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Berlin, November 5 Scientists have developed nanometer-sized robots capable of moving actively in dense tissues such as the vitreous body of the eye, opening the way for minimally invasive tools to administer drugs precisely.
Up to now, the transport of nano-vehicles has been demonstrated only in model systems or biological fluids, but not in actual tissues.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany applied nanoparticles to a non-stick coating with a width of only 500 nm, small enough to pbad through the tight molecular matrix of glbady gelatinous material.
According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, drills are 200 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, and even smaller than the width of a bacterium.
Their shape and slippery coating allows the nanoparticles to move relatively freely through one eye, without damaging the sensitive biological tissues that surround them.
This is the first time scientists have been able to direct nanobots through dense tissue, as has been demonstrated until now in model systems or biological fluids.
The researchers' vision is to one day charge the nanopillers with drugs or other therapeutic agents and direct them into a targeted area, where they can deliver the drug where it is needed.
The targeted delivery of drugs inside dense biological tissue poses a considerable challenge, especially at these small scales.
This is the viscous consistency of the inside of the eyeball, the narrow molecular matrix that a nano-propellant must pbad through. It acts as a barrier and prevents the penetration of larger structures.
Even if the size requirements are met, the chemical properties of the biopolymeric network in the eye could still cause the nanoproject to get stuck in this mesh of molecules.
The researchers designed a maximum size of 500 nanometers for each nano-propellant and applied a two-layer nonstick coating. The first layer consists of molecules bound to the surface, while the second layer is a liquid fluorocarbon coating.
This significantly decreases the adhesive strength between nanobots and the surrounding tissue.
With the help of a small needle, the researchers injected tens of thousands of helical robots the size of a bacterium in the vitreous humor of one eye of pork. With the help of a surrounding magnetic field that rotates the nanoprojectors, these then swim to the retina, where the swarm arises.
Sliding nanorobots enter the eye. The goal of the researchers was to be able to precisely control the swarm in real time.
The team is already working one day on the use of its nano-vehicles for targeted delivery applications. MHN
MHN
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