Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40909862›Full record

Articlenpj Robotics2025

Sperm cell empowerment: X-ray-guided magnetic fields for enhanced actuation and localization of cytocompatible biohybrid microrobots.

Veronika Magdanz, Joep K van der Mijle Meijer, Leendert-Jan W Ligtenberg, Yusra Pervez, Mathilda LaBrash-White, Motahareh Shabani Dargah, Iris Mulder, Sadaf Mohsenkani, Maud Gorbet, Negin Bouzari and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in npj Robotics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

15 authors.

Veronika MagdanzDepartment of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Canada.
Joep K van der Mijle MeijerRAM-Robotics and Mechatronics, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Leendert-Jan W LigtenbergRAM-Robotics and Mechatronics, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Yusra PervezDepartment of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Canada.
Mathilda LaBrash-WhiteDepartment of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Canada.
Motahareh Shabani DargahDepartment of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Canada.
Iris MulderRAM-Robotics and Mechatronics, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Sadaf MohsenkaniDepartment of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Canada.
Maud GorbetDepartment of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Canada.
Negin BouzariDepartment of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Canada.
Hamed ShahsavanDepartment of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Canada.
Lianne WeberRAM-Robotics and Mechatronics, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Remco H LiefersRAM-Robotics and Mechatronics, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Michiel C WarléDepartment of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Islam S M KhalilRAM-Robotics and Mechatronics, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Magnetic microrobots have the potential to revolutionize medicine by navigating pathways to deliver precision-targeted therapy. However, a significant challenge arises. There commonly is a trade-off between magnetic responsiveness, detectability using medical imaging systems and cytotoxicity from increased amounts of magnetic content. Addressing this, we study biohybrid microrobots comprising clusters of iron oxide nanoparticle-coated sperm cells. These sperm-templated microrobots offer benefits over microrobots driven by live sperm, such as longer shelf-life and operation time, full directional and speed control and easy fabrication. To demonstrate their potential for use in clinical settings, we developed an X-ray-guided robotic platform investigating the magnetic response and detectability of these biohybrid clusters across varying nanoparticle concentrations, notably demonstrating simultaneous actuation and localization of sperm for the first time. These improvements advance the research closer to unleashing the potential of biohybrid microrobots for medical applications within the reproductive tract.

Indexed as

Biomaterials - cellsBiomedical engineering

Identifiers

PMID40909862
PMCPMC12404984

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.