Chemotactic Zn micromotor for treatment of high blood ammonia-associated hepatic encephalopathy
Ye Feng,
Chao Gao,
Xiuyun Peng,
Bin Chen,
Miaomiao Ding,
Dailing Du,
Jinghui Rong,
Qi Lv,
Daniela A. Wilson,
Yingfeng Tu and
Fei Peng ()
Additional contact information
Ye Feng: Sun Yat-sen University
Chao Gao: Sun Yat-sen University
Xiuyun Peng: Lishui People’s Hospital
Bin Chen: Sun Yat-sen University
Miaomiao Ding: Sun Yat-sen University
Dailing Du: Sun Yat-sen University
Jinghui Rong: Sun Yat-sen University
Qi Lv: Sun Yat-sen University
Daniela A. Wilson: Radboud University
Yingfeng Tu: Southern Medical University
Fei Peng: Sun Yat-sen University
Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-22
Abstract:
Abstract Hepatic fibrosis involves hepatocyte damage, causing blood ammonia accumulation, which exacerbates liver pathology and crosses the blood-brain barrier, inducing hepatic encephalopathy. It is meaningful to construct a therapeutic platform for targeted ammonia clearance. In this work, a biocompatible water-powered Zn micromotor is constructed as an ammonia chemotaxis platform, which can be actuated by the water splitting reaction and the self-generated Zn2+ gradient. It can propel towards NH3·H2O source through the formation of complex ions [Zn(NH3)1](OH)+ and [Zn(NH3)2](OH)+, representing a generalizable chemotaxis strategy via coordination reaction. In vivo, biomimetic collective behavior allows precise navigation and reduction of the intrahepatic ammonia level, reshaping the pathological microenvironment. This mechanism, operating in a green, zero-waste manner, facilitates integration of these micromotors into the domain of biological regulation. Such environment environment-adaptive platform is favorable for targeted treatment of hepatic fibrosis and hepatic encephalopathy caused by hyperammonemia, which is expected to provide inspiration for future personalized and precision medicine.
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59650-0
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59650-0
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