Advanced treatments of Cancer
“Cancer’
is a difficult disease to recover fully if not diagnosed at an early stage
though many new methodologies and treatment procedures (immunotherapy, targeted
therapy and stem cell therapy) have been discovered nowadays in addition to traditional
chemotherapy. Early detection and diagnosis of many cancers is very
challenging. Late stage detection of a cancer always leads to high mortality
rates. Cancer treatment includes surgery, radiation, medicines and other
therapies. The goal of cancer treatment is to cure or shrink a cancerous growth
or cells and stop it from spreading.It is imperative to develop novel and more
sensitive and effective diagnosis and therapeutic methods for cancer
treatments. The development of new cancer treatments has become a crucial
aspect of medical advancements.
Nano bots in cancer treatment
In
this context, “Nano bots” are one of the most promising applications of
nano medicines and are at the forefront of multidisciplinary research. With the
progress of nanotechnology, nano bots enable the assembly and deployment of
functional molecular/nano sized machines and are increasingly being utilized in
cancer diagnosis and therapeutic treatment. In recent years, various practical
applications of nano bots for cancer treatments have transitioned from theory to
practice, from in vitro experiments
to in vivo applications. Nano bots are
tiny robots that can perform specific tasks at the nano scale level. Cancer
research scientists believe that use of nano bots are capable of killing cancer
cells and may be successfully used in cancer research as DNA probes as well as
cancer cell imaging.
Not
only in early detection of cancer and malignant tissues, nanobots have been
successfully utilized in many other applications in modern treatment procedures
like drug delivery, tumor sensing and diagnosis, targeted therapy, minimally
invasive surgery and other comprehensive treatments. The challenges and the
potential research opportunities for nano bots in revolutionizing cancer
treatments is the key to the cancer researchers at present. In the future,
medical nano bots are expected to become more sophisticated and capable of
performing multiple medical functions and ultimately becoming true
nano submarines in the blood stream.With the great development potential and
application prospects in the treatment of tumors, the development of
nano medicines has become very rapid in recent days. Nano bots, as one of the
most promising applications of nano medicines, allow one to access remote and
hard-to-reach body regions and perform various medical tasks. Medical nano bots
are defined as untethered nanostructures that contain an engine or are capable
of transforming diverse types of energy sources to mechanical forces and
perform a medical task. Due to their small sizes, nano bots can directly
interact with cancer cells and even penetrate them, providing direct access to
the cellular machineries. As an interdisciplinary technology, nano bots address
the assembly and utilization of functional nano to molecular scale machines and
have been widely used in cancer diagnosis and treatment. In recent years,
various practical applications of micro and nano robots for cancer treatments
have been realized from theory to practice from in vitro experiments to in
vivo applications. The size of a single biomolecule is at the nanometer
scale, which limits the operation of micro robots. Robotic manipulations of
biomolecules require the use of nano bots with the same or a similar nano scale. Miniaturization
of the robotic technology and its combination with advanced medical
technologies make it possible for numerous biomedical applications, including
precision and targeted medication. Each of these applications aims to address
and conquer different challenges in the treatments of cancers.
Where and how this methodology
has been studied till date?
Researchers
at Karolinska Institute, University of Solna, Sweden have developed nano robots
that can kill cancer cells in mice successfully.Swedish researchers have
accomplished a revolutionary breakthrough in cancer treatment by developing
nano robots that can precisely target and eliminate cancer cells. The research
team led by Professor Bjorn Hogberg created the cutting-edge technology at the
esteemed University of Solna. The robot's weapon is hidden in a nanostructure
and is exposed only in the tumour microenvironment, sparing healthy cells. These
tiny robots, described as armed with “lethal weapons,” have demonstrated the
ability to halt tumor growth in mice without affecting healthy tissue.
Professor Hogberg explained that the nano bots use a specially designed
structure to arrange ‘death receptors’ on cancer cells, initiating their
demise. This mechanism, composed of “six
peptides” arranged in a hexagonal pattern, acts as a “lethal weapon.”
In
mice with breast cancer, the nano robots reduced tumor development by 70% in
early testing when compared to mice administered with an inactive form of the
device. The group anticipates that this novel strategy may result in future
cancer treatments that are more focused and less invasive.This study has been
published in the journal “Nature Nanotechnology” in 2024. Cancer killing nano bots
are tiny devices that can identify and destroy cancer cells while leaving
healthy cells intact. They are designed to be activated in the tumor
microenvironment, where the pH is lower than in healthy cells. Nano bots have
components that allow them to find and attach to cancer cells. When activated,
nano bots are capable of releasing drugs or nanoparticles that destroy the
cancer cell. Nano bots are programmed to activate a "kill switch" that
is only triggered in the right conditions pointing towards cancerous growth or
cells.
Mode of action of nano bots
a) As precision medicine: Nano bots can target
tumor cells without harming healthy cells b) Minimal impact on normal tissues:
Nano robots can diagnose and treat illnesses with minimal impact on normal
tissues c) Combination therapy: Nano robots can be combined with other
therapies, such as chemotherapy, targeted drugs and biologic drugs d) Nano bots
have a chain of atoms that spin at high speeds, drilling into the cancer cell
and blasting it open.
Swedish
researchers at the University of Solna
are planning to conduct the study on human cancer cells primarily on breast and
lung cells very soon (February 2025) with the application of “Nano bots” as far
as the information’s obtained from the sources of the research group. Hope good
days in advance cancer treatments are not so far!
