Thrombus Boring Microrobot Prepared by an Integrated Phase Separation and Interfacial Self‐Assembly Process Toward Thrombolysis

Abstract

Abstract The pathological formation of thrombi is the primary etiological factor of acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, accounting for one‐quarter of global fatalities. Traditional thrombolytic drugs are constrained by short half‐life, low utilization, and severe complications. Inspired by the tunnel boring machine to excavate strata into small rocks, we report urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA)‐modified thrombus boring microrobots (uTBMs), prepared by a one‐step integrated phase separation and interfacial self‐assembly process, for effective thrombolysis. The uTBMs are composed of microspheres capped with dual‐layered structures of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and cilia nanostructures. In situ observation reveals the integrated phase separation and interfacial self‐assembly process of the uTBM within an emulsion droplet. The capped layer of MNPs allows for controllable motion and rotation behavior under the manipulation of a remote magnetic field. The uPA‐modified cilia nanostructures grasp and degrade the fibrin network, synergizing with the uTBMs rotation to mechanically excavate blood cells from thrombus individually, achieving ∼8.5‐fold higher thrombolytic efficacy than uPA alone. This research demonstrates the feasibility of controllably fabricating and modifying complex‐structured microrobots via the simple process toward potential thrombus therapy.