Medical precision robotics can help doctors better treat and prevent disease.
But most of these devices are made of synthetic materials that trigger immune responses in vivo. And now, according to a research paper published in ACS Central Science, researchers are for the first time using lasers to precisely control neutrophils – a type of white blood cell – as a natural, biocompatible microbot in living fish.
Multitask of ‘Neutrobots’ showing that one day they will be able to deliver drugs to specific parts of the body.
Using laser for precise control of white blood cells in live fish. Researchers have shown that some of the body’s original cells can be “remotely controlled” to perform a variety of tasks with extreme precision. These activities may one day include biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery and accurate treatment of inflammatory diseases.
It is noteworthy that micro-robots for medical applications are currently being developed for the injection or consumption of capsules to be placed in an animal or human.
But the researchers found that these microscopic objects often trigger immune reactions in young animals, causing microbots to leave the body before they function.
The use of cells already in the body, such as neutrophils, can be a less invasive alternative to administering drugs that do not suppress the immune system.
These nanoparticles and dead red blood cells are naturally absorbed by these white blood cells and can migrate through blood vessels to nearby tissues, so they are good candidates to become microbots. .
In the past, researchers taught neutrophils with lasers in lab dishes and made them as ‘neutrobots’. However, there is no information on whether this method will work on living animals. Therefore, Xian Jiuang Zhang, Baojun Li and colleagues wanted to demonstrate the feasibility of light-operated ‘neutrobots’ on animals and use live zebrafish.
Using focused laser beams as distant optical tweezers, the researchers manipulated and manipulated the neutrophils in the zebrafish’s tails.
The small, light-powered robot can move at speeds of up to 1.3 micrometers/sec, which is three times faster than the movement of a natural neutrophil.
In their experiments, the researchers used optical tweezers to accurately and effectively control the functions performed by neutrophils as part of the immune system.
For example, the “Neutrobot” is transferred from the vessel wall to the surrounding tissues. Another took and transferred plastic nanoparticles with evidence of their drug -carrying capacity. When the neutrobot was pushed into the remnants of the red blood cell, it swept away the pieces. Surprisingly, at the same time, various neutrophils, not controlled by the laser, naturally tried to clear the cellular debris.
source: phys.org
Source: Arabic RT
