Engineered Probiotic-Powered Micro-Rod Robot Bomb for Thrombus-Penetrating Explosion
Abstract
Conventional thrombolytic agents demonstrated limited efficacy in treating thrombotic disorders characterized by narrow therapeutic windows and progressive vascular injury, lacking the required precision, timeliness, and treatment durability. Here an engineered probiotic powered micro-rod robot for targeted and penetrative treatment for thrombus is developed. This micro-rod robot (SrEcNPL) using natural probiotics as bio-carriers, functionalized with thrombolytic carbon nanotubes and platelet membrane-coated nanoparticles loaded with targeted vasodilators. The robot exploits the rapid movement of probiotics, combined with the active targeting ability of the platelet membrane, to achieve rapid and precise drug delivery to thrombus tissue. Based on the natural rod-shaped structure of probiotics, SrEcNPL can deeply penetrate thrombus tissue, achieving faster thrombolysis efficiency. The thrombolytic micro-robot combines thrombus-targeting capability with prolonged circulation time and controlled vasodilation, maintaining vascular patency and inhibiting secondary thrombus. Results indicate that this micro-robot can quickly and accurately target and penetrate thrombus tissue, extending the biological half-life of thrombolytic drugs by ≈332 times and enabling sustained thrombolysis. This novel dual-pronged combined thrombolytic therapy has significant scientific implications for treating thrombotic diseases with narrow therapeutic windows caused by vascular injury.