Zhao Hang, Yu Bo, Yu Dingyi, Ji Ting, Nie Kexin, Tian Jingyi, Shen Xinchen, Zhang Kaiyue, Ou Junhan, Yang Xinyi, Xiao Dongfang, Zhou Qi, Huang Wenwen
Centre for Regeneration and Cell Therapy, The Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Jul;12(27):e2503404. doi: 10.1002/advs.202503404. Epub 2025 Apr 29.
Magnetic soft robots have the potential to revolutionize the field of drug delivery owing to their capability to execute tasks in hard-to-reach regions of living organisms. Advancing their functionality to perform active drug delivery and related tasks necessitates the innovation of smart substrate materials that satisfy both mechanical and biocompatibility requirements while offering stimuli-responsive properties. Optimization of the interaction between the substrate and magnetic components is also critical as it ensures robust actuation of the robot in complex physiological environments. To address these issues, a facile strategy is presented that synergistically combines genetic programming and electrochemical engineering to achieve on-demand drug release with protein-magnetite soft robots. As the substrate of the robot, genetically engineered silk-elastin-like protein (SELP) is encoded with thermo-responsive motifs, serving as the dynamic unit to respond to temperature changes. Ultrafine magnetite (FeO) nanocrystals are electrochemically nucleated in situ and grown on Fe-protein coordination sites within the SELP hydrogel network, endowing reinforced mechanical strength, superparamagnetic property, and photothermal conversion capability. These soft robots can navigate confined spaces, target specific sites, and release drug payloads ex vivo in an intestinal model. Taken together, the proposed strategy offers an innovative approach to tailoring protein-based soft robots toward precision drug delivery systems.
磁性软机器人有潜力彻底改变药物递送领域，因为它们有能力在活生物体难以到达的区域执行任务。要提升其功能以执行主动药物递送及相关任务，就需要创新智能基底材料，这种材料既要满足机械和生物相容性要求，又要具备刺激响应特性。优化基底与磁性组件之间的相互作用也至关重要，因为这能确保机器人在复杂生理环境中实现强劲驱动。为解决这些问题，本文提出一种简便策略，将基因编程与电化学工程协同结合，以实现蛋白质 - 磁铁矿软机器人的按需药物释放。作为机器人的基底，基因工程化的类丝素弹性蛋白（SELP）编码有热响应基序，作为响应温度变化的动态单元。超细磁铁矿（FeO）纳米晶体在SELP水凝胶网络内的铁 - 蛋白质配位位点上原位电化学成核并生长，赋予其增强的机械强度、超顺磁性和光热转换能力。这些软机器人能够在受限空间中导航、靶向特定部位，并在体外肠道模型中释放药物载荷。综上所述，所提出的策略为定制基于蛋白质的软机器人以用于精准药物递送系统提供了一种创新方法。
