Innovative biodegradable biohybrid targeted therapy for intracranial tumours

The world’s first magnetically driven nonimmunogenic blood hydrogel fibre robot for treatment of deep-seated brain tumours have been successfully developed by a collaborative research team from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the Shenzhen University and the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT).

“This innovative, magnetically driven blood biohybrid hydrogel fibre [BBHF] robotic system integrates cutting-edge technologies from multiple disciplines, including biomaterials and intelligent microrobotics,” noted Professor Li Zhang from CUHK’s Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, leader of the research team.

Devising a safe, noninvasive, precise and efficient treatment for tumours in deep-seated brain regions or near functional areas has been challenging to date. “By integrating a high-precision magnetic control system with real-time imaging tracking, the interdisciplinary team navigated the blood hydrogel fibre robot efficiently and accurately to lesions within complex environments such as cerebrospinal fluid [CSF], establishing a new paradigm for automated application of microrobots in medical therapy,” said Dr Tiantian Xu of SIAT, a member of the research team.

 “The interdisciplinary team has been studying nanorobotic thrombolysis for years. During the exploration of the soft structure of thrombi, we developed a gel robot derived from the patient’s own blood, which not only possesses a low modulus matching that of human brain tissue, but also has the ability to swim through both narrow and deep cavities,” explained Professor Ben Wang of Shenzhen University’s College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, first author of the study. “More importantly, as the material is sourced autologously, it effectively avoids immune rejection and greatly enhances future clinical applicability.”

The in vivo intracranial tumour therapy was developed and successfully applied in pigs using BBHFs loaded with doxorubicin at the SIAT-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent Systems. The magnetized BBHFs were fabricated with fibrin extracted from autologous blood, followed by gelation with magnetic nanoparticles, and loading with doxorubicin. The drug-loaded carriers were then transcatheterally deployed into the CSF of pigs with intracranial tumours. [Nat Biomed Eng 2025;doi.org/10.1038/s41551-025-01382-z]

The magnetized BBHFs, capable of multimodal locomotion (including swinging, crawling and rolling) through remote control using an external magnetic field, were navigated through the intricate and dynamic environment of the CSF or on the brain’s surface. The integration of a magnetic field unit with X-ray fluoroscopic imaging enabled precise and real-time tracking of the BBHFs during targeted intracranial delivery, specifically towards tumour sites within the skull. Upon reaching their target, these BBHFs underwent rapid splitting triggered by a high-strength magnetic field, facilitating efficient release of the therapeutic agent (doxorubicin) for effective brain tumour inhibition.