A group of researchers has finally done the seemingly impossible, and they have created microscopic sized nanobots capable of swimming through blood, finding cancerous cells and deliver medicine right into the affected areas.
This innovation is a new beginning in targeted cancer therapy which is likely to change the future of cancer treatment and administration of drugs by doctors.
The Birth of the Nanobot Doctor.
The concept of mini robots traveling around the human body is not new to science fiction. However, now with the growth of nanotechnology and biomedical engineering, it is becoming a reality in science.
The way Nanobots Get around the Bloodstream.
These nanobots are directed by external magnetic waves similar to those that control remote-controlled swimmers and this enables scientists to direct them exactly through the blood to particular organs or tumors.
These miniature machines flow freely in plasma, without implying collisions with cells and evolving to the natural blood flow - an engineering work that resembles the movement of bacteria or sperm cells in the body.
Bringing the Medicine to a Cellular Level.
Conventional chemotherapy targets the whole body, which in most cases destroys the healthy cells leading to side effects. Nanobots aim to change that.
The nanobots contain drug payloads - microscopic quantities of drug-carrying nanoparticles that do not release medication until they come in contact with cancerous cells.
The nanobots identify the cancerous tissue using sensors and chemical recognition technology that uses unique molecular markers on the cell surface. When they are detected, they release the drug in the area where it is needed and this causes the least damage to the surrounding tissues.
This approach would enable the treatment of cancer faster, safer, and even more effective than the current treatment options.
Constructed out of Biocompatible Materials.
The nanobots are fabricated using such materials as silicon, gold and biodegradable polymers which would make sure that the bots dissolve or go through the body once they have achieved their task.
They are biocompatibilized with enzymes to allow free passage in the blood vessels without rejection of the immune system.
The Magnetic Control Effectiveness.
The nanobots are controlled by the scientists with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or external magnetic coils, and they form real-time maps of their location within the body.
This enables high accuracy in navigation - sending bots to the part of the body that is deep in the body, a space that is unreachable even by micro-surgery.
Why This Discovery Matters
Such nanobot technology is a radical step towards delivering drugs and treating cancer.
The existing methods of treating cancer are based on the delivery of certain drugs throughout the organism - they are flooded by chemicals that also damage normal tissues. Nanobots offers
• Identify accuracy at the tumor location.
• Lessening the drug dosage with increased effectiveness.
• Less side effects and reduced recovery.
Personalized medicine at a microscopic level.
The Inside Out of Fighting Cancer.
Nanobots have been used in laboratory experiments to target and kill breast and colon cancerous cells in mice without harming the surrounding tissue.
The second stage is testing on large animals and finally human trials - a process that would reestablish oncology.
Beyond Cancer Future Applications.
The uses of nanobot technology are way more than cancer. These machines might
• Clear blood clots.
• Regenerate cellular tissues that are broken.
There are even prototypes that are capable of gathering biological information as they pass through the bloodstream - therefore, qualifying as living diagnostic agents.
Challenges Ahead
The technology is promising but has some challenges before it can be fully used clinically. Scientists need to make sure that there is absolute safety, scalability, and affordability.
Thousands of nanobots located within the human body would have to be controlled with superior AI, magnetic fields, and surveillance which are currently being optimized.
The Future of Cure of Cancer.
Should it be successful, this innovation would result in the end of painful side effects of chemotherapy and the start of precision medicine at the level of microscopy.
It is no longer about destroying cancer, but outwitting it.
Impact on ethics and science.
This technology attracts thrilling ethical debates as well. To what extent can machines be introduced into biology? What will become of nanobots that are able to heal - or even improve - human body?
We are also seeing the dawn of a new frontier which is the integration of medicine and robotics on the cellular scale.
Discussion: Medicine versus the Future.
The ability to develop nanobot that will swim in blood and target cancerous cells is not only a technological discovery but also a sign of hope.
It is in these microscopic machines that human beings can possibly have discovered a means to combat disease on the inside, and with surgical precision, with short suffering.
According to one of the scientists: the future of medicine will not be a pill, but a nanobot.