Cell and cellular component based micro/nanomotors

Abstract

In recent decades, micromotors and nanomotors, as an important branch of nanotechnology, have flourished in the biomedical field. Because of their tiny size, complex structure, precise control, good biocompatibility and safety, micro/nanomotors (MNMs) can effectively overcome the obstacles of poor targeting and low bioavailability of traditional drug delivery, which makes them have broad application prospects and development potential in many fields. Compared with other micro/nanomotor structural materials, cell/cellular component based nanomotors occupy significant advantages in terms of biocompatibility and biodegradability. Cell/cellular component based micro-nanomotor is an emerging and promising field with a wide range of applications. In the medical and biomedical fields, cell motors are expected to be an important component in the fabrication of artificial cells or micro-robots, combining cellular biocompatibility and manipulation capabilities of micro/nanomotors for targeted drug delivery, substance delivery, imaging, etc. This paper highlights the preparation methods and real-world applications of cell/cellular component based micro/nanomotors of different material types. Finally, the current research status, challenges and development prospects of cell/cellular component based micro-nanomotor materials are discussed. This review will provide insights and directions for the design and fabrication of cell/cellular component based micro/nanomotors, and promote the rapid development and application of cell/cellular component based micro/nanomotors in biomedical fields. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cellular and cellular component based micro-nanomotors, as a cutting-edge intersection of nanotechnology and biomedicine, have made remarkable progress in recent years. However, there is no comprehensive summary on this area. In this paper, we systematically present the recent advances in cellular and bionic micro-nanomotors as a nanotechnology in the last three years, focusing on their core advantages and applications in precise drug delivery as well as multifunctional integration. Key issues, challenges and directions for development of current research are also discussed.

Keywords: Autonomous motion; Biocompatibility; Cell/cellular component based micro/nanomotors; Targeted drug delivery.