Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 14, 2025
Magnetic-, Acoustic-, and Optical-Triple-Responsive Microbubbles for Magnetic Hyperthermia and Pothotothermal Combination Cancer Therapy
Published on: May 22, 2020
Micro/nanomotor development towards enhanced cancer therapy.
Qi Guo1, Hong Wang1, Hongyuan Hao1
1State Key Laboratory of New Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of the Ministry of Education, Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Hebei Province & College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, P. R. China. leo-liudan@163.com.
Micro/nanomotors offer a revolutionary approach to cancer therapy by enabling active drug delivery and overcoming tumor microenvironment challenges. These smart nanomaterials promise enhanced treatment efficacy and reduced toxicity for precision oncology.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer therapy faces challenges with traditional drug delivery and the tumor microenvironment.
- Micro/nanomotors, nanomaterials with autonomous motion, present a transformative solution for precision oncology.
- These motors overcome limitations of passive carriers for enhanced cancer treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advancements in micro/nanomotors for cancer therapy.
- To categorize motors by driving mechanisms and explore their therapeutic potential.
- To highlight applications in targeted delivery, combinatorial therapy, and immune activation.
Main Methods:
- Systematic categorization of micro/nanomotors based on driving mechanisms: chemical, physical, multifield-coupled, and bio-hybrid.
- Elaboration on design principles, energy-conversion mechanisms, and cancer-specific applications for each category.
- Analysis of technical advantages in addressing tumor microenvironment challenges.
Main Results:
- Chemical-driven motors (bubbles, self-electrophoresis, enzymes) offer unique propulsion methods.
- Physical-driven motors (magnetic, ultrasonic, light) provide external control and targeted action.
- Multifield-coupled and bio-hybrid systems demonstrate synergistic therapeutic potential.
Conclusions:
- Micro/nanomotors enable active tumor penetration, targeted delivery, and controlled therapy, enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity.
- Diverse driving mechanisms offer tailored solutions for specific challenges within the tumor microenvironment.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial to translate micro/nanomotor technology into effective clinical cancer treatments.
