Soft, Degradable, and Magnetic Microcarriers for Encapsulation and Guided Transport of Drugs and 3D Spheroids
Abstract
ABSTRACT Soft microcarriers hold great potential for biomedical applications, yet their translation is limited by the lack of controlled degradation, restricted capacity for co‐encapsulation of therapeutic and cellular cargos, long‐term biocompatibility, and scalable production challenges. Here, we introduce a new concept of discrete, degradable hydrogel microcarriers, produced via droplet‐based microfluidics and UV photopolymerization, designed to integrate these properties. These soft microcarriers enable co‐encapsulation of multiple species, including magnetic particles, drugs, and living cell spheroids, while allowing precise motion control over complex trajectories using external gradient magnetic fields. Their tunable degradation under physiological conditions ensures transient stability, controlled navigation, and safe clearance. This approach provides spatiotemporal control over cargo transport and release, enabling the microcarriers to function as systems with a controllable lifecycle. These multifunctional microcarriers represent a versatile platform for tissue engineering, minimally invasive therapies, and diagnostic monitoring, enhanced by the precise in situ navigation option.
Article Details
Authors (19)
Xuan Peng
Lulu Song
State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology
Daryna Mruga
Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the NAS of Ukraine Kyiv Ukraine
Veronika Bakhmat
Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the NAS of Ukraine Kyiv Ukraine
Sergei Dzyadevych
Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the NAS of Ukraine Kyiv Ukraine
Lin Guo
Shahrukh Shakeel
Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf e.V. Dresden Germany
Rico Illing
Olha Bezsmertna
Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf e.V. Dresden Germany
Xiaotao Wang
Nicholas R. Posselli
Department of Biomechanical Engineering University of Twente Enschede The Netherlands
Sarthak Misra
Sandra Hauser
Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf e.V. Dresden Germany
Jens Pietzsch
Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf e.V. Dresden Germany
Klaus Kopka
Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf e.V. Dresden Germany
Denys Makarov
Željko Janićijević
Xinne Zhao
Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf e.V. Dresden Germany
Larysa Baraban