Targeted drugs are widely used and developed as they reduce side effects for cancer patients. However, the turbulent blood flow may reduce their precision from their target, causing negative effects on other tissues. This research aims to overcome such limitations by developing a bio-robot with a turtle-like shape, which maintains stability in turbulent flow and moves in a direction responsive to the acidity of cancer cells. The robot is designed to effectively move towards cancer cells relying on two types of muscles: 1) a self-activated muscle that maintains the robot's stability in turbulent flow, mimicking the movement of sea turtle fins, and is controlled by muscle cells with different activation phases. The optimal coefficient of calcium diffusion for their activation is found at approximately 0.01 µm2/s; and 2) a pH-responsive muscle that generates force to pull the robot towards cancer cells in the direction of increasing acid concentration by varying activation strength differently in the horizontal and vertical planes. The precision is compared with other delivery methods. It was found that in a system with turbulence and blood pumping, the robot could deliver drugs to cancer cells more successfully than MOFs by 5.8 times at a pH operation range of 5.4, more than liposomes by 6.24 times at an operation range of 150 µm, and more than nanoparticles by 13.7 times at an operation range of 100 µm, confirming the successful design of both muscles that not only maintain stability but also enhance movement accuracy towards the target.

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Development of a pH-Responsive Bio-robotics for Targeted Drug Delivery to Lung Cancer in the Vascular System

  • Phuwich Uthansakul,
  • Pichchaya Petchsritong,
  • Adis Khetubol

摘要

Targeted drugs are widely used and developed as they reduce side effects for cancer patients. However, the turbulent blood flow may reduce their precision from their target, causing negative effects on other tissues. This research aims to overcome such limitations by developing a bio-robot with a turtle-like shape, which maintains stability in turbulent flow and moves in a direction responsive to the acidity of cancer cells. The robot is designed to effectively move towards cancer cells relying on two types of muscles: 1) a self-activated muscle that maintains the robot's stability in turbulent flow, mimicking the movement of sea turtle fins, and is controlled by muscle cells with different activation phases. The optimal coefficient of calcium diffusion for their activation is found at approximately 0.01 µm2/s; and 2) a pH-responsive muscle that generates force to pull the robot towards cancer cells in the direction of increasing acid concentration by varying activation strength differently in the horizontal and vertical planes. The precision is compared with other delivery methods. It was found that in a system with turbulence and blood pumping, the robot could deliver drugs to cancer cells more successfully than MOFs by 5.8 times at a pH operation range of 5.4, more than liposomes by 6.24 times at an operation range of 150 µm, and more than nanoparticles by 13.7 times at an operation range of 100 µm, confirming the successful design of both muscles that not only maintain stability but also enhance movement accuracy towards the target.