Micromotors deliver therapeutic materials to mouse’s stomach
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028579
BBC : For the first time, powerful microscale motors have been tested in a living organism. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, report in the journal ACS Nano that they successfully inserted artificial micromotors, consisting of zinc-coated polymer tubes just 20 μm long, into the stomach of a mouse. The zinc reacted with the stomach acid and produced hydrogen bubbles that propelled the tiny machines into the stomach lining. As the machines dissolved, they released their cargo. The researchers believe that such artificial micromotors, which convert energy into movement, could deliver drugs much more effectively than conventional medicines, which rely on passive diffusion. The method could one day be used to treat peptic ulcers and other illnesses.
