Will Nanorobots eventually deliver your medication?

So what exactly is a Nanorobot? It's a tiny cage built from molecules that responds to temperature specific environments. Researchers are hoping to eventually add a recognizable molecule to help deceive cancer cells, which will lure the cage directly to the cell without damaging any surrounding cells, and ultimately deliver the medication to the direct target. Although they are still in very early stages, scientists are hoping to one day create an ingestible pill form of the nanocage. So how does it work?

The tiny cage responds to surrounding temperatures to open and close its lattice. Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark, working with teams at Duke University in North Carolina and the University of Rome in Italy, used it to hold an active enzyme called horseradish peroxidase (HRP). According to researchers, the cage’s central cavity is large enough for the enzyme, while the lattice-work holes are too small for it to escape. It releases the HRP only when the right temperature conditions exists, at which point the lattice opens wide enough to let the enzyme pass through. Awaiting cells can then consume it. In essence, it’s the nano-sized version of the Trojan horse. The cancer cell sees an attractive molecule riding on friendly human DNA, having no idea that inside that DNA latticework is a drug that can wipe it out.

Biomedical Engineering Post Doctoral Associate Sissel Juul, Ph.D., believes “we will see commercial targeted non-viral drug delivery soon.” What kind of diseases could benefit from the particular type of delivery? And what kind of market could this potentially create for ingestible pills? Could combining basic methods with new technology be the answer? 

Want to learn more about the future of drug delivery? IIR's 18th Annual Drug Delivery Partnerships will help you form a drug delivery strategy that keeps you ahead of the market.Save 15% off of the standard rate when you register using priority code XP1978BLOG. To learn more, download our agenda. We hope to see you January 27-29 in Boca Raton!