Tiny DNA robot that destroys cancer according to tactics

Within 24 hours of entering the mouse, the nano robot blocked the blood supply in the tumor and destroyed tumor tissue without any side effects on healthy tissue.

The new type of nano robot is a DNA robot system that can deliver drugs into the body accurately and is fully automated, Science Daily quoted Hao Yan, a director of the center for biological simulation and design. molecular design of Arizona University of Biotechnology Design Institute (ASU).

The technology that has just been successfully tested is the first study in mammals, which applies to mice with lung cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma and breast cancer. According to Yan, this technology can be used in many different types of cancer because all blood vessels that nourish solid tumors are basically the same.

New generation "spy" robot

Nano medicine is a new branch of the medical industry that uses nanotechnology to implement new, typical treatments such as a negatively charged nanoscale device used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. poor, especially cancer.

The biggest challenge now is to design, build and control nano robots that can actively search for and destroy cancer tumors without harming healthy cells.

To solve this difficult problem, the international team used a fairly simple strategy. Five years ago (2013), they began to formulate the idea of ​​removing the blood supply to the tumor by blood clotting in many solid tumors. To achieve high and safe treatment results, the researchers decided to build DNA-based nanomachines.

DNA origami - DNA shaping is a 20-year history that specializes in building complex DNA structures. DNA can be twisted into all shapes and sizes with the size of a thousand of the width of a human hair. This discipline promises to create a revolution in computing, electronics and medicine.

Professor Yan said that the research on nano robotics is an important step to open a new stage of development of nano medicine.(Photo: ASU).

Hao Yan's DNA origami expertise has helped the team upgrade the design of the old nano machine into a fully programmable robot system to perform the healing task on their own, 'transporting molecules and locking blood supply right at the tumor to kill its tissue and shrink it ' , according to a professor from the Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences based in Beijing, China. National.

After designing the new system, the scientists injected the lithium robot particles into mice infected with breast cancer cells, ovarian cancer cells, melanoma and human lung cancer cells. .

First, the healing nanoparticles were introduced into mice. Each nano robot is made of a flat rectangular DNA plate of small size like a tiny paper origami, 90x60 nanometers (1 nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter). The surface of the DNA plate has an enzyme called thrombin. This thrombin enzyme functions to block blood flow in the tumor by coagulating the capillaries that nourish the tumor, thereby attacking the tumor center and killing its tissue.

The new DNA robot carries the enzyme that causes thrombin coagulation.(Photo: ASU).

The key to programming nano machines that only attack cancer cells is a special component called aptamer DNA, which is microscopic genetic elements that are able to recognize the surface of cancer cells to avoid cells. heal.

After infiltrating the tumor's vascular surface, nanoparticles will deliver drugs into the center of the tumor by releasing the thrombin enzyme that causes blood clots. The 'sneaky' activity of injecting drugs into the tumors of nano robots is like a famous "spy" in Greek mythology that is a Trojan horse so it is also called a Trojan horse .

According to research results, nano machines work quite quickly. Just hours after being injected into mice, they were able to quickly gather large numbers to surround and destroy the tumor. Within 24 hours of entering the mouse, the nano robot blocked the blood supply in the tumor and destroyed tumor tissue without any side effects on healthy tissue. After that, most of these nano robots will defecate themselves in the next 24 hours.

The nano robot forms a rewinding DNA plate to attack the tumor.(Photo: ASU).

In each case, the prolongation of the life of the rat and slow the development process or even shrink the tumor growth. In the case of melanoma, nano robots can even prevent the spread of melanoma to the liver. And with mice with lung cancer, the cancerous tissue shrank after two weeks of treatment.

New prospects from the science of tiny machines

The international research team leader, Professor Yuliang Zhao from NCNST, said that the nano machines operate quite safely and efficiently.'Nano robots have been shown to be safe and non-immune when used in mice and tiny Bama pigs, there are no effects detected in blood clotting or normal cell morphology'.

The most important thing is that there is no evidence that nano robots spread far to the brain and cause unwanted side effects such as strokes.'Nano robot machines are safe in normal tissues of mice and large animals , ' Science Daily quoted a key member of the team, Professor Guangjun Nie, also from NCNST.

In a paper published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, Professor Yan thinks this is an important turning point that opens the next stage of nano medicine development.'We are approaching more practical technology applications in medicine. The combination of nano robots carrying different designed rational agents can achieve the highest goal of cancer research. It is to destroy solid tumors and their spread in blood vessels. In addition, these tiny robots can also be redesigned to transport drugs to treat other diseases. '

Currently, Yan and collaborative scientists are actively seeking clinical treatment partners to continue developing promising new technologies.