Drug Delivery Research Advances Swimmingly

So-called microswimmers developed by researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom may one day precisely deliver cancer drugs and other forms of medication to diseased tissue via blood vessels. A report titled Magnetically Actuated Colloidal Microswimmers that describes the development of these tiny, magnetically controlled particles has been published in the December 25 issue of the Journal of Physical Chemistry B. (Please note that a fee must be paid to gain access to the full article.)

Scientists have tried for years to develop tiny engines that can move micro and nanomachines through tight spaces, such as blood vessels and lab-on-a-chip devices, note Pietro Tierno and colleagues in the study. But existing engines are slow, difficult to maneuver, and must undergo alterations in their shape, chemistry, or temperature in order to work. The design of simple, more practical engines to power these tiny, robotic machines remains a major challenge, the researchers say.

Tiny magnetically directed beads may offer a solution. Made of plastic and magnetic materials, the beads are about 1/25,000 in. diam. When exposed to a magnetic field, the particles spin like a gyroscope and can be easily directed to move though narrow channels of liquids inside a glass plate, according to the researchers. The speed of the microswimmers can by adjusted by varying the strength of the magnetic field.

View a short video of the aqua-mites in action here.

Tags: Drug delivery, microswimmers, Tierno