Self-propelling micro-/nano-motors: Mechanisms, applications, and challenges in drug delivery

In recent times, numerous efforts have been put forward to fabricating the self-propelling micro-/nano-motors (MNMs) for various applications, such as drug delivery, environmental remediation, biosensing, and precision surgery at the micro-/nanoscale, among others. Owing to their potential advantages, the application of such innovative architectures has been increasingly recognized towards addressing various challenges in the related fields. Specifically, these MNMs offer enormous potential in nanomedicine in overcoming the significant challenge of low permeation of the biological barriers. Herein, we emphasize the powered mechanism of MNMs, including artificial and natural-based MNMs, and discuss the characteristics, as well as the challenges being faced by MNMs in drug delivery. Further, the research progress of MNMs as drug carriers in different environments (gastrointestinal tract, saliva, urinary bladder, blood, and extracellular matrix, ECM) of the body in recent years is summarized, highlighting the representative works on MNMs towards in vivo applications. Together, we firmly believe that these innovative MNMs-based designs may play a crucial role in the clinical practice in the future.

Automated summary

Self-propelling micro-/nano-motors (MNMs) show enormous potential in various applications, such as drug delivery, by overcoming the challenge of low permeation of biological barriers. Research progress and application of these innovative motor designs are expected to play a crucial role in future clinical practice.