Nature Biotechnology
volume 44, page 1281 (2026) Cite this article
Precise and efficient delivery of therapeutics to specific locations must overcome many physiological barriers. The gastrointestinal tract is particularly challenging owing to its dynamic tissue microenvironment, fluctuating pH, mucus layers and peristaltic motion. Writing in Science Advances, Rujie Sun and colleagues present a multistage engineering platform for targeted gastrointestinal drug delivery using magnetic microrobots and platelet membrane-coated nanoparticles, called p-bots.
Combining macroscale magnetic microrobots with microscale nanoparticles enabled the researchers to target and then navigate across multiple barriers. The microrobots contain an internal magnetic layer, enabling them to be guided externally to the site of interest. The platelet membrane-coated nanoparticles, protected during transit by a pH-responsive seal, are released when exposed to the natural pH gradient in the gastrointestinal tract.
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Correspondence to
Dario Ummarino.
Ummarino, D. Magnetic microrobots for gastrointestinal drug delivery.
Nat Biotechnol 44, 1281 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-026-03274-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-026-03274-2
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