Engineered Platelet-Based Micro/Nanomotors for Cancer Therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Therapy

Background:

• Engineered platelets offer therapeutic potential but face challenges in deep tissue penetration, particularly in tumors.
• Targeted drug delivery to solid tumors remains a significant hurdle in cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop engineered platelet micromotors for enhanced tumor targeting and deep tissue penetration.
• To investigate the efficacy of these platelet-based nanomotors for in vitro and in vivo tumor ablation.

Main Methods:

• Engineered platelet micromotors (PLT@PDA-DOX) were constructed using dopamine self-polymerization and loaded with doxorubicin (DOX).
• PLT@PDA-DOX utilizes platelet's natural targeting to cancer cells and releases secondary nanomotors (PMP@PDA-DOX) in the tumor microenvironment (TME).
• Near-infrared (NIR) light was used to activate the photothermal properties of polydopamine (PDA) for propulsion and deep penetration of micro/nanomotors.

Main Results:

• PLT@PDA-DOX demonstrated specific targeting to tumor sites via platelet-cancer cell binding.
• Activated PLT@PDA-DOX released PMP@PDA-DOX nanomotors in the TME.
• NIR-driven propulsion enabled deep penetration of both micromotors and nanomotors, leading to effective tumor ablation in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions:

• The developed PLT@PDA-DOX micromotors and PMP@PDA-DOX nanomotors show significant potential for targeted cancer therapy.
• The universal modification method and the biocompatibility of PDA offer a generalizable approach for engineering cells for disease treatment.
• This study presents a promising paradigm for utilizing engineered cells as propulsion-enabled therapeutic agents for improved disease management.