Collagenase motors in gelatine-based hydrogels

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Micromotors offer advantages over Brownian motion for traversing biological barriers like the extracellular matrix.
• Effective drug delivery systems are crucial for treating diseases, requiring efficient transport across complex biological environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the propulsion velocity of silica particle-based micromotors functionalized with poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) polymer brushes for enhanced collagenase loading.
• To systematically analyze the influence of gelatine viscosity, motor size, and morphology on micromotor speed.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of silica particle-based micromotors functionalized with poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) polymer brushes.
• Loading of collagenase onto the functionalized micromotors.
• Systematic investigation of motor propulsion in gelatine hydrogels of varying viscosity and stiffness.
• Characterization of motor size (500 nm and 1 μm) and morphology effects on speed.

Main Results:

• Micromotors functionalized with polymer brushes demonstrated enhanced collagenase-loading capacity.
• Propulsion velocity was significantly influenced by gelatine viscosity and motor characteristics.
• 500 nm and 1 μm micromotors achieved speeds up to approximately 15 μm s^-1 in stiff gelatine hydrogels when activated by calcium.
• Motor speed was comparable between 500 nm and 1 μm sizes under tested conditions.

Conclusions:

• Collagenase-based micromotors show significant potential for navigating the extracellular matrix.
• These self-propelled motors represent a promising platform for efficient and targeted drug delivery applications.
• The findings provide valuable insights for designing advanced micromotor systems for biomedical applications.