Scientists invent nano-machines to kill cancer cells in minutes

Scientists invent nano-machines to kill cancer cells in minutes Jun 01, 2018

Scientists invented a miniature photodynamic nanomachine that can drill into cancer cells and kill them within minutes.

Last year's winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was three scientists who discovered how to use atom chains to make such nanomachines. In a study published in the journal Nature, scientists created many such nanomachines. Driven by light, these nanomachines target specific cells, destroying their outer membranes and quickly killing them.

These machines are tiny and put 50,000 people together, but they are not as wide as people. Each machine is very sensitive to proteins on a particular cell so they can accurately find the target. As long as there is light, they will rotate at a speed of 3 million times per second. This high-speed rotation allows them to rush into the cells. If there is no light, these nanomachines can find their goal, but they will only adhere to the cell surface.

The scientists scattered these nanomachines in a plate full of human kidney cells that drilled holes and killed them within minutes. The same happens when these machines are scattered among prostate cancer cells. This technology is still not mature enough, and it can only be tested on microorganisms and fish. However, in the future, these machines will be used to precisely deliver drugs and kill cancer cells, opening up a new path for treatment.

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