Tubular Micromotors Functionalized with Doxorubicin-Loaded Liposomes for Drug Delivery and Light-Triggered Release

Micro/nanomotors hold great promise as self-propelled platforms for targeted drug delivery. In this study, we report the fabrication of urease (Ure)-powered polymer tube micromotors functionalized with doxorubicin-loaded liposomes (DoxL) on their outer surface (DoxL/Ure tube micromotors) and evaluate their light-triggered drug release and anticancer efficacy. The micromotors exhibited autonomous propulsion in a urea solution while retaining surface-adsorbed liposomes. Upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, localized photothermal heating elevated the temperature beyond the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition threshold of the liposomes, inducing rapid Dox release. When introduced into a urea-supplemented breast cancer cell culture, the self-propulsive motion of the micromotors enhanced the cell interactions. Subsequent NIR irradiation triggered localized Dox release near the cancer cells, resulting in efficient cell death. The DoxL/Ure tube micromotors, offering high-capacity drug loading and light-responsive, on-demand release, represent a promising biotechnological tool for precision-targeted cancer therapy.