Researchers have released billions of nanobots into arteries during lab tests to see if they can be safely used to treat brain aneurysms, potentially saving thousands of lives every year.
A team led by researchers have developed tiny robots – or nanobots – that could be used to treat brain aneurysms by controlling internal bleeding in a highly targeted and minimally invasive way.
Such brain bleeds, often caused by the rupture of an aneurysm – a blood-filled bulge on a brain artery – can be fatal or result in strokes and disability.
The new method could potentially save thousands of lives. Around 500,000 people die globally each year from brain aneurysm-related complications.
The study points to a future, where nanobots could be controlled remotely to carry out complex tasks inside the human body, such as targeted drug delivery and organ repair, in a minimally invasive way, according to researchers.
“Nanorobots are set to open new frontiers in medicine – potentially allowing us to carry out surgical repairs with fewer risks than conventional treatments and target drugs with pinpoint accuracy in hard-to-reach parts of the body,” said Dr. Qi Zhou, one of the study’s co-leads.
“Our study is an important step towards bringing these technologies closer to treating critical medical conditions in a clinical setting,” said Dr. Zhou, of the University of Edinburgh.
The nanobots measure approximately 300 nanometers in diameter, or about a twentieth the size of a human red blood cell. They are magnetic and engineered to deliver blood-clotting drugs directly to the area affected by an aneurysm.
Each bot is encased in a protective coating that melts at precise temperatures, allowing for the controlled release of the clotting agents.
The research team, which included experts from the University of Edinburgh and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, had successfully tested their nanobots in model aneurysms in the lab and in a small number of rabbits.
In lab tests, researchers injected several hundreds of billions of nanobots into arteries. They remotely guided them as “a swarm” using magnets and medical imaging to the site of an aneurysm.
Magnetic sources outside the body were then used to make robots cluster together inside the aneurysm and be heated to their melting point, releasing a naturally occurring blood-clotting protein, which blocks the aneurysm to prevent or stem bleeding into the brain.
The study showed that nanobots can transport and release drug molecules precisely without spreading to unintended areas, ensuring both safety and effectiveness, researchers said.
The paper detailing their findings was published in Small, a peer-reviewed journal.
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