ReviewNature communications2020
Engineering microrobots for targeted cancer therapies from a medical perspective.
Review in Nature communications, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 138 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
138 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Study on Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2021Pooled it
- Two-Photon Endomicroscopy for Image-Guided Magnetic Micro-Agents.Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) · 2026Article
- Magnetically Guided Macrophage Immunobots Coordinate Iron-Metabolic Cascades and Immunogenic Ferroptosis for Tumor Immunotherapy.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Natural killer cell-based therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A literature review.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2026Review
- Review
- "Biodegradable caterpillar inspired soft robotic systems for targeted therapeutic delivery with intelligentRSC advances · 2026Review
- CD5Science advances · 2026Article
- Hierarchically Engineered Magnetic-Enzymatic Microrobots with Stimuli-Induced Disassembly for Controlled Navigation and Mucosal Penetration in 3D Lung Fibrosis Models.Advanced healthcare materials · 2026Article
- Multi-Legged Magnetic Soft Robot for On-Demand Targeted Delivery in Pulmonary Environments.Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) · 2026Article
- Adaptive intrathecal nanorobotics in mice and nonhuman primates for navigated CNS therapy.Science advances · 2026Article
- What Does Bacteria Have to Do with Cancer? The Influence of the Body's Microbiota on Cancer in Cats and Dogs.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Hydrogel-Based Micro/Nanorobots for Advanced Biomedical Applications.Gels (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Genetically engineered human cell-based microrobots for selective cancer cell death.Science advances · 2026Article
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tissue Engineering: Biological Principles, Engineered Substitutes, and Preclinical Outcomes.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Endogenous living adjuvants for cancer vaccination: Concepts, mechanisms, and design principles.Materials today. Bio · 2026Article
- Bacterial Biohybrids With Dual Magnet and Hypoxia Tropism for Ferroptosis Activation in Deep Tumor Regions.Exploration (Beijing, China) · 2026Article
- Targeting Cancers with Microrobots and Bacteriobots.Molecular biotechnology · 2026Review
- Microrobotic copper-rich electrochemical interfacing for targeted cancer theranostics in the gut.Science advances · 2026Article
- A Soft Microrobot for Single-Cell Transport, Spheroid Assembly, and Dual-Mode Drug Screening.Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) · 2026Article
- Magnetic nanoparticles as promising materials for the future of medicine.Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine · 2026Review
78 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Systemic chemotherapy remains the backbone of many cancer treatments. Due to its untargeted nature and the severe side effects it can cause, numerous nanomedicine approaches have been developed to overcome these issues. However, targeted delivery of therapeutics remains challenging. Engineering microrobots is increasingly receiving attention in this regard. Their functionalities, particularly their motility, allow microrobots to penetrate tissues and reach cancers more efficiently. Here, we highlight how different microrobots, ranging from tailor-made motile bacteria and tiny bubble-propelled microengines to hybrid spermbots, can be engineered to integrate sophisticated features optimised for precision-targeting of a wide range of cancers. Towards this, we highlight the importance of integrating clinicians, the public and cancer patients early on in the development of these novel technologies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.