title: Hybrid-Actuating Macrophage-Based Microrobots for Active Cancer Therapy.
abstract: Using macrophage recruitment in tumors, we develop active, transportable, cancer theragnostic macrophage-based microrobots as vector to deliver therapeutic agents to tumor regions. The macrophage-based microrobots contain docetaxel (DTX)-loaded poly-lactic-co-glycolic-acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) for chemotherapy and Fe3O4 magnetic NPs (MNPs) for active targeting using an electromagnetic actuation (EMA) system. And, the macrophage-based microrobots are synthesized through the phagocytosis of the drug NPs and MNPs in the macrophages. The anticancer effects of the microrobots on tumor cell lines (CT-26 and 4T1) are evaluated in vitro by cytotoxic assay. In addition, the active tumor targeting by the EMA system and macrophage recruitment, and the chemotherapeutic effect of the microrobots are evaluated using three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroids. The microrobots exhibited clear cytotoxicity toward tumor cells, with a low survivability rate (<50%). The 3D tumor spheroid assay showed that the microrobots demonstrated hybrid actuation through active tumor targeting by the EMA system and infiltration into the tumor spheroid by macrophage recruitment, resulting in tumor cell death caused by the delivered antitumor drug. Thus, the active, transportable, macrophage-based theragnostic microrobots can be considered to be biocompatible vectors for cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jiwon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhen
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Van
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Du Nguyen
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Gwangjun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Go
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Youngjin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Sukho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D051379:Mice; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012371:Robotics; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000473:pathology; D000068936:Theranostic Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles