Spatially controlled molecular encapsulation in natural pine pollen microcapsules

Abstract

The loading of multiple drugs into a single carrier is an effective advanced clinical therapeutic for various diseases. Here, by exploiting the architectural features of natural pine pollen from Pinus massoniana, the spatially controlled encapsulation of two types of molecules in distinct compartments of a single microparticulate carrier is demonstrated. By simple vacuum and passive loading, diverse molecules such as proteins, organic dyes, and a drug are effectively encapsulated into the pollen microcapsule in binary fashion. This technique represents an advancement toward the use of natural pollen grains as a multifunctional molecular vehicle for functional drug delivery systems and innovative theranostic microdevices.