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!