Multicompartment tubular micromotors toward enhanced localized active delivery

Summary

This engineering study creates a compartmentalized micromotor for active gastric delivery with spatially and temporally controlled cargo release. The tubular device places a zinc propellant segment at the rear and a cargo-loaded gelatin compartment at the front, protected by a pH-responsive cap. Gastric acid powers the zinc section, and changing its length tunes propulsion lifetime. Motion drives the cargo-bearing front end against the stomach wall, improving distribution and retention. After the device enters the gastric mucosa, where the local pH reaches at least 6, the cap dissolves and releases its cargo autonomously. In mice, model cargo was distributed more uniformly and retained in the gastric lining at roughly four times the level achieved by monocompartment motors, without apparent toxicity. Additional payload could be placed in the cap, permitting concurrent transport and sequential release of two cargos. The principal finding is that assigning propulsion, storage, and stimulus response to separate physical compartments improves localized delivery and enables staged combination treatment. Its significance is a more programmable micromotor architecture. The abstract does not demonstrate a disease treatment, quantify long-term safety or clearance, or establish performance with clinically relevant dual therapies.