The team conducted experiments on mice with targeted drug delivery micro-nano robots. They used a subcutaneous tumor model planted with breast cancer cells and followed 30 mice for 30 days. The team found that this method does have a targeted killing effect on mouse tumors, and has minimal impact on surrounding normal tissues.
The sci-fi film "Magic Journey", released in 1966, tells a story: In order to perform difficult vascular surgery on a scientist, five doctors were reduced to the size of hair, placed in a syringe, and injected into his body. Five people drove the "submarine", escaped the attack of immune cells, braved the wind and waves all the way, and successfully completed the mission.
After more than 50 years, the original fantasy has partially become a reality. Micro-nano medical robots are considered to be a promising intelligent drug delivery platform, and are currently widely used for targeted therapy of tumors.
Recently, Feng Lin's research group, associate professor and doctoral supervisor of the "Excellent Hundred Talents" of the School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, has developed a new and more intelligent tumor-targeting robot. With camouflage and navigation, it can accurately reach the battlefield under the drive of a magnetic field, throwing ammunition that kills tumors.
Let macrophages swallow nano-drugs and transform into micro-nano robots
Let nano robots load drugs and arrive at designated locations to treat inflammation or remove tumors. This is one of the ultimate goals of medical nanotechnology. However, the movement of traditional micro-nano robots in the human body actually relies on the binding force between molecules. This is a kind of "passive targeting" and it is inevitable to miss the target. "It's like we know that two types of people with a certain trait in the crowd may run into. But whether the last person you meet in the vast crowd is the person you want, in fact, you have to put a question mark." Feng Lin said.
And, as shown in the original movie, the nanobots injected into the human body will be attacked by the dedicated immune cells if they are not careful.
Can this kind of medical robots reach the place they want to go more safely and accurately?
After returning from Japan in 2016, Feng Lin has been thinking about this issue. With the support of Beihang Robotics Institute, Feng Lin and Mr. Chen Huawei jointly applied for approval of the National Key R&D Program-Robotics Major Project "Targeted Drug Delivery Micro and Nano Robots." In a discussion, Chen Huawei asked if living cells could be used as carriers. This seemingly casual question reminded Feng Lin: Can living cells swallow the drug-loaded nanoparticles and transform them into micro-nano robots?
They thought of macrophages, which are cells that like to swallow and process foreign bodies.
The appropriate carrier and "camouflage" have been found, and the next step is to design the robot's "navigation system".
Magnetic nanoparticles can be controlled by a magnetic field, and the drug release can use infrared or ultrasound. Almost from scratch, Feng Lin's team designed the composite magnetron system by themselves. They start designing from the electronic coil, adjust and explore the technical parameters little by little. After the magnetic nanoparticles enter the mice, through this system, they can control their walking path in vitro with high precision.
The next step is to load the magnetic nanoparticles with the drug, and let it release the drug in the right place and in the right way.
This robot is actually designed with many layers. The outer layer of doxorubicin is polyethylene glycol, a polymer compound with good water solubility; the outer layer is indocyanine green, which is a commonly used fluorescent marker in drug research to help scientific researchers judge The location of the robot. Finally, they also wrapped a layer of liposomes, which has very high biocompatibility.
The team also designed a switch for the robot-near-field infrared light. Near-infrared light penetrates the surface of the skin, and the magnetic nanoparticles absorb light, generate heat, and release doxorubicin.
In this way, the nano-robot basically achieves the effect of "pointing and hitting".
"Receive instructions, execute instructions, and complete tasks. In the eyes of us who are machines, those who have these capabilities are intelligent robots." Feng Lin said.
The team used targeted drug delivery micro-nano robots to experiment on mice. They used a subcutaneous tumor model planted with breast cancer cells and followed 30 mice for 30 days. The team found that this method does have a targeted killing effect on mouse tumors, and has minimal impact on surrounding normal tissues.
In September, the authoritative journal "Small" in the field of nanoscience reported the research results of the research group in the form of a cover article.
In the School of Mechanical Engineering, they established a biomedical laboratory
Feng Lin's team has several doctors with medical and biological backgrounds. In his mechanical laboratory, there is also a dedicated area for biomedical experiments.
So, you can see such a peculiar scene—in the laboratory, there are various mechanical models, professional-grade microscopes, and mice.
When I went to interview, because the last round of experiments had ended, there were not many mice left, so they were pacing around in the cage for the rest of their lives.
Feng Lin is a "post-80s", undergraduate electronic information engineering, master's degree in biorobots, Ph.D. studied at Nagoya University, Japan, and followed his tutor Professor Shito Arai into the more microscopic world-micro-nano robots.
After returning to China, Feng Lin came to Beihang University and was awarded the “100 Outstanding Talents” of Beihang University. He joined the Institute of Bionics and Micronano Systems led by Teacher Zhang Deyuan of the School of Mechanical Engineering. Beihang University advocates "integration of medicine and industry", and Feng Lin has also been hired into the Beijing Biomedical Engineering Advanced Center to further enter the field of medical robots.
"You can't just speculate on the concept and talk about the future of nano-robots." Feng Lin has always had this idea, which is to actually inject nano-robots into the body and really kill the tumor cells in the body.
Not long ago, the student team under the guidance of Feng Lin won the fifth national undergraduate creative group in the 7th China International University Student "Internet +" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition with the Medcreate magnetic levitation capsule robot.
The technology it uses is also "composite field magnetron".
This is an active and controllable high-speed image transmission type capsule robot, which can carry out all-round video detection of large-volume digestive tract organs such as the stomach without blind spots. The capsule robot can move in suspension without changing the patient's position to complete the covered inspection of the entire stomach.
Feng Lin is happy for the students' results, but he also knows that there is still a long way to go to perfect various types of therapeutic micro-nano robots.
From mice to humans, from experiments to clinics, it needs to be perfected and explored step by step. This is not easy. "You have to spend a lifetime." Feng Lin said. (Zhang Galen)
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