Bioinspired magnetic microspike robot for long-term drug delivery anchoring on gliomas

摘要

Treatment of intracranial gliomas has increasingly favored minimally invasive surgery, with a growing focus on leveraging microrobots for efficient drug delivery while overcoming the impact of body fluids. Inspired by honeybee stingers, this study proposed a novel microspike robot. This robot firmly adhered to the tissue surface, enabling direct drug delivery from a hydrogel on its back into the targeted tissue via microspikes. The drug delivery rate was influenced by temperature and could be controlled by an alternating magnetic field. Microrobots could be delivered rapidly through a clinical Ommaya reservoir into the postoperative cavity or ventricle of the skull. The microrobot could be actuated for adhesion and retrieval, with its motion posture and trajectory highly precisely controlled by external magnetic fields. Biological experiments confirmed the excellent biocompatibility and biosafety of the microspike robot and demonstrated its effectiveness in treating gliomas by loading unconventional therapeutic drugs. The proposed microspike robot has significant potential for long-term drug delivery to target gliomas and other future clinical applications.