Micromotor Pills as a Dynamic Oral Delivery Platform

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Recent advances in micromotor technology enable in vivo biomedical applications.
• Effective in vivo administration strategies for micromotors are crucial but underdeveloped.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a micromotor pill for in vivo oral delivery of active micromotors.
• To assess the platform's ability to protect, deliver, and release micromotors in the stomach.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a micromotor pill containing magnesium-based micromotors and inactive excipients.
• In vivo studies in a mouse model to evaluate pill performance and micromotor behavior.
• Assessment of micromotor propulsion, cargo retention, and stability under storage conditions.

Main Results:

• The micromotor pill successfully protected active micromotors during oral delivery and released them in a concentrated manner in the stomach.
• Released micromotors exhibited unimpeded propulsion in gastric fluid, maintaining in vitro performance.
• The platform demonstrated superior cargo retention in the stomach compared to free micromotors and passive microparticles.
• Micromotor pills and loaded micromotors showed stability after storage in harsh conditions.

Conclusions:

• The micromotor pill serves as an effective platform for in vivo oral administration of active micromotors.
• This approach combines the benefits of traditional pills with micromotor propulsion for enhanced biomedical delivery.
• The developed platform holds promise for future in vivo micromotor-based therapeutic and diagnostic applications.