The therapeutic efficacy of microrobots is hampered by their limited ability to assist drugs in entering cells. The cancer-targeting molecule folic acid (FA) has been introduced to microrobots to promote drug uptake by cancer cells via receptor-ligand-mediated endocytosis by a research team, as reported in Cyborg and Bionic Systems. As a result, a drug delivery system has been developed that uses endocytosis to deliver loaded drugs into the cytoplasm and can use magnetic fields to locate lesion areas.
In numerous fields like minimally invasive surgery, drug delivery, environmental remediation, and tissue engineering, untethered microrobots have demonstrated remarkable accomplishments. Due to its high temporal and spatial control, deeper tissue penetration, and high biosafety, magnetic field actuation is a common technique.
Nonetheless, viable issues emerge while microrobots conveying medications may simply have the option to convey the medications to the region around the cells but can’t help the medications enter the cells. As a result, the drugs may not be able to reach their intended targets within the cells, which could make the treatment less effective.
Microrobots should be equipped with precise targeting capabilities to improve drug utilization. A microrobot was given folic acid (FA) to make it easier for cancer cells to be targeted and for cells to consume drugs. The specific overexpression of the FR on the outer layer of disease cells gives FA the capacity to advance the take-up of medications by malignant growth cells through receptor-ligand-interceded endocytosis.
Biodegradable gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)-based ABF microhelixes and FA-loaded Fe@ZIF-8 (MOF) nanoparticles make up the newly developed magnetic microrobot system. For cancer treatment, therapeutic drugs like DOX can be loaded into the hydrogel network of the microrobots. The microrobot can be guided and fixed at the site of the lesion using the directional manipulation of an external rotating magnetic field to ensure that therapeutic drugs gather around cells.
The full restriction of FA on the microrobots and FR on the outer layer of malignant growth cells can set off the event of endocytosis, bringing about the entry of MOF (FA) and DOX into the phones. The interaction between ligands and receptors is enhanced and therapeutic efficacy is increased when microrobots are accumulated close to cells.
The findings of the study demonstrated that microrobots with FA exhibited greater cell inhibition than those without FA. As a result, the ABF-MOF (FA) drug delivery system, which combines FA active targeting with magnetic manipulation, has a promising future in cancer treatment.
The release curve showed that the GelMA-based microrobot was capable of both drug release and drug encapsulation in tests of its drug encapsulation capability. The live/dead staining and MTT assays demonstrated FA’s ability to target.
Also, movement control and cell tests demonstrated that microrobots can be precisely controlled by an attractive field and perform explicit tasks. At last, DOX-stacked folate focusing on attractive microrobots delivered an undeniable enemy of malignant growth outcomes in the span of 24 hours subsequent to being coordinated to the assigned area by an attractive field.
The folate-focusing attractive microrobot framework has extraordinary potential in disease therapy because of its high stacking limit, controllable route, and capacity to improve malignant growth cell focusing and hindrance.
More information: Min Ye et al, Magnetic Microrobots with Folate Targeting for Drug Delivery, Cyborg and Bionic Systems (2023). DOI: 10.34133/cbsystems.0019
