Micro-swimmers for Drug Delivery System

Context – Scientists and researchers came up with the ways that can be used in micro-swimmers in future drug delivery

It has now become possible to use light as a fuel to move microbots in real ­body conditions with intelligent drug ­delivery that is selectively sensitive to can­cer cells.

What are Microswimmers?

• They are tiny, microscopic objects that can move through tiny viscous body fluids.
• They are made from the two-dimensional compound poly (heptazine imide) carbon nitride.
• Their existence is persisted by numerous shapes.
• Spherical micro-swimmers can self-propel, energized by lights.

How do Microswimmers function?

• In a solar cell, the incident light is converted to electrons and holes on the surface of the swimmers, and they react to form ions.
• The ions motion around the particles and make the fluid flow around it that in turn, cause micro-swimmers to move.
• The body fluids and dissolved salts in blood along with the salt ions stop the reaction ions to move freely.
• When these ions are passed through the pores of carbon nitride, they leave little or no resistance.
• The researchers have concluded that the drug release could also be activated by testing with Doxorubicin.

Applications of Microswimmers:

• In the field of biomedical applications that include: Cargo transport, Drug delivery, Sensing, Artificial insemination, Indirect manipulation of cells, Microsurgery.
• Although microswimmers are a vision of the future and will only work under the most optimal conditions, the basic research could pave the way toward light-controlled and biocompatible materials, as well as intelligent semi-autonomous systems, with applications also for other technologies.

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