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Hybrid Biodegradable Nanomotors through Compartmentalized Synthesis
Imke A B Pijpers1, Shoupeng Cao1, Antoni Llopis-Lorente1
1Department of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Institute of Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Het Kranenveld 14, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Nano Letters
|May 20, 2020
Summary
Biodegradable hybrid nanomotors were engineered using inorganic nanoparticles within organic shells, offering a stable alternative to enzyme-based systems for biomedical applications. These nanomotors demonstrate functionality and tumor penetration in cellular environments.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Autonomous nanomachinery for biomedical applications faces challenges in biodegradability and biocompatibility.
- Enzyme-based nanomotors are susceptible to degradation and deactivation in biological settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop proteolytically stable, biodegradable hybrid nanomotors for biomedical applications.
- To engineer nanomotors capable of autonomous motion and energy transduction in biological environments.
Main Methods:
- Assembly of hybrid nanomotors via compartmentalized synthesis of manganese dioxide nanoparticles (MnPs) within organic stomatocytes.
- Evaluation of nanomotor activity and biocompatibility in cellular environments.
- Assessment of nanomotor tumor penetration capabilities.
Main Results:
- Successfully constructed hybrid biodegradable nanomotors transducing chemical energy into motion.
- Demonstrated nanomotor activity and stability within cellular environments without compromising cell viability.
- Showcased effective tumor penetration of the hybrid nanomotors in proof-of-principle experiments.
Conclusions:
- Hybrid nanomotors offer a proteolytically stable and biodegradable alternative to enzyme-based systems.
- Engineered nanomotors retain functionality in biological contexts, presenting new prospects for nanomedicine.
- These nanomotors show potential for targeted delivery and therapeutic applications in oncology.
