Micro-robotic Therapeutics Delivery and Sensing for Brain Tumor Treatment (RoboT3)

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and lethal tumors, with a five-year survival rate of only 5–7%. Current therapies including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are often not successful in eliminating all tumor cells. 

In this project, we will develop wirelessly-controlled magnetic micro-robots that can be steered by external magnetic fields and propel through the brain precisely into the tumor under medical imaging feedback. Once inside the tumor, micro-robots can navigate within tumor tissue to deliver radioactive isotopes, chemotherapeutic agents, or immunotherapies to targeted sites precisely, enabling more comprehensive tumor treatment while minimizing adverse effects on surrounding healthy brain tissue. 

We plan to demonstrate, for the first time, micro-robot mediated brachytherapy in an animal tumor model. The micro-robots will also be equipped with sensing and biopsy functions to monitor how the tumor responds to the treatments. This highly interdisciplinary project will establish a new paradigm to access the deep brain in a minimally-invasive way, and treat hard-to-reach brain tumors with a more precise and targeted therapy.