Fig. 4: In vivo therapeutic efficacy and safety evaluation of drug-loaded algae robots administered via nebulization.

a Pseudo-colored SEM image of an algae robot functionalized with platelet membrane-coated vancomycin-loaded nanoparticles (denoted as ‘algae-PNP(Vanc)-robot’). Scale bar, 500 nm. b Quantification of Vanc loading amount at different algae robot input amounts (n = 3, mean ± s.d.). c Quantification of Vanc inhalation amount per lung after different nebulization times with algae-PNP(Vanc)-robot (n = 3, mean ± s.d.). d Bacterial load in the lungs of MRSA-infected mice after treatment with 1 × PBS buffer, algae-PNP(Vanc)-robot, static algae-PNP(Vanc), and PNP(Vanc) via 60 min of nebulization, as well as free Vanc at one dosage of 8.5 µg and two clinical dosages of 30 mg kg⁻¹ via IV administration (n = 6, n represent the number of individual mice, geometric mean ± s.d.). e Survival of MRSA-infected mice after treatment with 1 × PBS buffer, algae-PNP(Vanc)-robot, static algae-PNP(Vanc), and PNP(Vanc) via 60 min of nebulization, as well as free Vanc at one dosage of 8.5 µg and two clinical dosages of 30 mg kg⁻¹ via IV administration (n = 6, n represent the number of individual mice). f Comprehensive blood chemistry panels conducted 1 day after 60 min of nebulization administration with 1 × PBS buffer or 1, 7, and 14 days after 60 min of nebulization administration with algae-PNP(Vanc)-robot (n = 3, mean ± s.d.). g Counts of various blood cells conducted 1 day after 60 min of nebulization administration with 1 × PBS buffer or 1, 7, and 14 days after 60 min of nebulization administration with algae-PNP(Vanc)-robot (n = 3, mean ± s.d.). h Haematoxylin and eosin staining of histology sections from major organs 1, 7, and 14 days after 60 min of nebulization administration with 1 × PBS buffer or algae-PNP(Vanc)-robot. Scale bar, 200 μm. Independent experiments were performed (n =  3) with similar results. Statistical analysis was performed using repeated-measure one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for (d) and using the log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test for (e). NS: P > 0.05, ***P ≤ 0.001, ****P ≤ 0.0001.