Construction of micro-nano robots: living cells and functionalized biological cell membranes

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Sep 12:11:1277964. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1277964. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Micro-nano robots have emerged as a promising research field with vast potential applications in biomedicine. The motor is the key component of micro-nano robot research, and the design of the motor is crucial. Among the most commonly used motors are those derived from living cells such as bacteria with flagella, sperm, and algal cells. Additionally, scientists have developed numerous self-adaptive biomimetic motors with biological functions, primarily cell membrane functionalized micromotors. This novel type of motor exhibits remarkable performance in complex media. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the structure and performance of micro-nano robots that utilize living cells and functionalized biological cell membranes. We also discuss potential practical applications of these mirco-nano robots as well as potential challenges that may arise in future development.

Keywords: drug delivery; immunotherapy; living cells and cell membranes; micro-nano robots; micromotors; phototherapy.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 81972054), the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (Grant No. YQ 2021H010), the Postdoctoral Scientific Research Development Fund of Heilongjiang Province (Grant No. LBHQ19044).