

Toward nanorobots that swim through blood to deliver drugs [video] - DenisM
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2015/acs-presspac-june-17-2015/toward-nanorobots-that-swim-through-blood-to-deliver-drugs-video.html

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DarkTree
I remember giving a presentation on nanotechnology about 7 years ago as a
freshman in high school, and this implementation was one of the 'fantasy' use
cases I covered. 7 years seems like a lifetime ago, yet so short when
discussing the development of world-changing technology like this. It is a
truly exciting time we live in.

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graeham
" And when they applied an oscillating magnetic field, the nanoswimmer moved
in an S-like, undulatory motion at the speed of nearly one body length per
second. "

If applying an external magnetic field, why not just use that to direct the
drug delivery?

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dnautics
Why not just use biology (eg antibodies) to direct the drug delivery?

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graeham
It is being done
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoclonal_antibody_therapy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoclonal_antibody_therapy)

Often these drugs are very expensive, and the targeting is to a specific
receptor rather than a specific region.

A magnetically or swim steered drug delivery would be for targeting a specific
region/ location in the body, or perhaps to move into areas that are hard or
slow to move into with simple diffusion.

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yedpodtrzitko
Stupid question: how come they avoid white blood cells?

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hellbanner
White blood cells might destroy them.

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jokoon
this has been fantasized in metal gear solid for so long now...

