Magnetic CAR-NK Microrobots Navigate to Solid Tumors at Therapeutic Doses
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Researchers have turned CAR-NK cells into biohybrid microrobots by loading them with magnetic nanoparticles, enabling external magnetic navigation to tumors at therapeutic doses in vivo. Programmable magnetic fields switch the cell swarms between vortex mode, for long-distance targeted transport, and ribbon mode, for broad dispersion over the target site. In mice and nonhuman primates with metastatic leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, intrathecal injection followed by magnetic guidance through the spinal canal delivered the microrobots into the brain's cerebrospinal fluid space, with real-time angiographic imaging confirming navigation in a nonhuman primate model. Published in Science Advances, the work demonstrates swarm control and imaging-verified delivery in large animals. Translating the approach into human patients, including safety and efficacy in people, remains untested.
Written by a model from the reports · updated 3 hours ago
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- Sci AdvPickTherapeutic-scale CAR-NK microrobots with programmable swarm navigation for targeted solid tumor therapy.
CAR-NK cells loaded with magnetic nanoparticles become biohybrid microrobots that can be magnetically navigated to tumors at therapeutic doses in mice and nonhuman primates in vivo. Programmable magnetic fields switch their swarms between vortex mode for long-distance targeted transport and ribbon mode for broad dispersion over the target site. In metastatic leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, intrathecal injection followed by magnetic guidance through the spinal canal delivered the microrobots to the brain's cerebrospinal fluid space, with real-time angiographic imaging confirming navigation in a nonhuman primate model.
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