{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Heterogeneous Sensor-Carrier Microswarms for Collaborative Precise Drug Delivery toward Unknown Targets with Localized Acidosis.
{Author}: Zhang S;Mou F;Yu Z;Li L;Yang M;Zhang D;Ma H;Luo W;Li T;Guan J;
{Journal}: Nano Lett
{Volume}: 24
{Issue}: 20
{Year}: 2024 May 22
{Factor}: 12.262
{DOI}: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00162
{Abstract}: Micro/nanorobots hold the potential to revolutionize biomedicine by executing diverse tasks in hard-to-reach biological environments. Nevertheless, achieving precise drug delivery to unknown disease sites using swarming micro/nanorobots remains a significant challenge. Here we develop a heterogeneous swarm comprising sensing microrobots (sensor-bots) and drug-carrying microrobots (carrier-bots) with collaborative tasking capabilities for precise drug delivery toward unknown sites. Leveraging robust interspecific hydrodynamic interactions, the sensor-bots and carrier-bots spontaneously synchronize and self-organize into stable heterogeneous microswarms. Given that the sensor-bots can create real-time pH maps employing pH-responsive structural-color changes and the doxorubicin-loaded carrier-bots exhibit selective adhesion to acidic targets via pH-responsive charge reversal, the sensor-carrier microswarm, when exploring unknown environments, can detect and localize uncharted acidic targets, guide itself to cover the area, and finally deploy therapeutic carrier-bots precisely there. This versatile platform holds promise for treating diseases with localized acidosis and inspires future theranostic microsystems with expandability, task flexibility, and high efficiency.