Magnetic-acoustic sequentially actuated CAR T cell microrobots for precision navigation and in-situ antitumour immunoactivation

Here we describe a CAR T cell-based live microrobot (M-CAR T) created by decorating CAR T with immunomagnetic beads using click conjugation. M-CAR Ts are capable of magnetic-acoustic actuation for precision tumour targeting and in-situ activation of antitumour immune responses.

Sequential actuation endows M-CAR Ts with magnetically actuated anti-flow and obstacle avoidance capabilities as well as tumour tissue penetration driven by acoustic propulsion, enabling efficient migration and accumulation in artificial tumour models. In animal models, sequentially actuated M-CAR Ts achieved long-distance targeting and accumulated at the peritumoural area under programmable magnetic guidance, and subsequently acoustic tweezers actuated M-CAR Ts to migrate into deep tumour tissues, resulting in a 6.6-fold increase in accumulated exogenous CD8+ CAR T cells compared with that with no actuation.