Micro-nanorobots: important considerations when developing novel drug delivery platforms

ABSTRACT

Introduction: There is growing emphasis on the development of bioinspired and biohybrid micro/nanorobots for the targeted drug delivery (TDD). Particularly, stimuli-responsive materials and magnetically triggered systems, identified as the most promising materials and design paradigms. Despite the advances made in fabrication and control, there remains a significant gap in clinical translation.

Areas covered: This review discusses the opportunities and challenges about micro/nanorobotics for the TDD as evolutionary evidence in bio-nanotechnology, material science, biohybrid robotics, and many more. Important consideration in context with the material’s compatibility/immunogenicity, ethics, and security risk are reported based on the development in artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning described in literature. The versatility and sophistication of biohybrid components design are being presented, highlighting stimuli-responsive biosystems as smart mechanisms and on-board sensing and control elements.

Expert opinion: Focusing on key issues for high controllability at micro- and nano-scale systems in TDD, biohybrid integration strategies, and bioinspired key competences shall be adopted. The promising outlook portraying the commercialization potential and economic viability of micro/nanorobotics will benefit to clinical translation.

KEYWORDS:

• Micro/nanorobots
• drug delivery
• MEMS/NEMS
• biohybrid
• microswimmer

Article highlights

• The application of micro/nanorobotics for targeted drug delivery (TDD) represents considerable interests and promise.

• Particularly, advances in stimuli-responsive materials and magnetically triggered micro/nanosystems has attracted much attention recently.

• In this review, we highlight these advances on the development of Bioinspired and Biohybrid micro/ nanorobots for TDD with significant emphasis on material advances with bio/immunocompatible properties.

• Biological cell-based propulsion mechanism and Biohybrid component designs are presented, highlighting stimuli-responsive biosystems as smart mechanisms and as on-board sensing and control elements.

• The promising outlook portraying the commercialization potential and economic viability of micro/nanorobotics reported in this review will benefit towards clinical translation.

Acknowledgments

AV Singh thanks Max Planck Society for the grassroots research grant 2017 (M10335) and 2018 (M10338).

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.