Using lasers to precisely control white blood cells in living fish, researchers have demonstrated that some of the body’s native cells can be “remotely controlled” to accomplish a variety of tasks in a highly precise way. These tasks may someday include biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery and the precise treatment of inflammatory diseases.
The research team, which included Baojun Li, PhD, and Xianchuang Zheng, PhD, from Jinan University in China, successfully used light-controlled neutrophil “microcrafts” to guide intercellular connections, deliver nanomedicines, and eliminate cell debris in a targeted way. They reported their results in an ACS Central Science article (“Optically Manipulated Neutrophils as Native Microcrafts in Vivo”).
The researchers’ current work overcomes these obstacles. They used neutrophils—cells already present in the body—to avoid setting off an immune reaction. The neutrophils also have the natural ability to migrate through blood vessels and into adjacent tissues.
“Unlike traditional medical microdevices, this neutrophil microcraft is free from artificial microstructures and invasive implantation processes,” the researchers pointed out. “It exhibits high biocompatibility [and] minor immunogenicity.”
Earlier studies had shown that neutrophils could be guided with lasers in lab dishes, moving them around as “neutrobots.” But until now, the feasibility of this approach had not been explored in living animals.
In the current study, the researchers maneuvered neutrophils in the tails of live zebrafish, using focused laser beams as remote optical tweezers. The light-driven microrobots could be moved up to a velocity of 1.3 µm/s, which is three times faster than a neutrophil naturally moves.
They used the optical tweezers to precisely and actively control the functions that neutrophils conduct as part of the immune system. For example, they moved a neutrobot through a blood vessel wall into the surrounding tissue. They manipulated another one to pick up and transport a plastic nanoparticle, showing its potential for carrying medicine. And when the researchers pushed a neutrobot toward red blood cell debris, it engulfed the pieces. Surprisingly, at the same time, a different neutrophil, which wasn’t controlled by a laser, tried to naturally remove the cellular debris.
This work paves the way for the development of microrobots for in vivo biomedical applications, such as the targeted delivery of drugs and the precise treatment of diseases. “This concept [holds] great promise for the active execution of complex medical tasks in vivo, with great potential utility in the treatment of inflammatory diseases,” concluded the researchers.
News
Antibody engineering drives innovation in drug development
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are used to prevent, detect, and treat a broad spectrum of non-communicable and communicable diseases. Over the past few years, the market for mAbs has grown exponentially with an expected compound [...]
Breakthrough Study Reveals How Bladder Cancer Starts and Spreads
Researchers found that DNA mutations from antiviral enzymes and chemotherapy fuel early bladder cancer, while abnormal circular DNA in tumor cells drives resistance to therapy. These discoveries open new therapeutic avenues. A groundbreaking study led by [...]
AI and Quantum Mechanics Accelerate Drug Discovery
A recent article published in the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling researchers at Southern Methodist University (SMU) have developed SmartCADD, an open-source virtual tool designed to speed [...]
Targeting ‘undruggable’ diseases: Researchers reveal new levels of detail in targeted protein degradation
Researchers at the University of Dundee have revealed in the greatest detail yet the workings of molecules called protein degraders which can be deployed to combat what have previously been regarded as "undruggable" diseases, [...]
Revolutionizing Virology: AI Discovers Over 160,000 New RNA Viruses
Largest discovery of new virus species sheds light on the hidden virosphere. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to reveal details of a diverse and fundamental branch of life living right under our feet and in every [...]
Cardiac Crisis: COVID-19 Doubles Risk of Heart Attacks, Strokes, and Death
Research indicates that COVID-19 survivors face doubled risks of severe cardiac events for years after recovery, especially if hospitalized. People with A, B, or AB blood types are particularly vulnerable, highlighting the need for personalized approaches [...]
AI steps into science limelight with Nobel wins
For long periods of its history, artificial intelligence has lurked in the hinterland of science, often unloved and unfunded—but two Nobel prizes in one week suggest its time in the sunshine has finally arrived. [...]
MIT Scientists Shed New Light on the Critical Brain Connections That Define Consciousness
A new study provides further evidence that consciousness depends on communication between the brain’s sensory and cognitive regions in the cortex. Our brains are constantly making predictions about our surroundings, enabling us to focus [...]
Common Chemicals Found in Shampoo and Plastic Could Be Quietly Disrupting Your Heart’s Rhythm
UC study of Fernald data links environmental phenols to heart toxicities Environmental phenols are present in numerous everyday consumer products, serving as preservatives in packaged foods, parabens in shampoos, and bisphenol A (BPA) in [...]
Revolutionary Brain Tech Offers New Hope for Stroke and Injury Recovery
University of Pittsburgh researchers report that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can effectively enhance motor functions in individuals with arm and hand paralysis due to brain injuries, with promising results from early human and monkey [...]
NIH Scientists Discover Gene Responsible for Rare Eye Disease
Findings supported by the NIH pave the way for the development of genetic testing, clinical trials, and therapies. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators have discovered a gene linked to certain [...]
Alzheimer’s Breakthrough: Synthetic THC Pill Proves Effective in Clinical Trial
Patients tolerated synthetic THC (dronabinol) well, without the adverse effects commonly associated with existing Alzheimer’s agitation medications. A study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine found that a pill form [...]
The Future of Rare Disease Treatment with Precision Medicine
Understanding rare diseases Rare diseases affect less than 5 people out of 10,000. However, this still amounts to about 7% of the world’s population, with over 10,000 such conditions. Almost all are genetic in [...]
Doctors issue warning for upcoming ‘tripledemic
The term ‘tripledemic’ has hit headlines this week as the NHS begins its Covid and fluvaccine roll-out for vulnerable adults. As the cold weather sets in, many of us have experienced a decline in health, and this may [...]
The FDA approved a gel that can stop bleeding from wounds in seconds
Aug 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Cresilon's gel to quickly control bleeding, the privately held company said on Thursday, potentially giving emergency medical technicians and combat medics a [...]
High levels of microplastics found in prostate tumors, possibly linked to take-out food
The presence of microplastics in prostate tumors points to potential health risks, and researchers are calling for urgent studies to explore how take-out food may be driving this exposure. In a recent study published [...]