Recent Progress of Micro/Nanorobots for Cell Delivery and Manipulation

Abstract

Micro/nanorobots have attracted significant interest in the biomedical field due to their micro/nano scale sizes and autonomously untethered motions. Meanwhile, stem cell‐based therapy has emerged as a promising approach to cure previously irreparable degenerative diseases by virtue of the stem cells’ differentiation and regeneration. To ensure the efficiency of the stem cell delivery, developing suitable and reliable cell‐transport systems is essential. Micro/nanorobots aimed at cell transport have progressed in recent years, which can perform this crucial step of cell delivery accurately and noninvasively during cell‐based therapy. Herein, a review of the design and fabrication technologies and actuation mechanisms of cell‐transport microrobots is presented. The applications of the micro/nanorobotic cell‐manipulation and cell‐transport platforms are discussed, as well as the current challenges and the future perspectives in translation of microrobots from research stage to clinical applications.

2D Magnetic Microswimmers for Targeted Cell Transport and 3D Cell Culture Structure Construction

“…Nevertheless, it remains a great challenge to target narrow or complex defects because microscaffolds cannot actively spread into the articular cavity and migrate to the site of cartilage defects. To address this issue, researchers in the field of microrobotics attempted to use magnetic actuation to complement the targeting and migration shortcomings of microscaffolds …”

“…To address this issue, researchers in the field of microrobotics attempted to use magnetic actuation to complement the targeting and migration shortcomings of microscaffolds. 14 Magnetically driven microrobots have several advantages in biomedical applications, 15−18 such as navigating in biological media, precise wireless control, and access to small spaces. In 2013, Kim et al successfully fabricated the first scaffold-like magnetic microrobots using direct laser writing (DLW) and cultured human embryonic kidney cells inside these microrobots.…”

Microrobots for Targeted Delivery and Therapy in Digestive System

“…Since researchers first reported the chemical-driven motor in 2002, miniature robots have captivated the attention of researchers from copious fields, including robotics, materials science, chemistry, and translational biomedicine due to their high potential as promising and versatile tools in a variety of biomedical, sensing, and decontamination applications. − Recently, the journal Science released the article entitled “New 125 scientific questions: exploration and discovery”. One of these questions is “Will injectable, disease-fighting nanobots ever be a reality?” Particularly, in vivo applications, such as targeted drug and cell delivery as well as therapy, have aroused attention due to the fact that micro/nanorobots enable high-precision and efficient delivery of payloads to the target site, enabling lower doses compared with conventional drug delivery systems based on passive particles and agents. − …”

Self‐Propelled Magnetic Dendrite‐Shaped Microrobots for Photodynamic Prostate Cancer Therapy

“…[17,18] On the other hand, magnetic materials are extensively integrated on the surface of microrobots in order to achieve precisely controllable motion for biomedical applications. [19][20][21][22][23] Consequently, simple, single-component, inherently magnetic, and low-cost light-driven microrobots are highly desired for real-world applications.…”

“…However, the dependence on expensive noble metals remains a challenge in the micro/nanorobotics field, not only for light‐powered but also for fuel‐driven micro/nanorobots [17, 18] . On the other hand, magnetic materials are extensively integrated on the surface of microrobots in order to achieve precisely controllable motion for biomedical applications [19–23] . Consequently, simple, single‐component, inherently magnetic, and low‐cost light‐driven microrobots are highly desired for real‐world applications.…”