Microalgae-Based Biohybrid Microrobot for Accelerated Diabetic Wound Healing

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Chronic diabetic wounds present significant challenges due to hypoxia and dysregulated immune responses.
• Current therapeutic platforms suffer from low delivery efficiency to deep wound sites.
• Novel strategies are needed to enhance therapeutic delivery and efficacy for diabetic wound healing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a microalgae-based biohybrid microrobot for accelerated diabetic wound healing.
• To investigate the microrobot's autonomous movement, oxygen generation, and chemokine binding capabilities.
• To evaluate the microrobot's efficacy in promoting wound closure and tissue regeneration in a diabetic mouse model.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microalgae-based biohybrid microrobots.
• Assessment of autonomous movement and oxygen generation in vitro.
• Evaluation of binding affinity to inflammatory chemokines (IL-8, MCP-1).
• Microfluidic studies to assess penetration in biomimetic wound models.
• In vivo testing on chronic wounds in diabetic mice without wound dressing.

Main Results:

• Microrobots exhibited autonomous movement at 33.3 µm/s and generated oxygen to alleviate hypoxia.
• Microrobots effectively bound to IL-8 and MCP-1, modulating immune responses.
• Enhanced penetration and retention were confirmed in biomimetic and real wound models.
• Complete wound healing in diabetic mice within 9 days was achieved.
• Significant reduction in inflammatory cytokines and a >20-fold increase in CD31+ cells (angiogenesis) were observed.

Conclusions:

• Microalgae-based biohybrid microrobots represent a promising platform for accelerated diabetic wound healing.
• The microrobots' active propulsion, oxygen generation, and immune modulation contribute to enhanced therapeutic outcomes.
• This technology offers a potential next-generation solution for treating complex chronic wounds.