Nanomedicine

In future, microscopic robots could help heal us. While some of these have been capable of manipulating individual cells, researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a new way to get nanobots inside cells, and precisely control them once they’re in there.

Mostly known for its lustrous fleece and predilection for vigorous spitting, the humble alpaca may soon be more famous for its novel immune system. A study has discovered that the animals produce a unique nanobody that could be recruited into a new treatment for cancer.

​When a clot blocks a blood vessel in the heart, a heart attack is the unfortunate result. Frequently, surgery is required in order to remove that clot. Thanks to an experimental new drug-delivery system, however, that approach may become increasingly unnecessary.

​It's never a good thing when donated human blood – or even the blood in our bodies – is infected with bacteria. Scientists at the University of California San Diego, however, are developing a means of removing such blood-borne microbes using tiny ultrasound-powered robots.

Most medical micro-robots are limited to one method of movement and might not handle complex terrain. Now, a team from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has developed a “millirobot” that can walk, crawl, jump, climb, roll, swim and carry loads like a microrobotic Mario.

The latest nanoparticle innovation, driven by advanced computer modeling technologies, targets a broad range of devastating viruses and not only binds to them, but destroys them as well.

​It’s a classic movie trope, distract the guards while our hero sneaks past. A team of researchers at the University of Michigan has deployed the same tactic to reduce inflammation in the body, by using nanoparticles that distract immune cells from negatively inflaming an injury site.

​In what they are calling a world first, nanoengineers have delivered tiny drug-bearing motors into the stomachs of mice where the devices moved around via bubble propulsion, which changed the pH of the stomach to allow the successful dispatch of bug-clobbering antibiotics.

The super-small objects known as nanoparticles are playing a big role in combating cancer. Now, researchers have enlisted the petite powerhouses in a new way that helps them recruit the body's immune system into fighting tumors while also teaching it to be on the lookout for cancer's return.

Current snake antivenom might not be saving lives as efficiently as it could, given that they’re difficult and expensive to produce, distribute and administer. Now, researchers have developed a synthetic alternative with a long shelf-life that can neutralize venom from several species of snakes.

A ​team at Tel Aviv University's (TAU's) Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology​ have developed an alternative​ to the invasive needle electrodes used in electromyotherapy, in the form of an electronic "tattoo" that unobtrusively monitors muscle activity.​

Brazilian researchers are working on a method of cancer drug delivery to the affected cells that is more precise and sparing of healthy cells. They use silica and folate, a vitamin that is naturally attracted to tumors. The idea is to make chemotherapy less harmful and more efficient.