13/07/2023
Pharmaceuticals
Nanobots are a concept that will allow targeted healthcare to materialise. These are robots created on a nanoscale, hardly visible to the naked eye. While nanobots could have an array of uses in the future, a notable use case lies in medicine. Nanobots could protect our bodies better than our natural immune system. Let’s delve into their future.
Understanding Nanobots
Nanobots in healthcare currently focus on medical diagnosis and monitoring. They range in size, spanning from 1 to 100 nanometres (nm). For reference, one nanometre is a million times smaller than a millimetre. This means that developing nanotechnology operates on a scale that the naked eye can’t see.
Diagnostic Applications of Nanobots
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Detecting ion content
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Imaging tools
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Transport for drugs
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Surgical tools, examining problem areas up close
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Eliminating cancerous cells
Future Therapeutic Applications of Nanobots
These applications are being used today, but there are many future use cases. In the future, these nanobots could treat cancerous cells with chemo. Current cancer treatments kill both cancerous and healthy cells. Aggressive treatments are difficult to survive and cause many side effects. Precision nanobot medicine could change this. This would reduce a patient’s side effects, strengthen the body, and increase survival rates. This will bring a new meaning to precision medicine.
This kind of targeted cancer treatment is called DNA origami nanobots. This technique folds DNA to build DNA nano-barrels. These nano-barrels work as payload carriers. These nanobots can target specific cancer cells. They are compatible with many types of cancer. While DNA nanobots are still far from in-human trials, this is an incredible piece of research.
Challenges of Nanobots
Some challenges that scientists are facing are finding the right materials to create nanobots. For instance, silicon is used in robotics for connective parts and protective skin. Yet, silicon can’t be accurately moulded at this nanoscale.
Another challenge is ensuring the nanobots can be flushed out of the body without harm. Nanobots smaller than 10 nm can go through physiological systems. Phagocytic cells (white blood cells) clear particles greater than 200 nm. Also, nanobots have high research and development (R&D) costs. One might assume that making things on a smaller scale would cost less. For instance, the sci-fi movie, Downsizing, is about an invention that makes people shrink. Their motivation is that their savings turn them into millionaires as it costs less to be small. In nanotech, that is not the case. While a milligram of gold might cost $80, a gram of gold nanomaterial costs $80,000.
Future Prospects and Impacts of Nanobots
Clearly, nanobots will impact precision medicine and healthcare as a whole. The hope is that nanobots will become approved by governmental regulatory bodies. As their usage grows, economies of scale will reduce the cost of every level of production. Imagine a world where debilitating mental health isn’t a challenge. A world where no one faces the limitations imposed by conventional treatments. By influencing neural circuits, they could help rewire faulty connections. This includes: boosting the production of neurochemicals or delivering specific therapeutic agents. This acts to ease symptoms and promote mental resilience.
However, this new frontier raises profound ethical and philosophical questions. The delicate balance between intervention and personal autonomy must be carefully navigated. Additionally, nanobots have the potential to extend life expectancy. Nanobots could join our natural microbiomes. These nanobots could work to restore cells, extending our life expectancy. Could nanobots be the secret to immortality?
Conclusion
In conclusion, the advent of nanobots in the field of biotechnology represents a leap toward targeted healthcare.
Nanobots are currently employed in medical diagnosis and monitoring. They boast a size range of 1 to 100 nanometers. Such infinitesimal dimensions make nanotechnology an invisible frontier, requiring specialised tools for exploration. In diagnostics, nanobots are invaluable tools.
In the future, nanobots could be used in precision medicine to treat cancer more effectively. This promising approach, exemplified by DNA origami nanobots, is still being researched.
Significant challenges exist in the development of nanobots. Scientists grapple with the selection of suitable materials. Additionally, the safe removal of nanobots from the body poses a significant hurdle.
Regardless, nanobots will have a profound impact on pharmaceuticals and the medical industry. Moreover, the integration of nanobots into our natural microbiomes could extend life expectancy.
In essence, the emergence of nanobots as a medicinal force heralds a new era in healthcare. They have the potential to transform diagnostics, treatments, and human biology. These tiny stand poised to shape the future of medicine. They offer hope and tangible benefits for patients worldwide.
