Bridging In Vitro and In Vivo: Decellularized Plant-Based Vascular Networks for Magnetically Guided Microswarm Manipulation

An ex vivo platform that can simulate physiological vascular environments while maintaining experimental accessibility is essential for developing effective magnetically guided microswarm delivery systems and transitioning them from a laboratory concept to a practical therapeutic tool. In this article, we present a novel platform that uses decellularized spinach leaves as engineered vascular networks to manipulate magnetic microswarm. Through quantitative characterization, including structural integrity analysis, optical transparency measurements, and perfusion studies, we validate the platform’s suitability for microswarm manipulation. Integrating a customized permanent magnetic control system and machine learning-based visual tracking, we demonstrate four key maneuvers for targeted therapeutic applications within the proposed platform, including forward motion, backward motion, selective branch navigation, and localized aggregation at targeted sites. This physiologically relevant yet accessible platform establishes a crucial bridge between in vitro models and in vivo systems. Specifically, it enables the systematic development, quantitative evaluation, and control strategy implementation of magnetically guided microswarm, potentially accelerating the development of magnetic microswarm-based targeted therapy systems. Note to Practitioners—Magnetic microswarm holds great potential for high-throughput targeted therapies. This article presents an easy-to-process, cost-effective, physiologically relevant, and accessible alternative to facilitate research on microswarm behaviors and accelerate related applications.