Biodegradable Core–Shell Magnetic Microrobots With High Cell Capacity for Precise Co‐Delivery of Stem Cells and Bioactive Molecules

Cell-loaded magnetic microrobots hold promise for the targeted delivery of stem cells in tissue regeneration. However, achieving high cell-loading capacity alongside effective co-delivery of functional bioactive molecules remains a major challenge. Herein, we present a biodegradable magnetic microrobot featuring a core-shell architecture, designed to co-deliver stem cells and bioactive molecules. These microrobots are fabricated using a rotation-induced inertial focusing technique, which allows control over their size and morphology while significantly enhancing cell-loading capacity. The core, composed of a biodegradable magnetic microsphere (MMS), enables external magnetic navigation and sustained drug release, while the outer shell, formed by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), ensures therapeutic viability. The microrobots demonstrate robust magnetic maneuverability and spatial control even in complex and viscous environments. We validated their efficacy in both a rabbit in vivo model and an ex vivo human cartilage model, where co-delivery of MSCs and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β) led to significant improvements in cartilage repair and functional tissue regeneration. This biodegradable core-shell microrobot offers a scalable, multifunctional platform for efficient co-delivery of cells and bioactive molecules, with strong potential for clinical translation in regenerative medicine.

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Publication Details

Journal
Small
Published
2026-06-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.74212
Primary Topic
Micro and Nano Robotics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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Biodegradable Core–Shell Magnetic Microrobots With High Cell Capacity for Precise Co‐Delivery of Stem Cells and Bioactive Molecules

Ye Xu, Hongxing Jia, Penghui Nie, Tan Tang et al.
Small
Micro and Nano Robotics
article

Biodegradable Core–Shell Magnetic Microrobots With High Cell Capacity for Precise Co‐Delivery of Stem Cells and Bioactive Molecules

Ye Xu, Hongxing Jia, Penghui Nie, Tan Tang, Tujun Weng, Qi Zhang, Han Gao, Yu Hu, Lanyu Xing, Yuqiong Wang
article en

Abstract

Cell-loaded magnetic microrobots hold promise for the targeted delivery of stem cells in tissue regeneration. However, achieving high cell-loading capacity alongside effective co-delivery of functional bioactive molecules remains a major challenge. Herein, we present a biodegradable magnetic microrobot featuring a core-shell architecture, designed to co-deliver stem cells and bioactive molecules. These microrobots are fabricated using a rotation-induced inertial focusing technique, which allows control over their size and morphology while significantly enhancing cell-loading capacity. The core, composed of a biodegradable magnetic microsphere (MMS), enables external magnetic navigation and sustained drug release, while the outer shell, formed by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), ensures therapeutic viability. The microrobots demonstrate robust magnetic maneuverability and spatial control even in complex and viscous environments. We validated their efficacy in both a rabbit in vivo model and an ex vivo human cartilage model, where co-delivery of MSCs and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β) led to significant improvements in cartilage repair and functional tissue regeneration. This biodegradable core-shell microrobot offers a scalable, multifunctional platform for efficient co-delivery of cells and bioactive molecules, with strong potential for clinical translation in regenerative medicine.

Small
Zhejiang International Studies University (CN), Peking University (CN), Chinese PLA General Hospital (CN), Peking University First Hospital (CN), Beihang University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Micro and Nano Robotics
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