Spermbots: potential impact for drug delivery and assisted reproductive technologies

Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2014 Aug;11(8):1125-9. doi: 10.1517/17425247.2014.924502. Epub 2014 May 31.

Abstract

Micromotors and nanomotors are an emerging research field that aims at achieving locomotion on the microscale for a variety of applications such as drug delivery, single cell manipulation, microsensors and lab-on-a-chip devices, just to point out a few. The enthusiastic development of hybrid micromotors harnessing biological power sources for physiologically compatible nano/microdevices has recently brought a lot of attention to the international research community that is looking for a solution for the actuation and locomotion on the microscale. This article describes the potential of sperm-driven micro-bio-robots in the biomedical field such as drug delivery or single cell manipulation. Herein, a specific potential of the sperm-driven micro-bio-robot is described that might have impact on the development of assisted reproductive technologies.

Keywords: assisted reproduction technology; drug delivery; micromotors; spermatozoa; spermbot.

Publication types

  • Editorial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Drug Delivery Systems*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nanotechnology
  • Reproductive Techniques, Assisted*
  • Robotics*
  • Spermatozoa*