Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36066311›Full record

ArticleAdvanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)2022

Puffball-Inspired Microrobotic Systems with Robust Payload, Strong Protection, and Targeted Locomotion for On-Demand Drug Delivery.

Xin Song, Rujie Sun, Richard Wang, Kun Zhou, Ruoxiao Xie, Junliang Lin, Dimitar Georgiev, Andrei-Alexandru Paraschiv, Ruibo Zhao, Molly M Stevens

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Novel design of 3D printed tumbling microrobots for in vivo targeted drug delivery.Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Cellular Cargo Manipulation Using Magnetically Steerable Microrobots in Dense Environments.Proceedings of the 2023 6th International Conference on Advances in Robotics. AIR 2023: Advances In Robotics - 6th International Conference of The Robotics Society 2023 · 2023
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Xin SongDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4017-9685
Rujie SunDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Richard WangDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Kun ZhouDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Ruoxiao XieDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Junliang LinDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Dimitar GeorgievDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Andrei-Alexandru ParaschivDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Ruibo ZhaoDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Molly M StevensDepartment of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1146-7090

Funding

China Scholarship CouncilRosetrees Trust Young Enterprise Fellowship A2741/M873Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies award CiET2021\94UK Research and Innovation EP/P02520X/1UK Research and Innovation EP/S023283/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Microrobots are recognized as transformative solutions for drug delivery systems (DDSs) because they can navigate through the body to specific locations and enable targeted drug release. However, their realization is substantially limited by insufficient payload capacity, unavoidable drug leakage/deactivation, and strict modification/stability criteria for drugs. Natural puffballs possess fascinating features that are highly desirable for DDSs, including a large fruitbody for storing spores, a flexible protective cap, and environmentally triggered release mechanisms. This report presents a puffball-inspired microrobotic system which incorporates an internal chamber for loading large drug quantities and spatial drug separation, and a near-infrared-responsive top-sealing layer offering strong drug protection and on-demand release. These puffball-inspired microrobots (PIMs) display tunable loading capacities up to high concentrations and enhanced drug protection with minimal drug leakage. Upon near-infrared laser irradiation, on-demand drug delivery with rapid release efficiency is achieved. The PIMs also demonstrate translational motion velocities, switchable motion modes, and precise locomotion under a rotating magnetic field. This work provides strong proof-of-concept for a DDS that combines the superior locomotion capability of microrobots with the unique characteristics of puffballs, thereby illustrating a versatile avenue for development of a new generation of microrobots for targeted drug delivery.

Indexed as

Drug Delivery SystemsPhototherapyDrug LiberationInfrared RaysLocomotionbioinspired systemscontrolled releaseintelligent microrobotsmagnetic actuationtargeted therapy

Identifiers

PMID36066311
PMCPMC11475404

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.