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A decade-long effort led by Sylvain Martel, a nanorobotics researcher at Polytechnique Montréal, has brought scientists closer to using nanobots as precision tools for cancer therapy. In one of his key experiments, Martel’s team successfully guided magnetic nanorobots through the arteries of live pigs, using an MRI machine to steer them toward the liver. By simply tilting the animal at a slight downward angle, they achieved a threefold improvement in the robots’ ability to reach their target. The experiment marked a major milestone in showing that nanorobots can navigate complex, human-scale blood vessels—an essential step toward using them in medical treatments.
Nanorobots, typically smaller than 100 nanometres, differ from passive nanocarriers by being capable of directed or autonomous motion. Built from either inorganic materials like gold and iron or organic scaffolds such as DNA and proteins, these microscopic machines can be powered and guided by magnetic, acoustic, or chemical forces. Inspired by nature, scientists are increasingly creating biohybrid nanorobots that integrate synthetic parts with living organisms—using bacteria, algae, or even sperm cells—to combine natural mobility and sensory capabilities with engineered precision.
Such innovations are already transforming cancer research. In one example, researchers in China developed DNA-origami nanobots that deliver a blood-clotting enzyme called thrombin directly to tumours, cutting off their oxygen supply and halting growth in mouse models of aggressive breast cancer. Meanwhile, in Spain, Mariana Medina-Sánchez has engineered sperm-based magnetic nanobots capable of delivering drugs to reproductive-system cancers, where their natural propulsion and immune evasion make them remarkably effective.
Together, these developments signal a new era in targeted cancer therapy. Instead of relying on toxic chemotherapy or invasive surgery, scientists envision a future where swarms of nanobots can navigate the body, seek out tumours, and deliver treatment precisely where it’s needed—transforming how we detect, monitor, and destroy cancer.
