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Living Microalgae-Based Magnetic Microrobots for Calcium Overload and Photodynamic Synergetic Cancer Therapy
Shuai Jiang1, Bo Hao2, Xin Song2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Abstract:
The combination of Ca2+ overload and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production for cancer therapy offers a superior solution to the lack of specificity in traditional antitumor strategies. However, current therapeutic platforms for this strategy are primarily based on non-targeting nanomaterials, leading to undesirable off-target side effects. Additionally, resistance to ROS and apoptosis induced by the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) further limits therapeutic efficiency. Herein, a magnetic microrobot based on living Spirulina Platensis (SP), which is coated with a double layer of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and CaCO3 NPs. The microrobots can accumulate in tumor regions under magnetic attraction, which produces a high-Ca2+ environment under the acidic TME and facilitates Ca2+ overload under ultrasound (US) stimulation. Meanwhile, sufficient oxygen (O2) production by photosynthesis helps alleviate hypoxia and promotes in situ ROS production by chlorophyll-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT), which can coordinate with Ca2+ overload to induce cell apoptosis. With these unique properties, the SP-based microrobots offer a promising microrobotics-based strategy for in situ Ca2+ accumulation and ROS production, contributing to a precise and effective way for cancer treatment.
Insights
Magnetic microrobots made from Spirulina Platensis (SP) offer a novel cancer therapy. These microrobots target tumors, overload cells with calcium (Ca2+), and produce oxygen to enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS) therapy.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Cancer Therapy
Background:
- Traditional cancer therapies lack specificity, causing off-target side effects.
- Combining calcium overload and reactive oxygen species (ROS) shows promise but faces challenges like tumor microenvironment (TME) hypoxia and resistance.
- Existing platforms often use non-targeting nanomaterials, limiting therapeutic precision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a targeted and effective cancer therapeutic platform.
- To overcome limitations of current Ca2+ overload and ROS-based cancer strategies.
- To utilize a living microrobot system for enhanced tumor treatment.
Main Methods:
- Engineered magnetic microrobots using living Spirulina Platensis (SP).
- Coated SP with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and CaCO3 NPs for magnetic targeting and Ca2+ delivery.
- Utilized magnetic attraction for tumor accumulation, acidic TME for Ca2+ release, ultrasound (US) for Ca2+ overload, and photosynthesis for oxygen production to aid ROS generation via photodynamic therapy (PDT).
Main Results:
- Microrobots successfully accumulated in tumor regions via magnetic guidance.
- The acidic TME and US stimulation facilitated Ca2+ overload in tumor cells.
- Photosynthesis by SP provided oxygen, enhancing in situ ROS production and promoting apoptosis through coordinated Ca2+ overload and PDT.
Conclusions:
- Living microrobots based on SP offer a promising strategy for precise cancer treatment.
- The system effectively combines Ca2+ overload and ROS production for enhanced antitumor effects.
- This microrobotics-based approach addresses TME challenges and improves therapeutic specificity and efficiency.
