Micro/Nanorobots for Combating Brain Disorders: Challenges, Advances, and Perspectives.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Brain disorders represent a major global health challenge.
• Current treatments face limitations like poor drug penetration and central nervous system barriers.
• Innovative therapeutic strategies are urgently needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review challenges in treating brain disorders.
• To highlight micro/nanorobots (MNRs) as a novel therapeutic platform.
• To discuss the role of MNRs in overcoming delivery obstacles.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature on MNRs for brain disorders.
• Analysis of MNR propulsion principles (self-propulsion and external actuation).
• Examination of image guidance and real-time tracking in MNR applications.

Main Results:

• MNRs enable targeted delivery with high precision, addressing conventional treatment limitations.
• Various propulsion methods (chemical, biohybrid, acoustic, optical, electric, magnetic) are detailed.
• Image guidance and tracking are crucial for clinical translation of MNRs.

Conclusions:

• MNRs show significant promise for revolutionizing brain disorder treatments.
• Further development and clinical translation are essential for realizing their full potential.
• Advanced MNR technology can reshape therapeutic paradigms for neurological conditions.