Laura Tran in The Scientist:
The lungs are a prominent target for cancer metastasis. Traditional drug delivery methods rely on passive diffusion, but Joseph Wang and Liangfang Zhang, both nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego, wanted to test active and targeted systems. In a new study, the duo explored the potential of using green algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, as a promising platform for drug delivery because it self-propels, carries cargo on its surface, and is biocompatible.1 “This active propulsion plays an important role in improving the efficacy,” said Zhang.
Their findings, published in Science Advances, described the development of biohybrid microrobots from green algae laden with chemotherapeutic drugs which reduced lung metastasis burden and prolonged survival time in mice.2 Enhancing microalgae with additional functionalities could further improve drug delivery strategies.
More here.
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