Bio-inspired nitric-oxide-driven nanomotor

Abstract

Current chemical-fuel-driven nanomotors are driven by gas (e.g. H2, O2, NH3) which only provides motion ability, and can produce waste (e.g. Mg(OH)2, Pt). Here, inspired by endogenous biochemical reactions in the human body involving conversion of amino acid L-arginine to nitric oxide (NO) by NO synthase (NOS) or reactive oxygen species (ROS), we report on a nanomotor made of hyperbranched polyamide/L-arginine (HLA). The nanomotor utilizes L-arginine as fuel for the production of NO both as driving force and to provide beneficial effects, including promoting endothelialisation and anticancer effects, along with other beneficial by-products. In addition, the HLA nanomotors are fluorescent and can be used to monitor the movement of nanomotors in vivo in the future. This work presents a zero-waste, self-destroyed and self-imaging nanomotor with potential biological application for the treatment of various diseases in different tissues including blood vessels and tumours.