Magnetic nanorobots in oncology: From targeted drug delivery to smart theranostic systems

Abstract

This review focuses on the application of magnetic nanorobots (MNRs) in tumor therapy. We first introduce the MNR-mediated drug delivery strategy, which loads anti-tumor agents and actively targets tumor sites. Leveraging the unique physicochemical properties of their constituent materials, MNRs enable controlled drug release in response to specific internal or external stimuli. Meanwhile, the near-infrared (NIR)-responsive components generate photothermal conversion for photothermal therapy (PTT) while released metal ions catalyze the Fenton reaction to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby inducing tumor cell death via chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Nevertheless, clinical translation of MNRs remains hindered by challenges related to biocompatibility, scalable manufacturing, real-time imaging and in vivo tracking. To address these issues, this review systematically summarizes recent representative studies on material design, new assessment system, and multimodal synergistic treatments. We also discuss emerging efforts integrating deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize navigation and therapeutic efficacy. We aim to provide a comprehensive perspective on the path to clinical application by outlining current bottlenecks and potential solutions. This review is expected to offer new insights for further development of MNRs in precision cancer therapy.