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Abstract A magnetic object subject to an external rotating magnetic field would be rotated due to the alignment tendency between its internal magnetization and the field. Based on this principle, 12 shapes of swimming microrobots around 1 mm long were designed and 3D-printed using biodegradable materials Poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEDGA). Their surface was decorated with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to provide magnetic responsivity. An array of 12 permanent magnets generated a rotating uniform magnetic field (∼100 mT) to impose magnetic torque, which induces a tumbling motion in the microrobot. We developed a dynamic model that captured the behavior of swimming microrobots of different shapes and showed good agreement with experimental results. Among these 12 shapes, we found that microrobots with equal length, width, and depth performed better. The observed translational speed of the hollow cube microrobot can exceed 17.84 mm s −1 (17.84 body lengths/s) under a rotating magnetic field of 5.26 Hz. These microrobots could swim to the targeted sites in a simplified vessel branch. And a finite element model was created to simulate the motion of the swimming microrobot under a flow rate of 0.062 m s −1 . 

Finding curable therapies for neurodegenerative disease (ND) is still a worldwide medical and clinical challenge. Recently, investigations have been made into the development of novel therapeutic techniques, and examples include the remote stimulation of nanocarriers to deliver neuroprotective drugs, genes, growth factors, and antibodies using a magnetic field and/or low-power lights. Among these potential nanocarriers, magneto-plasmonic nanoparticles possess obvious advantages, such as the functional restoration of ND models, due to their unique nanostructure and physiochemical properties. In this review, we provide an overview of the latest advances in magneto-plasmonic nanoparticles, and the associated therapeutic approaches to repair and restore brain tissues. We have reviewed their potential as smart nanocarriers, including their unique responsivity under remote magnetic and light stimulation for the controlled and sustained drug delivery for reversing neurodegenerations, as well as the utilization of brain organoids in studying the interaction between NPs and neuronal tissue. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the current progress, opportunities, and challenges of using these smart nanocarriers for programmable therapeutics to treat ND, and predict the mechanism and future directions.