Newswise — Medicinal microrobots could help physicians better treat and prevent diseases. But most of these devices are made with synthetic materials that trigger immune responses in vivo. Now, for the first time, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have used lasers to precisely control neutrophils — a type of white blood cell — as a natural, biocompatible microrobot in living fish. The “neutrobots” performed multiple tasks, showing they could someday deliver drugs to precise locations in the body.
Microrobots currently in development for medical applications would require injections or the consumption of capsules to get them inside an animal or person. But researchers have found that these microscopic objects often trigger immune reactions in small animals, resulting in the removal of microrobots from the body before they can perform their jobs. Using cells already present in the body, such as neutrophils, could be a less invasive alternative for drug delivery that wouldn’t set off the immune system. These white blood cells already naturally pick up nanoparticles and dead red blood cells and can migrate through blood vessels into adjacent tissues, so they are good candidates for becoming microrobots. Previously, researchers have guided neutrophils with lasers in lab dishes, moving them around as “neutrobots.” However, information on whether this approach will work in living animals was lacking. So, Xianchuang Zheng, Baojun Li and colleagues wanted to demonstrate the feasibility of light-driven neutrobots in animals using live zebrafish.
The researchers manipulated and maneuvered neutrophils in zebrafish tails, using focused laser beams as remote optical tweezers. The light-driven microrobot could be moved up to a velocity of 1.3 µm/s, which is three times faster than a neutrophil naturally moves. In their experiments, the researchers used the optical tweezers to precisely and actively control the functions that neutrophils conduct as part of the immune system. For instance, a neutrobot was moved through a blood vessel wall into the surrounding tissue. Another one picked up and transported a plastic nanoparticle, showing its potential for carrying medicine. And when a neutrobot was pushed toward red blood cell debris, it engulfed the pieces. Surprisingly, at the same time, a different neutrophil, which wasn’t controlled by a laser, tried to naturally remove the cellular debris. Because they successfully controlled neutrobots in vivo, the researchers say this study advances the possibilities for targeted drug delivery and precise treatment of diseases.
The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, and the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou.
The paper’s abstract will be available on July 13 at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/10.1021/acscentsci.2c00468
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Habari  Roboti ndogo za kitiba zaweza kuwasaidia madaktari kutibu na kuzuia magonjwa vizuri zaidi. Vifaa hivi vimeundwa kwa vifaa vya synthetic ambavyo huchochea majibu ya kinga. Kwa mara ya kwanza, watafiti wa ACS Central Science wametumia laser kudhibiti kwa usahihi neutrophils - aina ya chembe nyeupe za damu - kama microbot ya asili, inayofaa kwa viumbe hai katika samaki walio hai. "Neutrobots" hizo zilifanya kazi nyingi, zikionyesha kwamba siku moja zingeweza kutoa dawa katika sehemu hususa za mwili. Roboti ndogo zinazotengenezwa kwa ajili ya matumizi ya kitiba zinahitaji sindano au matumizi ya vidonge ili ziingie ndani ya mnyama au mtu. Watafiti wamegundua kwamba vitu hivyo vidogo vinaweza kuchochea mfumo wa kinga katika wanyama wadogo, na hivyo kuwafanya waondoke mwilini kabla hawajaweza kufanya kazi zao. Kutumia chembe zilizopo tayari mwilini, kama vile neutrophils, inaweza kuwa mbadala wa uvamizi mdogo kwa utoaji wa dawa ambayo haitaanzisha mfumo wa kinga. Chembe hizi nyeupe za damu tayari huchukua nanoparticles na chembe nyekundu za damu zilizokufa na zinaweza kuhamia kupitia mishipa ya damu kwenye tishu zilizo karibu, kwa hivyo ni wagombea wazuri wa kuwa microrobots. Hapo awali, watafiti wameongoza neutrophils na lasers katika sahani za maabara, wakiwahamisha kama "neutrobots". Hata hivyo, habari juu ya kama mbinu hii itafanya kazi katika wanyama walio hai haikuwa. Xianchuang Zheng, Baojun Li na wenzake walitaka kuonyesha uwezekano wa kutumia nyuklia kwa ajili ya majaribio ya majaribio ya nyuklia. Watafiti hao walitumia nyuzi za nyuklia katika mikia ya samaki aina ya zebrafish, wakitumia miale ya laser iliyoelekezwa kama pini za macho. Kwa mfano, robot hiyo inaweza kusonga kwa kasi ya 1.3 mmhz, ambayo ni kasi mara tatu ya mwendo wa kawaida wa neutrophil. Katika majaribio yao, watafiti walitumia tweezers za macho kudhibiti kwa usahihi na kikamilifu kazi ambazo neutrophils hufanya kama sehemu ya mfumo wa kinga. Kwa mfano, roboti ya neutrobot ilihamishwa kupitia ukuta wa mishipa ya damu na kuingia kwenye tishu inayoizunguka. Mmoja mwingine alichukua na kusafirisha chembe ndogo za plastiki, akionyesha uwezo wake wa kubeba dawa. Na wakati roboti ya neutrobot iliposukumwa kuelekea mabaki ya chembe nyekundu za damu, iliangamiza vipande hivyo. Kwa kushangaza, wakati huohuo, neutrophil tofauti, ambayo haikuongozwa na laser, ilijaribu kuondoa vipande vya seli kwa njia ya asili. Kwa sababu walifanikiwa kudhibiti neutrobots in vivo, watafiti wanasema utafiti huu unaendeleza uwezekano wa utoaji wa dawa na matibabu sahihi ya magonjwa. Kwa mujibu wa ripoti hiyo, utafiti huo umefanywa kwa msaada wa National Natural Science Foundation of China, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, na Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou. Maelezo ya utafiti huu yatapatikana Julai 13, 2020 saa 8 asubuhi, wakati wa Mashariki ya Amerika hapa: http: www.pub.ac.org doi.abs101021101021acscentsci.css488 Kwa habari zaidi za utafiti wa hivi karibuni, jiandikishe kwa mkutano wetu ujao, ACS Fall 2022. Waandishi wa habari na maafisa wa habari za umma wanahimizwa kuomba usajili wa vyombo vya habari kwa kujaza fomu hii. American Chemical Society (ACS) ni shirika lisilo la faida lililoanzishwa na Bunge la Marekani. ACS ni kuendeleza biashara pana ya kemia na watendaji wake kwa manufaa ya Dunia na watu wake wote. Jamii ni kiongozi wa kimataifa katika kukuza ubora katika elimu ya sayansi na kutoa upatikanaji wa habari na utafiti unaohusiana na kemia kupitia suluhisho zake nyingi za utafiti, jarida la ukaguzi wa wenzao, mikutano ya kisayansi, vitabu vya elektroniki na habari za kila wiki za Chemical & Engineering. ACS ni moja ya jarida la kisayansi linalotajwa zaidi, linaaminika zaidi na linaosomwa zaidi, lakini ACS yenyewe haifanyi utafiti wa kemikali. Kama kiongozi katika ufumbuzi wa habari ya kisayansi, idara yake ya CAS inashirikiana na wavumbuzi wa kimataifa ili kuharakisha mafanikio kwa kuandaa, kuunganisha na kuchambua maarifa ya kisayansi ya ulimwengu. Ofisi kuu za ACS ziko Washington, D.C., na Columbus, Ohio. Ili kupokea moja kwa moja taarifa za habari kutoka American Chemical Society, wasiliana [email protected].