Sperm Micromotors for Cargo Delivery through Flowing Blood

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Haifeng Xu - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Chemnitz University of Technology (Author)
  • Mariana Medina-Sánchez - , Micro- and Nano-Biosystems (Research Group), Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Manfred F. Maitz - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Carsten Werner - , Chair of Biofunctional Polymer Materials, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Oliver G. Schmidt - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Chemnitz University of Technology, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)

Abstract

Micromotors are recognized as promising candidates for untethered micromanipulation and targeted cargo delivery in complex biological environments. However, their feasibility in the circulatory system has been limited due to the low thrust force exhibited by many of the reported synthetic micromotors, which is not sufficient to overcome the high flow and complex composition of blood. Here we present a hybrid sperm micromotor that can actively swim against flowing blood (continuous and pulsatile) and perform the function of heparin cargo delivery. In this biohybrid system, the sperm flagellum provides a high propulsion force while the synthetic microstructure serves for magnetic guidance and cargo transport. Moreover, single sperm micromotors can assemble into a train-like carrier after magnetization, allowing the transport of multiple sperm or medical cargoes to the area of interest, serving as potential anticoagulant agents to treat blood clots or other diseases in the circulatory system.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2982-2993
Number of pages12
JournalACS nano
Volume14
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 24 Mar 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 32096976
ORCID /0000-0003-0189-3448/work/161890295

Keywords

Keywords

  • anticoagulation, bloodstream, cargo delivery, heparin, rheotaxis, sperm micromotors