drug delivery applications. First, a wide range of biohybrid micro- and nanorobots comprising different biological components are reviewed in detail. Subsequently, the applications of biohybrid micro- and nanorobots for active drug delivery are introduced to demonstrate how such biohybrid micro- and nanorobots are being exploited in the field of medicine and healthcare. Lastly, key challenges to be overcome are discussed to pave the way for the clinical translation and application of the biohybrid micro- and nanorobots.
Highlights
Microrobotics is dedicated to the research and development of artificial machines with the maximum size on the micron scale for a wide range of real-world applications
Magnetic iron oxide NPs (20 nm) have been incorporated to transform native-mouse red blood cell (RBC) into functional micromotors capable of ultrasonic propulsion, magnetic guidance, and preservation of the structural and biological features of regular erythrocytes (Figure 3(a)) [58]. In addition to their excellent biocompatibility, RBCs are the most abundant cell in the human body and possess long circulation half-life (~120 days in human blood), which are beneficial for establishing erythrocyte microrobots to target diseased sites and deliver drug molecules
The size of a biohybrid robot is related to the biological template used
Summary
Microrobotics is dedicated to the research and development of artificial machines with the maximum size on the micron scale for a wide range of real-world applications. Dual-targeting macrophage-based microrobots were developed with controllability by inherent chemotaxis and external magnetic field to implement NIR-responsive precision drug release at tumor regions in a spatiotemporally controlled pattern [51]. Magnetic iron oxide NPs (20 nm) have been incorporated to transform native-mouse RBCs into functional micromotors capable of ultrasonic propulsion, magnetic guidance, and preservation of the structural and biological features of regular erythrocytes (Figure 3(a)) [58] In addition to their excellent biocompatibility, RBCs are the most abundant cell in the human body and possess long circulation half-life (~120 days in human blood), which are beneficial for establishing erythrocyte microrobots to target diseased sites and deliver drug molecules. Bioengineered microorganisms are able to produce therapeutic substances and even modulate immune microenvironment, which are expected to increase the functionalities of the hybrid microrobots for implementing complex medical tasks
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