In recent news, nanobots may be the new way to treat cancer, but only if scientists need a lot of research to prove their safety in humans.
The emergence of nanomedicine, the science of diagnosing, preventing, and treating a wide range of diseases using nanoscale devices, has changed the face of modern medicine. These tiny nanoparticles have the ability to alter the dynamics of the body with minimal side effects.
A study conducted at Arizona State University in the United States using a mouse tumor model shows exactly how nanorobots can kill cancer cells. These nanorobots are made up of DNA nanostructures (DNA that has been folded to reach a scale of 90 nm) and thrombin.
The nanobots target a protein called nucleolin, which is found only on the surface of cancer cells. After attaching to the cancer cell, the nanobots release thrombin into the cell, which cuts off the cancer cell's blood supply and destroys the tumor. The nanorobots worked fast and in large numbers, completely surrounding the tumor. The experiment was a success, with the tumors in the mice shrinking dramatically while healthy cells were unaffected
Nanobots may be a new alternative to chemotherapy and other cancer therapies. Chemotherapy has been widely used to kill cancer cells, but it can have very serious side effects. Chemotherapy kills all rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, and also kills other healthy cells. This is one of the main reasons why hair loss occurs in patients undergoing chemotherapy, as the hair follicles grow rapidly.
Nanotechnology has compelling properties that will also open our eyes in cancer treatment. Nanobots can also set up multiple binding sites to bind to many cells and release drugs.
However, not everything that glows is gold...... nanotechnology in the human body has its downside, because by its very nature, nanotechnology is still alien. One of the most important issues that scientists need to study further is the toxicity of nanoparticles, and their effects on the human body. Nanoparticles may cross biological barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, the small intestine, or the nasal epidermis, all of which can lead to inflammatory reactions and even more serious side effects.
A great deal of research is being done to make nanorobots a reality in medicine. Currently, scientists are conducting experiments on mice and pigs to determine the side effects and potential safety issues of injecting nanobots. If all goes well, we may see some new treatments for cancer applying nanotechnology emerge in the near future.