Karmactive Staff
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have created microscopic soft robots that can carry and deliver four different medications inside the human body, surpassing previous designs that could only transport three types of drugs without programmable release capabilities.
Photo Source: Supanut Arunoprayote. (CC BY 4.0)
They are controlled by magnetic fields and are here to revolutionize the process of complex drug delivery, potentially making traditional methods like oral administration and injections seem comparatively inefficient for targeted treatment.
Photo Source: dayna mason (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
The paper titled "Magnetic Miniature Soft Robot with Reprogrammable Drug-Dispensing Functionalities: Toward Advanced Targeted Combination Therapy" was published in Advanced Materials on September 9, 2024, marking a significant milestone in targeted therapy development.
The study was headed by Assistant Professor Lum Guo Zhan from NTU's School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), who emphasized that this innovation is turning science fiction into reality for precise drug delivery.
Photo Source: Vvvolvol (CC BY 3.0)
The soft robots are made up of smart magnetic composite materials - a combination of magnetic microparticles and polymers that are non-toxic to humans, making them safe for potential medical applications.
Photo Source: Jared Tarbell (CC BY 2.0)
In laboratory testing, they demonstrated impressive mobility, moving at speeds between 0.30 millimeters and 16.5 millimeters per second across different sections while delivering specific drugs to each area.
Photo Source: Polina Tankilevitch
When tested in thicker liquids mimicking body conditions, they maintained consistent drug delivery over eight hours with minimal leakage - a crucial feature for ensuring effective medical treatment.
Photo Source: Gustavo Fring
The study was co-authored by Research Fellow Yang Zilin, who highlighted the robots' potential key role in future targeted drug delivery, particularly for cancer therapies requiring precise control over multiple drugs.
Photo Source: UBC Media Relations (CC BY-NC 2.0)
The NTU research team is working to shrink these soft robots even further down, with potential applications in treating brain tumors, bladder cancer, and colorectal cancer, planning to evaluate their performance using organ-on-chip devices and animal models.
Photo Source: Lapullin (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ozempic-Linked Drug Semaglutide Trial Shows 52% Drop in Kidney Disease Markers – Is This the Next Big Breakthrough for CKD Patients?