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News<br>Algae Microrobots Battle Bladder Cancer<br>Ultrasound and artificial intelligence-guided algae microrobots delivered chemotherapy deep into tumors in mice, paving the way to improved bladder cancer care.<br>Written byPriyom Bose, PhDPriyom Bose, PhD
Priyom Bose holds a PhD in plant biology and biotechnology from the University of Madras, India. She is an experienced academic researcher and science writer. Priyom has co-authored several original research articles that have been published in reputed peer-reviewed journals and has also written extensively on a wide range of topics, such as life science, medicine, nanotechnology, agriculture and environmental science.
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Scientists guided and tracked algae microrobots in real time. One day, these biohybrid microrobots may deliver precise, targeted therapy for bladder cancer.<br>Image credit:© iStock.com, wildpixel
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Bladder cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy of the urinary tract and ranks ninth among all cancers globally.1 Conventional therapy typically involves delivering chemotherapeutic drugs directly to the bladder via a catheter. Despite this localized approach, treatment outcomes are often limited by insufficient drug penetration into tumor tissue, lack of precise targeting, and rapid drug clearance from the bladder.2<br>To overcome these barriers, some researchers have enlisted the help of microscopic robots that can actively seek out diseased tissues, such as tumors, and deliver drugs in a controlled manner.3<br>In a recent study published in Nature Nanotechnology, researchers developed an innovative, biohybrid microrobot, engineering natural microalgae with a synthetic magnetite coating.4 Artificial intelligence algorithms enabled these microrobots to autonomously track and deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to bladder tumors in mice, leading to enhanced targeting precision and tissue penetration compared to conventional therapies.<br>Engineering Algae and Nanoparticles to Fabricate Biohybrid Microrobots<br>To engineer their microrobots, the researchers selected the easily cultivable diatom Coscinodiscus granii as the base. Qi Zhou, a biomedical researcher at the University of Edinburgh and study coauthor, emphasized that the diatom’s complex “hierarchical structure,” comprising multi-layered porous silica shells, provided a remarkably large surface area to efficiently load chemotherapy drugs. Additionally, its intricate shell patterns enable slow drug release, promoting gradual and precise drug delivery at the tumor site.<br>Continue reading below...<br>Like this story? Sign up for FREE Microbiology updates:<br>Latest science news storiesTopic-tailored resources and eventsCustomized newsletter content<br>Subscribe
Beyond these capabilities, Zhou highlighted that algae possess “a lot of beneficial effects,” including antioxidant properties. Their established use in food supplements and recognition as a safe platform for therapeutic applications further support their potential as microrobots, which could facilitate public acceptance and streamline regulatory approval.<br>For the robotic part of the microrobot, Zhou and his team designed a porous, hollow system with surface-bound magnetite nanoparticles. They controlled the microrobot using magnetic forces and secured drug cargo with a sealing layer. Using doxorubicin as a model therapeutic, they achieved a good loading efficiency of 27.95 percent, confirmed by spectroscopy and fluorescence imaging.<br>AI and Ultrasound-Guided Microrobots Deliver Drugs to Tumors<br>For microrobots to be effective therapeutics, “[it is not only essential to] control them, but you also need to be able to see them. Otherwise, how do we know when it has arrived at the tumor site?” Zhou said.<br>The research team demonstrated real-time tracking of microrobot swarms in a mouse model of bladder cancer using ultrasound imaging. The magnetite coating on the microalgae shells enhanced contrast, making the swarms clearly visible against surrounding tissues.<br>A deep learning algorithm received the real-time ultrasound video feed and rapidly processed it to pinpoint both the bladder tumor and the moving microrobots. It then automatically calculated optimal navigation paths and adjusted an external magnetic field framework to guide the microrobot swarm directly into the bladder cavity and to the tumor site.<br>Using this machine-intelligent, ultrasound-guided robotic platform, the researchers delivered the microrobots to the tumor without causing mechanical damage to the bladder wall. The doxorubicin-loaded magnetite C. granii microrobots increased drug penetration into tumor tissue within just 30 minutes of treatment by more than 10-fold. The microrobots reduced tumor burden in mice to less than...