Nanorobots successfully fight pneumonia in mice (PICTURES)  

No trace of the disease

Scientists at the University of San Diego have managed to direct a swarm of nanorobots into the lungs of mice to neutralize pneumonia germs, raising hopes that a similar treatment could one day be used in humans.

Nanorobots are essentially programmed algae cells that have been enriched with antibiotic nanoparticles. The algae provides the movement in the lungs so that the treatment is targeted and effective. The experiment was successful, as the mice with the nanorobots cleared of pneumonia, while those that did not died within three days. In the image below you can see the algae in green and the nanoparticles in brown.

The technology is still in its early stages and this particular experiment is just a proof-of-concept, but the results are very encouraging.

Based on data in mice, we see how nanorobots can improve antibiotic penetration to kill bacterial pathogens and save patients’ lives.

The nanoparticles consist of polymer spheres coated with the membranes of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. These membranes neutralize inflammatory molecules produced by bacteria and the body’s own immune system. Both nanoparticles and algae break down naturally in the body.

The researchers found that their method was much more effective than an injection of antibiotics. In fact, the injection dose had to contain 3,000 times more antibiotics than the algae cells to have the same effects in the mice.

The results show that the targeted delivery of drugs in combination with the active movement of the microalgae improves the therapeutic efficacy.

The next step is testing in larger animals before moving on to humans.

The research was published in Nature Materials .