Nanorobot with hidden weapon kills cancer cells
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet developed nanorobots targeting cancer cells in mice. The nanorobots use a hidden weapon activated in acidic tumor environments, reducing tumor growth by 70% in tests. Further research is needed for human trials.
Read original article
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed nanorobots that target and kill cancer cells in mice. The nanorobot's weapon is hidden in a nanostructure and is only exposed in the acidic environment present in and around solid tumors, sparing healthy cells. This innovative approach, published in Nature Nanotechnology, utilizes DNA origami to create a 'kill switch' that activates the weapon selectively. In tests on mice with breast cancer tumors, the nanorobot led to a 70% reduction in tumor growth compared to an inactive version. The study's first author, Yang Wang, highlights the need for further research to assess the method's efficacy in advanced cancer models and potential side effects before human trials. The research, funded by various organizations, aims to develop more targeted nanorobots by incorporating proteins or peptides that bind specifically to certain cancer types. This groundbreaking work opens new possibilities in nanomedicine for cancer treatment.
Related
Light targets cells for death and triggers immune response with laser precision
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a method using light to induce inflammatory cell death, potentially aiding cancer and inflammatory disease treatments. The precise technique triggers immune responses for therapeutic applications.
Tiny robots with a big impact: microrobots for single-cell handling
Scientists have developed microrobots with nanoscale grippers to manipulate single cells gently. These laser-operated tools work with optical tweezers, enabling precise cell interactions without harm. The study in Advanced Science demonstrates their potential.
Re-engineering cancerous tumors to self-destruct and kill drug-resistant cells
Researchers at Penn State University developed a genetic circuit to re-engineer cancerous tumors, causing self-destruction and targeting drug-resistant cells. Published in Nature Biotechnology, the study shows promising results in combating cancer evolution and drug resistance.
Scientists create a cell that precludes malignant growth
Scientists at the University of Helsinki developed a cell preventing malignant growth, enhancing therapies for diseases like diabetes. Engineered cells show promise in regulating glucose levels and evading immune rejection, advancing safer cell therapies.
Charm creates a potent therapy candidate for fatal prion diseases
A collaboration between Broad Institute and Whitehead Institute developed CHARM, a gene-silencing tool for prion diseases. CHARMs target disease-causing genes through epigenetic editing, showing promise in mice with low toxicity. Researchers aim to optimize CHARMs for clinical trials.
5 comments>> He emphasizes, "Any scientist can already use our model at the design stage of their own research to instantly narrow down the number of nanoparticle variants requiring experimental verification."
>> "Modeling Absorption Dynamics of Differently Shaped Gold Glioblastoma and Colon Cells Based on Refractive Index Distribution in Holotomographic Imaging" (2024) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202400778
> Holotomography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holotomography
>>> Could part of the cancer-killing [200nm nanoparticle gold stars] be more magnetic than Gold (Au), for targeting treatment?
Magnets, nano robots, NIRS targeting,
"Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging at 0.05 Tesla" [1800W] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm7168 .. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40335170
This said, I am pleasantly surprised that nano robots, a scifi idea, are actively researched and tested. As a child I watched a French TV scifi animation series which showed people and their vessel minified and injected into a human body. Now finally it seems this future has started? I hope it is a good start.
In the long term I expect engineering to outperform evolution in the same way that mathematics allowed humans to establish such a practical lead that we're almost in a different class to animals. It'll be interesting to see how quickly and how lopsided the advantage is over cells if nanorobots take off.
Related
Light targets cells for death and triggers immune response with laser precision
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a method using light to induce inflammatory cell death, potentially aiding cancer and inflammatory disease treatments. The precise technique triggers immune responses for therapeutic applications.
Tiny robots with a big impact: microrobots for single-cell handling
Scientists have developed microrobots with nanoscale grippers to manipulate single cells gently. These laser-operated tools work with optical tweezers, enabling precise cell interactions without harm. The study in Advanced Science demonstrates their potential.
Re-engineering cancerous tumors to self-destruct and kill drug-resistant cells
Researchers at Penn State University developed a genetic circuit to re-engineer cancerous tumors, causing self-destruction and targeting drug-resistant cells. Published in Nature Biotechnology, the study shows promising results in combating cancer evolution and drug resistance.
Scientists create a cell that precludes malignant growth
Scientists at the University of Helsinki developed a cell preventing malignant growth, enhancing therapies for diseases like diabetes. Engineered cells show promise in regulating glucose levels and evading immune rejection, advancing safer cell therapies.
Charm creates a potent therapy candidate for fatal prion diseases
A collaboration between Broad Institute and Whitehead Institute developed CHARM, a gene-silencing tool for prion diseases. CHARMs target disease-causing genes through epigenetic editing, showing promise in mice with low toxicity. Researchers aim to optimize CHARMs for clinical trials.